printer driver unavailable

[lmtahoe]

I have 2 printers at 2 locations, both are HP Envy Photo 7855.  One location works fine, but at other location the printer does not show up, have tried numerous times to reinstall, download software/drivers, sometimes say it is installed.  However when you go to print the printer does not show up and when you go to manage it, it says driver unavailable.  This printer worked in the past but that was probably a couple months ago. 

[tttomdemaria]

I am having the same issue but with OfficeJet 6960/6962 and an OfficeJet 6970/6978.  Everything was fine throughout the day and then around yesterday evening we started getting reports of printers just disappearing or saying "driver unavailable"

This has happened at two different offices, two different companies, on random computers.  Some computers still have no issue.

EDIT:
This might be a bit different as far as the .inf file or available drivers because it's a different printer, but it's worth trying anyway.

1. Go to the driver download page for printer
2. Download the "Basic" Driver
3. Extract it using something like 7-zip (right-click -> 7-zip -> extract to...)
4. Open the run window using Win Key + R
5. Type "control printers"
6.  In the window that opens, click "Add a Printer"
7.  Click "The printer that I want isn't listed"
8. Select the "Add a printer using the TCP/IP address or hostname" radio button 
9. Enter the IP address of the printer and make sure the checkbox for "Query the printer and automatically select the driver to use" is NOT selected.
10. In the window that opens after it contacts the printer, select "Have Disk"
11. Navigate to the extracted Basic driver that you extracted in step 3
12. I used the "hpygid20_v4.inf" information file and selected the non-PCL3 version and everything now works as desired.