When I try to print my printer goes to file explorer instead of printing

[Mama6Cats]

When I hit the print button, instead of printing, my file explorer comes up on my screen.

[A_Gayathri · Accepted solution]

Hi @Mama6Cats ,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

I understand your printer is trying to save the print job as a file instead of sending it to the printer. This can happen if your default printer is set to "Print to PDF" or "Microsoft XPS Document Writer" instead of your HP ENVY 6458e.
 

Here are the steps to resolve this issue:
 

1. Check the Default Printer Setting

• Open Settings by pressing Windows Key + I.
• Go to Devices > Printers & scanners.
• Look for your HP ENVY 6458e printer in the list.
• If it's not set as the default, click on it and select Set as default.

This ensures that print jobs go to your physical printer instead of another virtual printer option.
 

2. Verify Printer Selection Before Printing

• When you hit the Print button in any application (e.g., Word, browser), a print dialog box should open.
• In the Printer section, ensure that HP ENVY 6458e is selected. If it's not, manually choose it from the dropdown menu.

3. Remove and Reinstall the Printer

If the problem persists:

• Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
• Select HP ENVY 6458e and click Remove device.
• After removing it, click Add a printer or scanner and follow the steps to reinstall your HP ENVY 6458e.

Refer to this document: HP ENVY 6458e All-in-One Printer User manual

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.