hi. I am trying to use my HP Printer with a cable but am unable to connect.

[karen426]

I am trying to print using HP smart tank and my laptop with a cable

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @karen426,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

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

I understand you’re trying to connect your HP Smart Tank printer to your laptop using a cable but it isn’t working. Let’s go through a few steps to check what could be causing this.

Check the USB cable and port
Make sure you are using a data USB cable (not just a charging cable) and that it is fully plugged into both the printer and the laptop. Try a different USB port on your laptop if available.

Turn on the printer
Ensure the printer is powered on. Some printers will not be recognized if they are off or in sleep mode.

Install or update printer drivers
Make sure the latest drivers for your Smart Tank model are installed on your laptop. Use HP Smart or download drivers from the HP website for your specific printer.

Check printer recognition
On your laptop, open Devices and Printers (Windows) or System Settings > Printers & Scanners (Mac) and see if the printer appears. If it shows as “Unknown” or not listed, the cable or driver may be the issue.

Restart both devices
Turn off both the printer and laptop, wait 30–60 seconds, then power them back on. Connect the USB cable again and check if the printer is recognized.

Try another cable or laptop
If possible, test with a different USB cable or another computer. This can rule out a faulty cable or port issue.

I hope this helps.

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Best regards,