Envy Printer Driver Not Working

[DonnyH]

I have what I hope is an easy question, but I just cannot figure this one out.  My printer works- I can scan, I can copy, (I don't use the fax), but I all of a sudden cannot print anything from my computer.  It's got to be a problem with the driver.  The HP Smart app was able to send a printer status report from my laptop, but it won't print anything else.  Print and Scan Doctor is useless - it just leads me in a circle.  Every time I try to print from HP Smart, Print and Scan Doctor, Adobe Reader, Word, Notepad, internet, etc, all I get is the same error message: "Error printing on 'HP ENVY Photo 7800 series PCL-3 (Network)' The printer couldn't print" ...[insert name of file and software used to open said file].  If I immediately try printing something again without canceling the previous print job, the error changes slightly to: "Printer in an error state 'HP ENVY Photo 7800 series PCL-3 (Network)' is in an error state."  By the way, the above mentioned HP Smart printer status report doesn't appear to give any kind of error notice.  But maybe I'm reading it wrong...

My computer recognizes that the printer is there - there's nothing wrong with the wireless connection. In fact, when I am in Word or Notepad or whichever, when I am in the Print dialog box, the computer gives a green check mark next to the available Envy printer with a status of "ready".  In Control Panel, under "Devices and Printers" there is a green check mark on the Envy printer to indicate it's the default printer and its status is: "0 document(s) in queue" - not indicating any errors.  HP Smart seems to show a perfect connection with the printer.

The software and driver are both up to date.  I have uninstalled/reinstalled both the software and driver multiple times with zero luck.  I have disconnected  and reconnected both the printer and laptop to the wifi network.  I have unplugged and restarted the printer, shutdown/restarted my laptop, and restarted the router - no luck.  I've even tried temporarily turning off firewalls from Windows and Avast and no luck.  I've tried manually connecting using the printer's IP address (I now have that memorized for the number of failed attempts).  I've also tried Wi-Fi Direct without success. 

The only thing I can think of is maybe recent Windows updates somehow affected the driver's ability to properly function?  I'm at a loss.  Thanks for any help that can be provided. 

Don

[greenturtle]

Hi,

Thanks for using the HP Support Community.

Microsoft has released a fix for the issue on 8 Oct’19

• [Win 10]: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4517389/windows-10-update-kb4517389
• [Win 8.1]: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4520005
• [Win 7]: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4519976

Please update with the latest MS update  and the Uninstall and Reinstall the Drivers.

Hope that helps!

[DonnyH]

Thanks for the feedback Greenturtle.  Unfortunately, it didn't work.  I tried to install that update you directed me to, but I received the following error message:

"Windows Update Standalone Installer
The update is not applicable to your computer"

And so I couldn't install the update.  Is there a way to work around that error message and install it anyway???  I tried this both in Firefox and in Microsoft Edge. 

Anyway, I then tried reinstalling the software and driver AGAIN for the HP Envy printer and still no luck.  In fact, now the computer doesn't recognize the driver at all and says "Driver is unavailable".  Once again, I'm tried restarting the router, printer, and computer, and nothing helps.

Am I left with just having to toss this otherwise perfectly fine printer in the garbage thanks to Windows?  This is really becoming ridiculous...  Looks like I can get a new model for a discounted $130...  There must be another solution.

Thanks!

Don

[greenturtle]

Hi,

Can you try this:

* *Note that if there are other printers installed, these will need to be reinstalled after this.

Step 1. Uninstall the HP Software from your PC. Please follow the steps provided to uninstall the printer software in the link:
Uninstalling the Printer Software (Windows)https://support.hp.com/in-en/document/c02259020
Also, please follow the steps provided below to completely remove the printer software from printer properties.
Steps to remove printer driver files from Print Server Properties:

Step 2. Open the Print Server Properties dialog window by doing one of the following:
• Click the Start menu and in the search field type 'printui /s /t2' (without the quotes), and then press Enter or click it in the search list.
• Open “Devices and Printers” (not Win10)
• Select any printer and then click "Print server properties" at the top of the window.
• Click on the Drivers tab.
• Click on each printer driver and click on Remove

For Win10:
• Press WINDOWS-R on the keyboard to bring up the Run window, type in 'printui /s /t2' (without the quotes), and then press Enter or click OK.
• Click on the Drivers tab.
• Click on each printer driver and click on Remove
• From the Start menu or the Start screen:
• Open “Printers and Scanners”
• Click on each Printer and click “Remove Device”

Step 3. Backup your registry before making any registry changes, the following resource will show you how:
https://support.hp.com/in-en/document/c03485724

Step 4. Update the registry using the Reg file below
Note: this will change some printer related policies for your PC):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/avbv56zdgwv7600/kernel.reg?dl=1

Step 5. Right click the Start menu and select Run. Type Services.msc and press OK.
Locate and stop the Print Spooler service

Step 6. Browse to c:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers.
Rename W32X86 to W32x86.oldRename x64 to x64.old
Note: if any of these folders fail to rename reboot your PC and then continue following the steps starting from Step 5.

