Printer not recognised/connecting

[Richard-007]

I can't get the drivers for my printer,  just says drivers unavailable?

PLUS, recently upgraded my broadband to EE from Virgin; now the printer isn't recognised and isn't connecting? 

Anyone know anything??? 

[idj_779]

Hi Richard-007,

Welcome to the HP Community! I am a new volunteer here participating in the HP Solve-a-thon, and I can absolutely help you figure out what is going wrong with your connection and your drivers.

When you switch broadband providers (like moving from Virgin to EE), your home network receives a brand-new router, a new network name (SSID), and a new password. However, your printer is still desperately looking for your old Virgin network. It will not connect to the EE router automatically, which is why your computer thinks the printer is completely gone, leading to the "drivers unavailable" error when you try to print.

To give you the exact steps to reset this, please reply with your exact HP Printer model number (e.g., DeskJet 2755, ENVY 6020).

In the meantime, here is the universal process to get your printer communicating with your new EE broadband and fix the driver issue:

Step 1: Restore the Printer's Network Settings (Setup Mode)

We need to wipe the old Virgin network memory from the printer so it can look for the new EE router.

• If your printer has a touchscreen: Go to the Setup, Network, or Wireless settings menu, select Restore Network Settings, and confirm.

• If your printer has no screen: Ensure the printer is powered on. Press and hold the Wireless button and the Cancel (X) button at the same time for about 5 seconds. Release them when the power light starts flashing.

• Wait until the blue Wireless light starts blinking. This means the printer is in "Setup Mode."

Step 2: Remove the Ghost Printer from Windows

Your PC is trying to use the old driver configuration tied to your old network, which is causing the driver errors.

• Click the Windows Start button, type Control Panel, and press Enter.

• Click View devices and printers.

• Right-click your HP printer icon and select Remove device.

• Restart your computer.

Step 3: Reconnect via HP Smart

Now that the printer is in Setup Mode and the PC is clean, we can make the new connection.

• Ensure your computer or smartphone is currently connected to your new EE Wi-Fi network.

• Open the HP Smart app. (If you do not have it, download it from the Microsoft Store or your phone's app store).

• Click the Plus sign (+) or Add Printer.

• The app will locate your printer (which is broadcasting its setup signal) and seamlessly pass your new EE Wi-Fi password over to it. It will also automatically download the correct, fresh drivers for your PC.

Let me know your exact printer model if you need more specific instructions for Step 1, and please let me know if this gets you back online!

Thank you for being a part of the HP Community! I am an independent tech enthusiast and volunteer participating in the HP Solve-a-thon, not an HP employee.

If my steps helped you out, please click the Thumbs Up/Yes button below. If this completely resolved your issue, please click Accept as Solution so other users can easily find the answer!

[Richard-007]

Thank you for your lengthy solution. However, it did not work...

My printer is an HP DeskJet 4310, and while I was restarting the process in the HP Smart App, it stopped halfway through, saying it couldn't connect to Wi-Fi, but it didn't give a reason why.

[idj_779]

Hi Richard-007,

Apologies for the overwhelming previous message. Let's cut straight to the exact issue with the HP DeskJet 4310 and your new EE broadband.

The reason the HP Smart app is failing halfway through without an error code is a known conflict between the DeskJet's internal network card and your new EE Smart Hub. The DeskJet 4310 strictly requires a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi band and standard WPA2 security to connect. However, EE routers default to merging the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands together under one name and often push newer WPA3 security (Source). The printer gets confused during the network handshake and drops the connection.

Here is the quick workaround to get it connected:

1. Log into your EE Router: Type 192.168.1.254 into your web browser on a connected computer or phone. The admin password will be printed on the sticker on the back of your EE hub.

2. Adjust the Wi-Fi Settings: Navigate to your Wireless/Wi-Fi settings. Change the security mode from WPA3 to WPA2 (AES). If there is a toggle for "Smart Connect" or band steering, turn it off so your 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks have different names. Save the changes.

3. Reset the Printer: On your DeskJet 4310, press and hold the Wireless and Cancel (X) buttons together for 5 seconds until the power light flashes to completely wipe its network memory.

4. Retry HP Smart: Open the HP Smart app and run the setup again. If you split the bands in Step 2, make sure you tell the printer to connect to the 2.4GHz network name.

Let me know if adjusting the EE router settings gets it to push past that halfway point.

Additional sources:

• Solved: I have a new EE router - HP Community

• Troubleshoot a Wi-Fi connection to an HP printer | HP® Support

The below video visually demonstrates how to properly reset the wireless network settings on your specific HP DeskJet 4300 series printer before attempting to reconnect it through the HP Smart app:

Fix HP DeskJet 4300 series Unavailable Error

Thank you for being a part of the HP Community!

I am an independent tech enthusiast and volunteer participating in the HP Solve-a-thon, not an HP employee.