HP deskjet 2632 is offline and will not print anything

[hackedoff323]

My HP deskjet 2632 is offline and will not print anything.

I have gone through all the "help" instructions and nothing works.

What should I do now?

[Mingus511]

More info is required.  Your post tell us very little other than it's offline and you tried the "help" from somewhere.

E.g., has the printer ever worked properly?  How and from where did you install the drivers; are you using the W10 or the HP driver?  How is the machine connected to the printer?  Are you using a wireless network; how was that configured?  Where did you get your "help" and what did you try?  The more info you can provide, the better the chance to diagnose/resolve the problem.

[hackedoff323]

After three hours I have at least got some sense out of the HP Print and Scan "Doctor" (version 5.0.6) which tells me that there is a driver conflict.

So I download what HP tells me online is the correct software and then, after installation of that software, when I run HP Print and Scan "Doctor" (version 5.0.6) again it tells me that it is still a driver conflict that is the problem.

Well, either that means that the software is wrong or it means that the diagnostics are wrong. Of course, it could mean that both are wrong. But in the meantime I've been able to print out a page consisting of the July 2020 calendar.

Mingus511, has the printer ever worked properly?

Yes.

How and from where did you install the drivers?

From HP's own online location, presumably.

Are you using the W10 or the HP driver?

I'm certainly using the HP driver, and I'm presuming it is for W10 because it would have detected that. Or perhaps not.

How is the machine connected to the printer?

USB.

Are you using a wireless network; how was that configured?

No.

Where did you get your "help" and what did you try?

I spent several hours following the "virtual assistant" which used diagrams which did not match the reality of what I was seeing on my own pc. I took several screenshots of these, but there was nowhere to upload them to (I was going to attach one here, but there is no facility to do that here either: well done, HP). The virtual assistant was worse than useless, in my own experience, because it was a waste of time which could have been used in far better ways.

Then I followed the other links I was supplied with on the HP "help" pages. All of the advice proved less than useful, unfortunately.

Then when I entered the serial number of my printer I got a message that the warranty had expired on 1 July (which was odd as I bought it mid february this year) and that I would need to pay for any more help.

I cannot give you a more comprehensive list of the things I tried, as there were so many of them and I didnt make a note of them all. But I did take several screenshots which I thought would be helpful but which I now see that I cannot use because there is never any facility to upload them.

[Mingus511]

That's a good start.  To confirm, did you follow this page to install HP Smart, and then let it pull the driver?  Or did you directly download the 43.3 driver under Software-Utility on this page and install that?

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-deskjet-2600-all-in-one-printer-series/12319824/...

Or, did you allow Windows to install its own driver?  As with a significant amount of hardware, Microsoft catalogs drivers separately from the hardware manufacturers.  And sometimes a change in either the OS or with the device will make a driver choke.  Sometimes the fix will be a new driver, occasionally it will be in the printer's firmware.

There was a major W10 update in May.  I've seen a recurring pop-up on this site alerting to an issue with W10.  Sorry, can't find that blurb now.  However, the fact that your printer was working properly before and you are now getting a driver conflict, that there was a recent OS update now being flagged, and that the HP Support page above has a firmware update for your machine that was released just after the W10 update, certainly make for suspicion that what I described above is the culprit.  So what I would do . . .

First, download and install the new version of the Doctor, 5.3.1.004 - yours is old.  Don't run it yet, though.

Second, install the new firmware from the Support page above and reboot the machine.  Now run the Doctor.  If you are lucky, the problem will be resolved.  If it says not, check the printer driver properties in Windows device manager and note the version.

Third, install the W10 driver from Microsoft.  IIRC (I've got W10 but don't use it often) there is actually a dialog in Settings which enables you to do this.  Or, you may need to delete the printer, shut down the computer, pull the USB cable, restart the machine, shut it down again, re-connect the cable and restart the machine (yes, these are extra steps but ensures that everything gets flushed).  Then let Windows find and install the printer with its own driver.  The driver on the above HP Support page is a year old; I'm betting that Windows will pull in a newer one.

If this fails, download the HP driver from the Support page above (do not use HP Smart) and install it.  It is possible that HP's fix in the firmware enables HP's year-old driver to work, rather than having released a new driver.

If still no joy, you'll need to go to HP 2nd-level support.  As long as you have proof of your Feb purchase and your serial number, you should be able to get assistance during business hours.

Good luck!

[hackedoff323]

Thank you Mingus511 for your comprehensive and useful information.

I did download four different software exes from

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-deskjet-2600-all-in-one-printer-series/12319824/...

I'm trying to find a safe place to download Doctor, 5.3.1.004. Chrome blocked the first attempt and I don't like the look of any of the download sites which offer this as a download. Interestingly, HP's own site does NOT seem to have the latest version 5.3.1.004.

If it's not available on their "official" page at https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-deskjet-2600-all-in-one-printer-series/12319824/... then I don't know where to get it from.

HP are truly useless. I'm never buying one of their printers again.

[Mingus511]

I just downloaded the Doctor from the following page using Chrome.  If you downloaded the other files though, then this one should work, too.  All these files are downloaded from an FTP server on the HP site, there is no security concern.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-deskjet-2600-all-in-one-printer-series/12319824/...

In any event, you need as a first step to install the new firmware and then reboot.  Then let Windows find and install the driver of its choosing.  In Device Manager properties look at the version of that driver and its date, it will probably be newer than the March 2019 driver on the HP site.  Reboot and cross-fingers. 

[hackedoff323]

Right. I just downloaded the new doctor.

I tried to install the firmware but the window which tries to locate the printer shows no entries.

It really would be a good idea at this point if HP had the facility to upload screenshots here so that I could illustrate exactly what I mean. HP are so lame, it's unbelievable.

There are no printers available in the 'Welcome to the HP Printer Update' window.

So I can't install it.

[hackedoff323]

But in the meantime I'm able to print off files ONLY by selecting custom print and then typing in the fields below: 1-n (where n is the last page in the file).

It will then print the final page and stop. I then have to press down the button on the printer next to the orange flashing light and then it will print off the rest of the pages quite happily.

I can't just select 'Print All Pages'; that would be too easy.

The next printer I get will be any brand EXCEPT HP. HP's dereliction of duty towards their customers is egregious, pathetic and wholly unforgiveable.

[Mingus511]

It really would be a good idea at this point if HP had the facility to upload screenshots here so that I could illustrate exactly what I mean

 

I can take a screenshot, copy to the clipboard, and paste it here.  Can also drag a .jpg or .png to here.  Looks like pilot error.

Does Windows see the printer in the Device Manager?  In the device settings window?   Shows OK, will send a test page?

The next printer I get will be any brand EXCEPT HP. HP's dereliction of duty towards their customers is egregious, pathetic and wholly unforgiveable.

Fine.  Send a letter or whatever.  But don't rag on me, I'm just an old engineer trying to help folks.

[hackedoff323]

It isn't aimed at you, Mingus511, I assure you, and thanks again for your continued help. It is appreciated.

Let's see if I can slide an image in here so that I can illustrate what's happening.

There we go.

No printer found. Well, I think that leaves me in a kind of stalemate position. Though it's interesting that HP's own software can't recognise a printer which I'm happily using to print things off (although having to jump through a couple of not too difficult hoops).

Shows what great technology HP is capable of....

I think I'll have to rest my case there.

Thanks again for your help.