Envy Pro 6458 locks up frequently on Windows 10 when printing

[TomD615]

Envy Pro 6458 installed on Windows 10 works fine most of the time but a lot of times it will just lock up sometimes when doing the second or third print job. Very annoying because I have to pull the power plug to restart the printer and then reboot the PC to get printing working. The printer is connected to the wifi, the PC is on CAT5 ethernet.  I've run the printer troubleshooting tools, attempted to update the firmware (it says it's up to date), looked for new drivers, looked online for answers, etc.  The wifi is stable, the printer is on a surge protected outlet.  Any help is appreciated, I think that others have had similar problems.

[Garp_senchau]

Hey @TomD615,

Welcome to HP Support Community,

Thank you for posting your query; I’m here to help by guiding you through steps to resolve this issue

Check Printer's Network Connection:

• Since the printer is on Wi-Fi and your PC is on Ethernet, ensure there’s no network instability between them. Even though Wi-Fi is stable for other devices, some printers are more sensitive to network interference.
• Solution: Try assigning a static IP to the printer via its control panel or your router’s DHCP settings. This will ensure the printer’s IP doesn't change during operation, which can sometimes cause communication problems.
• Action: Ensure the printer's connection to the Wi-Fi network is stable by printing a network configuration page from the printer’s menu and verifying the IP.

Reinstall Printer Drivers:

• Sometimes outdated or corrupted drivers can cause intermittent issues.
• Solution: Completely uninstall the printer driver, restart your computer, and reinstall the driver from the official HP Envy Pro 6458 support page. Make sure to download the latest driver version.
• Action: You can also try installing the driver through Windows Update or using a third-party driver update tool.

Check for Print Spooler Issues:

• The Windows Print Spooler service manages print jobs and may be causing the issue if it's not functioning correctly.
• Solution: Restart the Print Spooler service. You can do this by:
  • Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
  • Scroll down to Print Spooler, right-click, and select Restart.
• Action: If restarting the service temporarily fixes the problem, the spooler may be getting overloaded. You may also want to clear the print queue by stopping the Print Spooler service and deleting the files in C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS.

Update Router Firmware:

• Your Wi-Fi router firmware might be outdated, which can cause instability for devices connected over Wi-Fi.
• Solution: Check for any available firmware updates for your router through the router's web interface (usually accessed via the router’s IP address in a browser). Updating firmware can resolve issues with wireless connections.

Change the Wi-Fi Channel:

• Wi-Fi interference might be causing intermittent printing issues.
• Solution: Access your router settings and try changing the Wi-Fi channel to one that's less congested (you can use tools like Wi-Fi Analyzer to determine the best channel).
• Action: This step might help if there are a lot of other devices or nearby networks using the same channel.

Disable or Reconfigure Antivirus/Firewall:

• Sometimes antivirus software or a firewall can block communication between your PC and printer.
• Solution: Temporarily disable the firewall or antivirus program and try printing again. If the problem goes away, you may need to configure the firewall or antivirus settings to allow the printer through.
• Action: Look for network-related exceptions in the security software settings.

[Garp_senchau · Accepted solution]

Use a Different Connection Method (USB or Wired):

• If the Wi-Fi connection continues to be problematic, consider using a direct connection.
• Solution: Temporarily connect your printer to the PC via USB or, if possible, via Ethernet, and see if the issue persists. If printing works fine over these connections, the problem likely lies with the Wi-Fi configuration.
• Action: If the printer works fine over USB/Ethernet, consider using this as a permanent solution if the Wi-Fi connection remains unstable.

Clear Printer Queue and Restart PC:

• Sometimes, stuck jobs in the print queue can cause the printer to lock up.
• Solution: Clear any pending print jobs from the queue:
  • Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers, right-click on your printer, and select See what’s printing.
  • If there are any stuck jobs, clear them, then restart both the PC and the printer.
• Action: After clearing the queue, try printing again.

Test on Another PC or Device:

• It’s possible that the issue is related to the PC rather than the printer.
• Solution: Try connecting the printer to a different PC or device (such as a smartphone or tablet) and see if the issue occurs there. This can help isolate whether the problem is with the printer or your original PC setup.
• Action: If printing works fine from another device, you may need to troubleshoot the original PC’s print settings or reinstall its drivers.

Perform a Printer Reset:

• If all else fails, performing a factory reset on the printer might help resolve any persistent issues.
• Solution: This will erase any custom settings and restore the printer to its original state. Check your printer manual or HP's website for the steps to reset your specific model.
• Action: Be aware that after a reset, you'll need to set up the Wi-Fi connection again and reconfigure any settings.

Additional Considerations:

• Power Supply: Even though you're using a surge protector, consider testing the printer without it to rule out power fluctuations as a cause.
• Printer Logs/Errors: Check the printer's status screen for any error messages or logs that might give more insight into the issue.

I hope these steps help resolve the issue

Please feel free to reply here if you have any questions or if you need further clarification on any of the steps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Problem solved? 🎉 Awesome! Mark this as the Accepted Solution to help the next person find their way faster. 🧭 And if it was helpful, click 'yes'—you’ll make someone’s search journey that much easier (and give this reply some well-deserved street cred 🏅)

Regards,

[TomD615]

Thank you for your very thorough response and it might take a long time to work through all these possibilities.  The section marked Clear Printer Queue and Restart PC  seems to be exactly what i'm experiencing which makes all the resets and reboots annoying.  I will try your other ideas a time permits.  Thank you again.  TomD

[Garp_senchau]

Hey @TomD615, You're very welcome

Tom! I can totally understand how frustrating it must be to keep dealing with the “Clear Printer Queue and Restart PC” issue. It’s such a hassle when those resets and reboots just don’t seem to solve anything. 

I hope the other suggestions help you get things back on track. If you need any more help or want to work through them, just let me know. Wishing you the best of luck with it all! 😊

Regards,

[TomD615]

I hard connected the printer to my computer with a USB cable 8 days ago and haven't had a problem since.  Therefore, as you suggested, I believe the problem resides in the Wi-Fi interface causing the printer to lock up. I did not change anything on the Wi-Fi configuration, I only stopped using it for the printer.  You can close this issue and thanks again for all your help.  I don't think I would have gotten this far without your support.  

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @TomD615,

Thanks for letting us help you out! If you're all set, please mark this post as 'Accepted Solution' so I can do a virtual happy dance! 

If you need anything else, I'm all ears (or rather, all text). Just let me know! 

You're awesome, and I'm honored to have been your go-to guide today! 

Stay fantastic, and have an amazing day ahead! 

Best Regards,

[TomD615]

Direct connection the printer with USB has solved the problem.