Subject: Issue with Expired Certificate Error on HP Printer Using MacBook

[JPD9]

I'm glad it worked for you.  My certificate expired on 1/1/25 and I expect the same happened to you and a lot of people so there are a lot of "certificate expired" messages popping up.  It's frustrating to me that HP (1) hasn't pushed out a fix or (2) suggests that Mac users fix the problem themselves by getting a Windows machine.  As you saw, the Mac fix that I linked to is something a layman can easily manage and is a solution that HP should have provided itself, rather than forcing us to endlessly spelunk around internet until we stumble upon a kind soul who has taken it upon himself to do what HP should have done.

[cariscribe]

This is also helpful, for we speculated that it happened at the turn of the new year. But I had to go through a total upgrade of my Mac (due anyway) to even get the Certificate Expired message which led me here. Before that it was simply Paused which led me down many a rabbit hole. 

I've been an Apple user since 1988 and don't plan on switching to Windows at this stage of the game, but I appreciate the insight there too. It should be in the Apple Discussions at the very least. But am not one of those Kind Souls who provides what the bigheads should have, so again I do thank you sincerely for posting this solution. 

[Repairatrooper]

There are numerous discussions of this on the Apple boards: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251950126?sortBy=rank

I am not sure that there is a "fix" that HP could push. It comes down to required maintenance to keep security protocols up to date. Yes a pain if you have never dealt with it. My fear is that Apple may eventually stop recognizing self-signed certificates which would then require a lot more effort to resolve the problem.

[hudson40071]

Is Network Authorization located in the printer settings or on the Mac? I have MacBook with Sequoia 15.2 and  HP Color Laser Jet Pro MFP M277dw

[cariscribe]

I am not sure where Network Authorization is. At first, when my MacBook was not updated, I simply received a Paused Error in the Printer Queue window. I updated to Sequoia and then the Error message also included the Certificate Expired message in red. Before that I didn't know where to begin to look.

[gadgetguy]

I applied the "fix" of creating a self-signed certificate and it has not fixed the issue. I have a HP Color LaserJet Pro M478f-9f, running on Mac OS Sequoia 15.1.1. Yes I have tried removing and re-adding the printer, reinstalling drivers, you name it. I am currently using the (less than ideal) workaround of adding the printer via a direct IP, which is pretty crazy.

So, here's something strange. I run Windows 11 in a VMWare VM on this Mac. Within that VM, I just added the printer and guess what? Windows works fine with it. No certificate error. What the hell is going on?

Meanwhile back on MacOS:

[Repairatrooper]

I wonder if Apple is rejecting self-signed certificates. Not all problems are created by HP and in some cases they cannot resolve the issue instantly because they have to figure out what Apple did.

[gadgetguy]

So I have stumbled across the actual, full fix for the issue.

Note:

1. the instructions are actually telling you to login the web interface to the printer. That's what "EWS" (Embedded Web Server) means and I had no clue what this was referring to initially. It is NOT telling you to run any HP Smart or similar app on your Mac.
2. The instructions provided by HP tell you how to do this on Windows, even though the issue is occurring on a Mac. Just follow my steps below.
3. You can get to the printer web interface from a browser directly via its IP (check the network status or settings on your particular printer to get its IP address). The second way on a Mac is to go to the Printer through System Settings, Printers. Click on your printer and go to Options & Supplies, then "Show Printer Web Page". You may get a security warning, depending on your browser. It is safe to accept and continue. This will then bring up the web interface to the printer, in your default browser.
4. The (Windows-based) HP instructions tell you to go to Network, Advanced Settings, Advanced and then Certificates. My printer (LaserJet Pro M478f-9f) does not have a Network tab. On mine you need to go to Security, Certificates, Configure. Again, this may vary for your printer.
5. Now select create Self-Signed Certificate and save.
6. According to HP this is supposed to fix the problem but it still did not work. In my case I solved it by ensuring that the printer's date and time were synced to my Mac. For my printer this is in the Settings, Preferences, Date & Time - it may be different for your printer. I had a discrepancy between the printer time and Mac time. I manually synced the two and it fixed my issue. You can try using the Time Server sync on this page if you want.

[Lombardogarden]

i recently purchased my HP Office Jet 8015e and it work from all three, Mac, Ipad and iphone.   It was working on three, now won't print on my MacBook Air.  

In checking under Printer, I received the Certificate Error.   One time I deleted that printer and then recreated it.   it worked one time and went back to the Certifcate error.

Thanks, would appreciate help.    

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @Lombardogarden,

Welcome to the HP Support Community! 

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding your printer!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

Try these steps:

Update Printer Firmware

Ensure that your printer firmware is up-to-date. Outdated firmware can often cause various errors. Kindly refer to this link to update your printer firmware.

Update MacOS

Make sure your MacBook Air is running the latest version of macOS. Sometimes, operating system updates can solve compatibility issues with printers.

• Go to System Preferences > Software Update to check for updates.

Reset Printing System on Mac

Resetting the printing system can clear the error and resolve the issue. Here's how you can do it:

• Open System Preferences on your Mac.
• Click on Printers & Scanners.
• Right-click in the printer list (or use the Control key when clicking).
• Choose Reset printing system....
• Click Reset to confirm.
• After resetting, re-add your HP Office Jet 8015e printer.

Clear Printer Queue

Clear any pending print jobs in the printer queue as they might be causing the issue.

• Open System Preferences > Printers & Scanners.
• Select your printer and click Open Print Queue.
• Delete all pending print jobs.

Check Printer's SSL/TLS Certificate

Ensure the SSL/TLS certificate on the printer has not expired. You may need to update it through the printer’s embedded web server (EWS):

• Obtain the IP address of your printer (you can usually find this on the printer's display or through the network settings).
• Enter the IP address into your web browser to access the printer's EWS.
• Navigate to the Network settings and look for SSL/TLS Certificate options.
• Replace or renew the certificate if necessary.

Reinstall HP Software

Sometimes reinstalling the printer software on your Mac can resolve certificate issues.

• Go to Applications > HP folder and run the Uninstaller.
• After uninstalling, download the latest printer software from the HP Support Website and reinstall it.

I hope this helps.

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Best regards,