Issues with MFP M126NW driver re-installation

[HEndow]

After uninstallation, unable to complete driver reinstallation, though printer is online and connected to Wi-Fi. A different laptop where no uninstallation took place, is able to connect with the printer. Please help why this is happening. Thanks

[M_Salman]

Hello @HEndow , Welcome to the HP Support Community.

Thank you for reaching out regarding your HP device.
 

I understand that you’re experiencing issues with installing drivers for your HP LaserJet Pro MFP M126nw. I understand how inconvenient this issue can be, and I appreciate your patience while we work through it together.
 

Please follow the steps below to perform a clean installation of the printer drivers:
 

1. Completely remove old drivers (important)

• Go to Control Panel → Devices and Printers
• Remove the printer
• Open Print Server Properties → Drivers tab
• Delete any entries related to the M126nw

2. Reset the Print Spooler

• Press Win + R, type services.msc
• Restart the Print Spooler service
• Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS and delete all files inside

3. Install the latest driver

• Download the latest full-feature driver from HP’s official website (avoid Windows auto-install)
• Run the installer as an administrator

4. Add the printer manually (recommended)

• Choose Add printer by IP address
• Enter the printer’s IP address (available on the printer’s network page)
• Select TCP/IP port instead of WSD

5. Temporarily disable firewall/antivirus

• Security software can sometimes block driver communication during setup

6. Check network consistency

• Ensure both your laptop and printer are connected to the same Wi-Fi band (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz)

These steps usually resolve most driver installation issues. Please let us know how it goes or if you need any further assistance
 

Take care and have an amazing day!

Regards,

Salman

[HEndow]

Hi Salman,

Thank you for taking the time.

I did follow your instructions. Reached till the point, "Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS and delete all files inside". The PRINTERS folder is inaccessible even if I access it as admin. Please help, am I missing something? Regards Himadri Endow

[M_Salman]

Thank you for your response, @HEndow,

Thank you for taking the time to go through the troubleshooting steps so far—I truly appreciate your effort and patience. As a next step, could you please shut down your PC, power it back on, and attempt to log in using the administrator account? Once logged in, please continue with the remaining troubleshooting steps.
 

Kindly share the results with me at your convenience, and I’ll be happy to assist you further.

Take care and have an amazing day!

Regards,

Salman
 

[HEndow]

Hi Salman, 

Thanks for being patient with me. This is what I did. I completed till Step 2 and cleared the PRINTERS folder. Then I tried running the "Autorun" as an administrator, but it ran into problems. So, I added the printer manually (Step 4) but instead of adding the printer's IP address (which was returning negative result), I clicked on "Have Disk" and browsed to the place where I saw the INF file inside the downloaded driver folder. I selected the INF file and added the printer. This way I am able to take print outs. However, the scanner did not get installed. I am sure that is because the autorun App did not complete. I am also clueless that despite the printer being visible with its IP address, the installer is unable to discover it, either automatically, or through the IP address, or through the host name, or through the hardware address. To remind you my other laptop which did not go through printer driver uninstallation and has Windows 11, is able to discover the printer and do printing/scanning functions.

[M_Salman]

Thank you for your response. @HEndow,

Thank you for taking the time to complete the previous troubleshooting steps and for sharing the results. I truly appreciate your efforts and patience. To assist you further, I recommend trying the steps below to help resolve the issue with your printer.
 

1. Install the Driver in Compatibility Mode
If the driver installer is not working directly on Windows 11, you can try installing it in compatibility mode:

• Right-click on the driver setup file
• Select Properties and go to the Compatibility tab
• Check the option “Run this program in compatibility mode for” and choose Windows 10
• Click Apply, then OK, and run the installer again

2. Install the HP App
You may also install the HP app from the Microsoft Store. Once installed, open the app and follow the on-screen instructions to add your printer. In many cases, the app can automatically detect the printer and install the required drivers.
 

3. Download Drivers Manually
If Windows Update does not locate a suitable driver, you can download it manually from HP Customer Support:

• Enter your printer model: HP Deskjet 460 Mobile Printer series
• Select your operating system (Windows 11, 32-bit or 64-bit)
• Download and run the latest driver package

4. Check Network Settings
Since your other laptop is able to detect the printer, this suggests the issue may be specific to this Windows system. Please ensure the following settings are enabled:

• Network Discovery
• File and Printer Sharing
  You can verify this by navigating to:
  Control Panel → Network and Sharing Center → Advanced sharing settings
   

Please try these steps and let me know how it goes. I’ll be happy to continue assisting you if needed.

Take care and have an amazing day!

Regards,

Salman