Printer recognised but won't print over USB

[janicec5]

I am trying to install an old HP 1020 laserjet printer on a new Windows 11 HP desktop. Officially this printer is not compatible with Windows 11 but there are lots of posts online saying that it is possible to use it with Windows 11 and giving instructions for installing it. The printer connects with a USB cable and I have plugged it into one of the four ports on the front of the PC. The PC is running Windows 11 24H2.

Although I have installed the driver and the printer appears in the list of devices when I send a print job nothing seems to be received at the printer. There is no error message, but the printer queue window seems to appear very briefly then disappear. Is this a Windows 11 problem or a hardware problem? Can anyone suggest how to get the printer responding?

Grateful for assistance.

[Irfan_06]

Hi @janicec5,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.

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

It seems like your HP LaserJet 1020 printer is being detected by your Windows 11 system but isn't processing print jobs. Since the printer is officially not supported on Windows 11, the issue could be driver-related or due to communication issues between the printer and your system. Here are steps you can follow to resolve the problem:

1. Verify the Driver Installation

• Ensure you downloaded and installed the correct driver. HP provides drivers for older versions of Windows, such as Windows 7 or 10, that may work on Windows 11.
• If you haven’t already, try downloading the HP LaserJet 1020 host-based driver from the official HP website or use the Windows Update catalog to search for compatible drivers.
• You can also try installing the driver in Compatibility Mode:
  1. Right-click the driver installation file.
  2. Select Properties > Compatibility.
  3. Check Run this program in compatibility mode for and select Windows 7 or Windows 10.

2. Ensure the Correct Port is Selected

• Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners and select your printer.
• Click Manage > Printer Properties and navigate to the Ports tab.
• Ensure the correct USB port is selected. If the printer is plugged into a front port, look for a port labeled USB00X.

3. Restart the Print Spooler Service

• Open Services by pressing Win + R, typing services.msc, and pressing Enter.
• Locate Print Spooler in the list, right-click it, and select Restart.
• Try printing again after restarting the service.

4. Test with the HP Universal Print Driver (UPD)

• Download the HP Universal Print Driver (PCL6) for Windows.
• During installation, choose the Traditional Mode and manually assign it to the HP LaserJet 1020.
• The UPD sometimes enables basic functionality for unsupported printers.

5. Check USB Communication

• Try connecting the printer to a rear USB port on the desktop, as these often provide more stable power and data connections.
• Avoid using USB hubs or extension cables.
• Ensure the USB cable is functional by testing it with another device.

6. Manually Add the Printer

If the printer was not correctly added, you can manually install it:

1. Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners.
2. Click Add a Printer or Scanner and wait for the search to complete.
3. If your printer doesn’t appear, select The printer that I want isn’t listed.
4. Choose Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings.
5. Select the correct USB port and driver from the list.

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day

Irwin6

HP Support

[janicec5]

Hi @Irwin6

Thanks for your reply. I've tried all the steps you suggest but no success so far. One thing I'm still checking is that I think I accidentally turned off the printer and turned it on again, and suddenly a print job came out. I'll pursue this and see if somehow the jobs are being sent to the printer but for some reason the printer is not recognising them.

I'll report back later.

[Irfan_06]

Hi @janicec5,

I am sorry to hear that the above steps did not help much but i do appreciate your efforts in performing the troubleshooting steps.

As the printer model is old, the drivers for the latest windows 11 might not be compatible with the printer.

If it is a compatibility issue with the drivers, there is nothing much you can do to make the old printer work with the latest OS.

Take care and have a great day ahead!

Irwin6

HP Support