Waiting for user to connect the device issue in Windows 11

[prjayaprakash]

Hi everyone, this isn't really a question per se but rather a solution to an issue that really pestered me for a couple of days. So I'm posting this in case anyone might find it helpful. I have an old HP printer - LaserJet P1007. It has served me well over the years and its just recently when I installed Windows 11 x64 on my PC that I had problems installing it. At first I tried the default Printer Driver Package (v2013) from HP's Software Download Page but it got stuck at the Waiting For user To Connect Device notification. I tried switching off my printer, changing the printer usb cable etc but of no use. I did almost everything except reinstalling Windows again. Before I gave up I came across an older thread of users discussing a similar problem https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printers-Archive-Read-Only/Waiting-for-user-to-connect-the-device/td-p...

The thread is no longer active and is archived but here are the steps that worked for me.

1. Switch off printer

2. Ctrl + Windows Key to open the run dialog box and type devmgmt.msc to open device management

3. Navigate to Printers and uninstall drivers for HP Printer listed there

4. Uninstall any Print Queues related to the printer (if any)

5. Open this link http://hp.drivercan.com/driver/11716/  to download HP LaserJet P1007 Hostbased Basic driver version 20070910 for Windows Vista 64-bit, Windows Server 2003 64-bit, Windows XP 64-bit. I repeat, only this driver version worked for me installing my LaserJet P1007 on my latest Windows 11 x64 PC. 

6. Run the driver package (it is actually self extracting and executing)

7. Restart your PC

8. Switch on your PC and test print a page. I printed a webpage from HP website itself using Mozilla Firefox's Print Function.

NOTE: Depending on the age, make and model number of your Printer, you need to find the appropriate driver package for it if you run into this particular issue. The safest bet would be to use the driver package released in the first year of the Printer Model's release which in my printer's case is 2007, hence the driver package from that year worked.

Hope this helps. Cheers.