Photosmart 8450 printer- Need windows 11 driver

[Ivorf]

Hi - We have a Photosmart 8450 printer running as a networked printer (Ethernet connection).  ~This works fine when printing from a Windows 10 laptop as that version of Windows seems to have a driver built-in for that series of printer.  However, Windows 11 does not (as far as I can tell). - I have installed it using the Windows driver for the Photosmart B8500 series printers. The printer now does print from the Windows 11 computer but seems to do so pretty slowly, so I'd like to find a native driver for it.

[Ivorf]

Just to make matters more interesting, HP insists that you submit a product serial number before it will connect you to a support agent.  The problem is that HP fails to recognise the serial number from one of its own products and takes you around in an endless loop!

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @Ivorf ,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

I understand you are facing an issue with your HP Photosmart 8450 printer is considered a legacy product, and HP has not released specific Windows 11 drivers for it. However, there are ways to optimize your setup for better performance:

Steps to Resolve:

Confirm Driver Compatibility:

• The Windows 10 built-in driver for the Photosmart 8450 should work in Windows 11. However, if you installed the B8500 series driver, it may not be fully compatible. To confirm, uninstall the current driver and attempt the steps below.

Install Legacy Drivers via Windows Update:

• Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
• Click on Add a printer or scanner.
• If your printer isn’t detected automatically, click on The printer that I want isn’t listed.
• Select Add a local or network printer with manual settings.
• Choose Use an existing port, then click Next.
• Click Windows Update (this can take a few minutes).
• Once updated, look for “HP Photosmart 8450” in the list and select it.

Use Compatibility Mode:

• Download the last available driver for your printer (Windows 10 or earlier) from HP's support site or a trusted archive.
• Right-click the installer file, choose Properties, then go to the Compatibility tab.
• Select Run this program in compatibility mode for, and choose Windows 10 or an earlier version.
• Run the installer and test printing.

Adjust Printer Settings:

• Access the printer’s properties from Control Panel > Devices and Printers > Right-click your printer > Printer Properties.
• In the Advanced tab, check the driver details.
• Ensure that Print directly to the printer is selected to reduce lag caused by spooling.

Alternative Solutions:

• Generic PCL Driver: Use a generic HP Universal Print Driver (UPD) for PCL5 or PCL6. These are available from HP’s support site and can provide better performance for older printers.

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

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