After update of Windows from Windows 10 to 11, my printer cannot print anything

[kathy7717]

I upgraded for Windows 10 to Windows 11 a couple days ago.  The next day my HP printer was not working correctly.  I downloaded it and decided to wait until the next morning to install it.  In the morning, I discovered it had installed itself during the night.  There was no failure message and I assumed it as successful.  Everything has been working OK until I tried to print.

I have an office jet 4650 all in one, connected through wifi.  I tried to send a file from my desktop to print and nothing happened.  It does not appear on the print queue.  I tested the connection by using HP Smart to scan a sheet of paper and it worked.  I can make copies using the printer as stand alone, and I can print internal info from the printer control panel.  It just won't print files sent from the desktop.  I also tried sending a file from HP Smart and that didn't work either.  I rebooted the router.  I rebooted the printer.  No change.  The blue wifi light on the printer control panel is on, solid.

I connected the printer through USB, and it worked - for one day.  The second day, it failed.  Suspecting Windows 11, I installed the printer and HP Smart on a Windows 10 laptop, and it worked perfectly.  I installed new drivers on my desktop and tried to install a new version of HP Smart, but that failed.  Any suggestions would be helpful.  Also, I am considering going back to Windows 10 as a last resort.  How do I do that?

[Andr-1611]

Hello @kathy7717 ,
Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Install this software package: HP OfficeJet 4650 series Print and Scan Driver and Accessories 

Hope this helps! Keep me posted.
Andr-1611

If my post resolved your problem please mark this post as an "Accepted Solution".
Or click on the YES button to reply that the response was helpful and/or to say “Thank You”.

[kathy7717]

After downloading the package, it gave me 3 choices:

1. recongifure connection from USB to wireless - it was already wireless - didn't do

2 reconfigure wireless configuration - it was already displayed as connected, but I did it again anyway

3 run additional software - don't have anything that I know to run

It reconfigured to the existing wifi, and there was no change in printing,  I tried to bring up HP Smart to check on printer status, and it came up with printer status unknown,

Do I need to reboot after the config change?.

[Andr-1611]

Yes

[kathy7717]

I did the reboot on my Windows 11 desktop.  I am able to consistently use the printer to scan - wifi connectivity.  When I try to print, it never seems to reach the print queue.  I can use the printer standalone to make copies - grayscale & color.  I never installed the fax, so that wasn't tested.

The Windows 10, laptop that couldn't print previously,  has recovered with nothing done to it.  Several hours after I tried to print, all the docs that I had attempted, made it to the print queue and started printing.  It won't print in color.  I tried the obvious ( Color options on the print dialog box) to get color working, but no luck.  I'm a little nervous that it's print capability  won't last.

I think the printer is functioning.  It's communication with my desktop that is failing.  Also, I don't know what setup is missing for color printing.  How do I uninstall the printer and completely clean it's traces.  Then I would try to reinstall.  Beyond that, I don't know what else to do, besides backing out Windows 11.  I can't wait too long - need to do it within 11 days after installation.

Taking a break till tomorrow.

[Andr-1611]

---

@kathy7717 wrote:

... How do I uninstall the printer and completely clean it's traces.  Then I would try to reinstall. 

---

Then try these steps here:

The HP software must be completely uninstalled and removed of the system.

First download only this complete package: "HP OfficeJet 4650 series Print and Scan Driver and Accessories ", File name: Full_Webpack-40.15.1231-OJ4650_Full_Webpack.exe (201.5 MB)

Just for your information, read this: Uninstall the HP software, drivers, and apps used with HP printers. 

Next...

1. Disconnect printer/scanner from computer- Disable WLAN, WiFi and/or remove the USB or LAN cable.- Do not switch off the printer >> unplug the power cord from the socket!
2. right-click Start, search for "control panel" and open "Programs and Features"
   uninstall all HP printer software > via "Programs and Features"
3. right-click Start, search for "control panel" and open "Devices and Printers"
   In the "Devices and Printers" window look for your HP Printer. If you see it listed, right-click on it and choose "Delete" or "Remove Device.”
4. Restart the PC
5. Close all programs
6. Change File-Explorer-Settings:View > Options > "Change folder and search options" > Tab "View"
   • enable > Show hidden files, folders and drives
   • uncheck > Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)
   OK
7. search for "HP [printer name]" and delete all this folders
8. Empty the TEMP folders
   A) C:\Users\[Your user account]\AppData\Local\Temp\
   B) C:\Windows\Temp\
system files cannot be deleted!
9. Reconnect the printer to the power supply and switch it on (if this does not happen automatically)
10. Please note: WLAN has to be deactivated!
11. Restart the PC
12. Close all programs
13. Open up the run command with the "Windows Key + R" key combo > in folder Downloads double-click on the Full_Webpack-40.15.1231-OJ4650_Full_Webpack.exe.
14. The installation was completed successfully, now you must ...
    Reminder:
    Do not connect the printer to USB on the PC until the software installation asks for the connection type and the USB connection is selected.
15. Restart the PC again
16. Now the installation is complete.

Via USB, means wait until the installation asks to connect the printer/scanner.

Document error messages accurately, even better is to take a screenshot of it and upload here.

Important information:

Change back the File Explorer settings -
• enable > Don`t show hidden files, folders or drives
• click button > Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)
OK

Hope this helps! Keep me posted.
Andr-1611

If my post resolved your problem please mark this post as an "Accepted Solution".
Or click on the YES button to reply that the response was helpful and/or to say “Thank You”.

[kathy7717]

Thank you for all the info.  I can't do this till the weekend, when I can set aside some time.  I will keep you posted.

[kathy7717]

Hi,

I executed the above procedure.  I encountered a few errors, but unfortunately my tedious documentation of the errors got wiped out.  Probably a blessing.  Anyway, I continued to the end of the procedure in spite of the minor errors, and I am happy to report that it worked.  It prints and scans perfectly.  Unfortunately it is a wired configuration, via USB.  I turned on the wifi on the printer, tested it on my laptop and it also printed - no color, as before.  When I tried on my desktop, I got an error message - also wiped out with the other documentation.  It wants the print to be connected via USB.  I restarted the computer and the printer - no change.

So I am almost back to where I was before I started the remove procedure.  Any suggestions?

Laptop works wirelessly, but no color

Desktop scans correctly, but it removed the wireless version from HP Smart and gets an error on the cabled printer.  The system device manager is not showing any printers.    In my attempt to get wireless working on the desktop, I have briken both.

I hope you know an easy way out of this, but if necessary, I will rerun the remove procedure - tomorrow.

Again, please accept my thanks for all the help you've given me.  

[Andr-1611]

Hi,

---

@kathy7717 wrote:

Hi,

I executed the above procedure.  I encountered a few errors, but unfortunately my tedious documentation of the errors got wiped out.  Probably a blessing.  Anyway, I continued to the end of the procedure in spite of the minor errors, and I am happy to report that it worked.  It prints and scans perfectly.  Unfortunately it is a wired configuration, via USB.

---

It prints perfectly with color, via USB?

[kathy7717]

It did, until I turned the wifi on for the printer.  The printer was successfully connected, but I couldn't reach it anymore from the desktop.  It also comes up as "error" when I try to print from the laptop.  Laptop used to work, just had no color.

I think I have to start again and remove the printer, get it back to the wired state where is works, and then stop and get a correct procedure to start is using wifi.

Make sense?