looking for better driver for LJ P1606DN than NPIBDC69D

[GShep2]

 I recently change from Windows 7 to Windows 10 with a complete system wipe and load. The printer is network connected. The installer found in used the NPIBDC69D. It works but is extremely primitive. The driver I had for years on Windows 7 had extensive options such as back to back printing, resizing the image, and a host of other things. I would really like to change to a more robust driver than the one I have but don't know where to find it or how to put it in if I get it. Any help that you could provide would be most appreciated! Thank you!

[Repairatrooper]

Likely windows 10 installed a basic Microsoft driver. The number you reference is the host name of the printer. If the printer is networked, download the HP Universal Print Driver V7.0  https://www8.hp.com/us/en/solutions/business-solutions/printingsolutions/upd.html

(your device is supported https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c04324001) 

[GShep2]

I downloaded and installed the suggested driver him him per your suggestion. The queue now reads (HP Universal printing PCL 6 (V7 .0 .0). When I look at the ports, it reflects the correct IP address and is a standard TCP/IP port. If I look at hardware, I see "printer working properly". However, when I try to print something I see that it goes into the queue (with no "needs attention" message), but it just sits there for a long time and then finally the status shows as error. So something is still wrong. Since this is a pretty old printer, is there a possibility that there's some firmware update that needs to be put onto it to work properly with Windows 10? When this machine was Windows 7, I never had any issues printing to this is a network printer. So it must be that something has changed drastically since Windows 10 came on the scene. I will appreciate any additional suggestions you may have. Thank you very much!

PS: as a sidebar test I just printed something to this printer from my iPad and it came out immediately.

[GShep2]

I should mention that I did restart the PC but printing something yielded the same result (sits in the queue for a while and then the status changes to "error – printing")

[Repairatrooper]

If your phone prints instantly it is more likely a problem with your windows installation than the printer. Do you see any activity on the printer when you press print or does the job never reach the printer at all? Have you turned off Windows print management?

[GShep2]

Print management is not checked. You can see here that the PCL driver is on a standard TCP/IP port. But note that the old driver (NPIB…) Is still referenced, but I don't know if that makes any difference.  I no longer get "printer needs attention" but when printing something it shows in the queue, there is no activity on the LaserJet other than the typically linking light that I believe means connection to the network, and after a while the status changes to "error".  I mention again that printing to this printer from an iPad through the network works fine, just not from this PC once it was changed to Windows 10.

[Repairatrooper]

It has been brought to my attention by @ShlomiL that this printer is GDI based (host based driver required) which means the only UPD that will work is a PCL5 UPD.

I apologize for the inadvertent misdirection.

[GShep2]

We have been communicating via message but I find I can no longer access that thread.

[GShep2]

This is getting stranger by the minute. Any attempted printing just creates an error. Out of curiosity I downloaded the HP Smart application and it thinks that the printer is not installed. However, it finds the printer by name and has all of the network information available and showing. When I went into its information section and asked it to print out the device configuration, it did so! And it seems to know everything about the printer down to the serial number and firmware date code (which, by the way, is quite old). I don't know if this is a clue or not, but the HP Smart app shows the hostname as NPIBDC69D and it also shows this as the name. The driver currently installed is the PCL 5 which I've been told is the one required (rather than 6)

I downloaded the firmware update but when trying to execute it, it is unable to find the printer – maybe because it's on the network and not direct connect, I don't know.

At any rate, I still need additional ideas to try to sort this out and get the printer to work. Thanks again

[GShep2]

More new information: I removed the printer from the system and unplugged the ethernet cable. I then connected a USB cable and installed the printer, using the same PCL 5 driver. However, printing still fails with a status "error"in the queue. I then attempted to run the firmware update and got a message that the "application has been blocked for your protection – contact your system administrator". I'm hoping maybe this new information will shed some light on the problems I'm having trying to print on this printer. Thank you for any help you may have to offer.

Update: I found a fix online that took care of the blocked application. But now when I run the firmware update, it says it cannot find a printer installed on the system. And yet the printer and scanner screen shows that the HP Universal printing PCL 5 is the default printer and checking the ports it shows as connected via LPT1. So I'm still no closer to figuring out what is wrong.