Accessing USB thumb drive on LJ Pro MFP M277dw

[rwatson58]

I just bought a brand new LJ Pro MFP M277dw. Set it up on a Wireless network with a static IP address. Everything works, I can print, scan, etc. I can also print from my mobile devices --so everything is working and I am very happy.

My question is how can I access the USB Thumdrive that is plugged into this printer from a PC on the same WIFI network?

With my previous Epson Workforce printer, I just use Windows explorer and the USB shows up with the printer name and the scan folder.

Thanks for any help!

[Drakster]

Hi @rwatson58,

Welcome to the HP Support Forums!

I see that you're wondering how to see the data on your USB flash drive using the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M277dw Printer. I would be happy to help you and please remember to return to this thread and mark 'Accept as Solution' if I have successfully helped you resolve the issue. If you wish to say 'thanks' for my effort to help, click the 'thumbs up' to give me a Kudos.

I can understand why you would like to be able to access information on your USB flash drive from the computer while it is in the USB port on the printer. The USB port on the printer was not designed for that purpose. It was meant for printing directly from the USB stick on the printer.

As explained in the users manual on Page 46, Chapter 4. 

Use walk-up USB printing

1. Insert the USB flash drive into the walk-up USB port on the product.

2. The USB Flash Drive menu opens with the following options: ● Print Documents ● View and Print Photos ● Scan to USB Drive

3. To print a document, touch the Print Documents screen, and then touch the name of the folder on the USB drive where the document is stored. When the summary screen opens, you can touch it to adjust the settings. Touch the Print button to print the document.

4. To print photos, touch the View and Print Photos screen, and then touch the preview image to select each photo that you want to print. Touch the Done button. When the summary screen opens, you can touch it to adjust the settings. Touch the Print button to print the photos.

5. Retrieve the printed job from the output bin, and remove the USB flash drive.

In addition, while this is not supported you could try the steps in this guide to mount the drive:

• Find Your Missing USB Drive in Windows 10, 8, 7, and Vista

Please respond to this post with the result of your troubleshooting. I look forward to hearing from you. Good Luck! 🙂

[watson58]

Thanks bud... but obviously that does not solve my problem. The more appropriate solution would be: "HP does not provide this support. The USB Thumbdrive cannot be made visible on the network."

The solutions you provided are directions to scan to USB and solutions for when a USB drive does not get recognized when plugged in --neither one of them is remotely close to my question.

Perhaps it is time that this issue be passed to your research and development team. If the printer is a network printer, then by logic, its storage should be available to be accessed remotely (like from a PC --without having to unplug the USB and walking it to plug into the PC). As I have indicated, my previous EPSON Workforce, I can use the USB thumb drive plugged into the printer for ALL my scanning repository. I have seven computers on my WIFI network and any of the seven computer can access the USB drive on the printer to pull the documents it needs.  I can even use my iPhone with an app like RManager and access my scanned document.

This will be considered a serious shortcoming for my review / rating purposes. Thanks.

[Drakster]

Hi @watson58,

I have brought your issue to the attention of an appropriate team within HP. They will likely request information from you in order to look up your case details or product serial number. Please look for a private message from an identified HP contact. Additionally, keep in mind not to publicly post serial numbers and case details.

If you are unfamiliar with how the Forum's private message capability works, this Post has instructions.

Thank You

[CEH72]

@Drakster. 

I'm having the same problem. I need to access thumb drive that plugged into LJ MFP M277DW printer via the network on my pc.

Running Windows 10 64bit.

HELP...

[Sunshyn2005]

Hey @CEH72,

I do not know that this will work, but these are the steps we use when accessing a memory card to get images from the printer to the computer. Might work for USB, I've never tried.

Follow the steps below to map the card reader

1. Insert USB into the printer
2. Open My Computer
3. Click on Map network drive
4. Choose desired Drive letter, and then enter \\192.168.1.101\USB in the folder

Note: replace the 192.168.1.101 with the IP Address assigned to your printer.

5. Click finish, and the drive will open to access the files

I'm not certain about this, but I sure hope it helps. 

[watson58]

The printer does not advertise itself on the network hence my original post. If you cannot see it when you browse the network, you cannot map it.

[Sunshyn2005]

Thanks @watson58, 

For you, I feel perhaps we should back peddle a bit. Your printer is on the network right? If so, can you print wirelessly? I can't help but wonder if the issue you are experiencing is not the USB thumb driver at all but a communication hiccup. 

Let me know and I will do my best to help. 

[CEH72]

@HPSupport

No error message. Printer is wireless and printing. Need process to access USB when it's pulled into the printer via Network on Win10.

Epson printer was able to do this by basic IP Network Mapping. 

Let Me Know.

@sunsyhn2005

Out of Town now when try your USB suggestion..  THANKS😀

[watson58]

Instead of guessing what my problem is, perhaps it would be more productive for you to simply try it. Stick in a USB thumbdrive in the printer and see if you can access it from a computer on the same network. If you can, come back to this forum. If you cannot, then you understand what the problem is. As CEH mentioned (which I also have mentioned in the original posting many months ago), the Epson workforce allows the USB to be accessed remotely from the network while HP does not. This is a shortcoming from HP which needs to be addressed.