LaserJet 400 M401dn says offline when NOT!

[Jenx]

This is so annyoing.

Suddenly on my HP laptop, it's saying the printer is offline!. AND YET on the same laptop I can access the printer interface on the browser typing in the URL AND I can print  reports. 

The printer is on and wired to the Router and all the devices  in the house are accessing the printer wirelessly.

In Devices and Printers on the laptop there are 2 icons for this printer which has never made sense to me!!

One is called HP LaserJet 400 M401 PCL6 

The other one is called NPIE816BF (HP LaserJet 400 M401dn)

Why?

Either way the first one is greyed out and the second one, although not greyed out doesn't allow me to Set Default and CANNOT be found in Printers when I go to print from anywhere

I just found that with both when I click customize your printer, it says

Printer properties cannot be displayed. The local print spooler service is not running. Please restart the spooler or restart the machine.

How to I restart the stupid spooler??? I can't restart the machine every time this happens!!!

Thanks anyone.

[Reskape]

Hello @Jenx

It is not recommended to have two printing drivers for one printer under devices and printer , there is two ways to route a driver one will be by the host name (less realiable) and the other one its by the ip address (recommended)

I will suggest the following 

remove both drivers under devices and printer click add a printer and add the printer by IP address (you can print a configuration report and get the IP address)

that should take care of problem for you 

[Jenx]

Hi. Thanks for replying.

I removed the first one but when I go to remove the other one (NPIE816BF (HP LaserJet 400 M401dn)) nothing happens. It says are you sure? I click ok but it stays there

J

[Reskape]

Do the following 

right click on the driver that shows there and choose see whats printing make sure that you dont have pending jobs and if so delete them all 

Press the windows/star key on keybord + the letter R 

That will open the run dialog

type into that the following net stop spooler

open the run option again and type spool 

it will open a folder go to the printers and gain access then delete all the files on that folder 

open the run option again and type net start spooler

delete the printer 

close devices and printer and reopen 

[Jenx]

Hi.

There was no option to see printers properties or very much at all. Not even choose default printer.

So I uninstalled it from Control Panel, Programs and Features. 

Rebooted and now it's gone.

Added printer now. Thanks so much for your help

J

[Reskape]

Say thanks by clicking the Kudos Thumbs Up to the right in the post.
If my post resolved your problem, please mark it as an Accepted Solution .

[Jenx]

Printer gone again.

I uninstalled and then reinstalled but 3 days later the icon is greyed out and the status is Printer not connected.

This is a wireless printer that i'm siting right next to!!

I can access the printer interface from a browser by typing in the IP address so why is it that I can't get it to connect??

Any one please.

J