Step 7. Restart PC.

Step 8. Finally, reinstall the HP Software.

Hope that helps!

[DonnyH]

Hi Greenturtle,

Thanks again for the suggestion, and sorry it took me a week before being able to try this.  Sadly, once again, this didn't work.  Actually, it made it worse.  But, I may not have done it entirely correctly, so I'll go through what all I did.  Maybe you can get some additional ideas from my missteps?

1) I uninstalled the HP printer software.

2) I removed the HP Envy printer driver as directed, but I received the following message: "Driver HP ENVY Photo 7800 series PCL-3 was removed.  Failed to remove package hpygid24_v4.inf."  When I tried to remove the other drivers I received a dialog box error message saying "Unable to remove [insert driver name]. The specified printer driver is currently in use."  I couldn't figure out how to change that.  The other printers listed include:

CutePDF Writer
Microsoft enhanced Point and Print compatiblity driver (x64)
Microsoft enhanced Point and Print compatiblity driver (x86)
Microsoft IPP Class Driver
Microsoft Print to PDF
Microsoft Software Printer Driver
Microsoft XPS Document Writer v4
Send to Microsoft OneNote 16 Driver

3) I backed up the registry as Administrator, and then downloaded/ran the link you gave me.

4) I located and stopped the Print Spooler service

5) I renamed W32X86 to W32x86.old and x64 to x64.old

6) Restarted the computer and tried reinstalling the software and driver

Here's what happened next.  Now the computer won't even identify the printer when it goes to install.  It doesn't exist, even if I try connecting via the IP address.  I also tried restarting the Print Spooler service but still no luck.  The installation process continues to now come to the same dialog box stating "Network Installation - Device Not Found".  It gives some suggestions about firewalls, but there doesn't appear to be any issue with firewalls (I tried to reinstall the software even with it disabled but no luck).  At the bottom of the above mentioned dialog box, it then also says: "Click Retry to try installing the device over the network again, or click Cancel to return to the connection options."  I tried that but as expected, no luck.

I tried restarting the computer again but no luck.  I also tried unplugging/restarting the printer, no luck.  I tried disconnecting and reconnecting the wifi on both the laptop and printer, but no luck.  Yet, there doesn't seem to be any issues with the wireless network or router. 

Any last ideas???

Thanks,

Don

[greenturtle]

Hi @DonnyH 

What connectivity was tried during the install? Wireless or  USB?

Have you tried USB?  Does it work?

Not sure what else to try except to see if can undo the Microsoft update prior to the issue.

Hope that helps!

[DonnyH]

I've been using wireless up until now, but this evening I also tried both USB and Ethernet, neither of which worked.  It also seems I can't restore my laptop back to prior to the Windows update.  One would think this would have been an easy fix: HP printer with an HP laptop.  But, alas...  So I wonder if I can sell this somewhere, as I'm sure it must work for *someone*???  There's absolutely nothing wrong with the printer, it's the laptop not recognizing the driver.  At least I can still use it as a copier if nothing else. Well, I got I think about 2 years out of it, I guess that's good these days? 

Do you have any recommendations for a newer model HP all-in-one printer that will still work with Windows 10?  Is there any way to be sure that a new printer won't have the same driver issue as this one? 

Anyway, thanks for trying.  I appreciate your time to help.  Just wish there was a way to fix this problem...

Don

[greenturtle]

Hi @DonnyH 

Are you able to Restore Network defaults for the printer and try connecting to network again?

Thereafter, try to connect to the network using Wireless Setup Wizard.

Did you try to print from a mobile phone?  Try downloading HP Smart from the Android Play store or Apple Store for your phone and try printing to it (first you need to Add the printer)

Does that work?

[DonnyH]

Hi Greenturtle,

Sorry for not replying sooner.  Restore Network defaults didn't work.  I haven't tried using my phone yet, but I did try something for the heck of it and it seems to be working.  I simply bought a new USB printer cable to connect the printer to the laptop.  For some reason, it seems to be working now (I did still have to install the driver...which somehow is working now?).  I unplugged the cable to try printing wireless and it didn't work, even though the printer says it's connected to the network.  As soon as I plugged the cable back in, I could print again.  Although I'm still unsure as to what exactly the problem really is, if it works, it works and I'm okay with that.  Thanks again for your time and ideas.

All the best,

Don