Unable to print from HP printer on Windows 10

[Ripkord]

Hi all, hope I can find a resolution to this as I'm about to lose my marbles. 

I have a ENVY 5010 and had this problem, stupidly thinking it was the printer I purchased a 8015 and alas I have the exact same issue.

I have a Lenovo desktop PC with the latest version of W10 - 1909. I have installed all the latest KB articles with reference to printing issues on W10.   

No matter what I do, and I have tried every single suggestion to be found on this forum, I cannot print from either of these printers. The job flashes up briefly in the print job list then disappears. Can't even do a printer test sheet.

What I can do:

• Scan
• Access the printer menu (through HP Smart and IP address)
• Print the reports from the HP Smart app such as the printer status report

So it seems to be my version of windows.

Oddly my HP work laptop, connecting the exact same way (without any additional software) loads HP Smart, installs fine and works ok.  Works fine from mobile. 

I can also scan no problem from both PCs. 

I have tried:

• Factory reset
• New printer
• Deleting all the software
• Stopping the print service and deleting contents of PRINTER folder
• Changing the other settings in services.msc
• Removal of the printer drivers in the Printui.exe service
• Assigning manual IP and DNS and reinstalling 
• Creation of new admin account and adding printer that way

I am at my wit's end with it.

Is there some way I can find out why it works with the HP laptop and force my PC into using the same drivers, I already tried this in the printer properties (the laptop was using Microsoft drivers) but the driver version on my PC is newer and I can't appear to change them or downgrade. 

Also - bizarrely - the default settings for both printers always come up as letter, even though A4 is installed in the machine and the machine knows this.  On the laptop its fine from the start and sees A4.  Just in case that give anyone a bit more of a clue as to what is going on.

Thanks for any help. 

Edit - forgot to mention - if I add the printer via static IP using universal PCL6 drivers, it does something when I print a test page but it comes out in one line gibberish over several pages 😕

[Ripkord · Accepted solution]

OK finally managed to fix this myself - after a ton of googling - there is a way to manually force windows to update to the latest version of windows (may 2020 update 2004) go here:  https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows10

Then once that's done (takes an hour, at least it did for me).

Install this: https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB4567523 make sure you select appropriate OS variant. Reboot.

Then follow the usual steps, uninstall everything (assuming you already had the HP stuff installed).  Reboot.

Install as before, and hopefully you will have accomplished the nirvana that is getting a HP printer wokring on a recent W10 installation.

My god that was hard work.