Lost OfficeJet Pro 8100n

[RealGomer]

For some reason my OfficeJet 8100 has disappeared from my HP 15-bs00xx. Instead, control panel shows I have a Direct-38-HP ENVY Photo 7800 printer, a unit I have NEVER owned. When I try to reinstall the 8100, I get an error message the msi file is on a network location (HUH?) when it's sitting on the C drive bold as brass. What gives?

[Nal_NR]

Hi @RealGomer,

Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

I'd be glad to help you! 

I understand how frustrating it can be when your printer disappears, and you're seeing incorrect devices listed on your system. Let’s work through this to get your HP OfficeJet 8100 back in action.

• Did you recently make any changes or updates to your system, like installing new software or updating drivers?
• When you try to reinstall the HP OfficeJet 8100, are you using the original installation file, or did you download it again from HP's website?
• Does the error message about the MSI file indicate a specific location, or is it just the network location you mentioned?

Let's try these steps. 

Remove Any Incorrect Printers and Clear Print Queue:

• Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers, right-click on the Direct-38-HP ENVY Photo 7800 and select Remove device.
• Also, clear the print queue to ensure no pending jobs are interfering with the process.

Download the Latest Printer Driver from HP's Website:

• Go to the HP Support page for OfficeJet 8100, download the latest driver package, and save it to a location on your computer (such as the desktop).
• This will help avoid issues caused by corrupted or outdated installation files.

Check MSI File Location:

• If you’re getting an error saying the MSI file is on a network location, make sure you’re pointing to the local copy of the installer, not a shortcut or networked copy.
• Right-click on the installer file and choose Properties to confirm its location.

Use the Printer’s Built-in Troubleshooter:

• Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners and select the printer.
• Click on Manage, then Run the troubleshooter to automatically identify and fix common issues.

Uninstall and Reinstall Printer Drivers Manually:

• Open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features, locate any previous versions of HP printer drivers, and uninstall them.
• Restart your computer, and then attempt to reinstall the OfficeJet 8100 driver using the newly downloaded file from HP’s website.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance

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