Windows10 - No Color option available when printing to a network connected printer

[ShlomiL]

Symptoms

No color options are shown under Printing Preferences when printing to a network-connected printer from a Windows 10 PC

Example

Solution

Follow below version of the HP Print and Scan Doctor Utility by selecting your printer:

https://support.hp.com/us-en/help/printscandoctor

Be sure to restart your PC and allow the utility to complete the process, then check for any difference.

If the same remains and color printing is not offered yet, try printing using the newly added print queue copy and verify, then set the newly added copy as default.

We would like to encourage you to post a new topic in the community so our member will be able to help you as well, here is the link to post.

[ShlomiL]

Symptoms

No color options are shown under Printing Preferences when printing to a network-connected printer from a Windows 10 PC

Example

Solution

Follow below version of the HP Print and Scan Doctor Utility by selecting your printer:

https://support.hp.com/us-en/help/printscandoctor

Be sure to restart your PC and allow the utility to complete the process, then check for any difference.

If the same remains and color printing is not offered yet, try printing using the newly added print queue copy and verify, then set the newly added copy as default.

We would like to encourage you to post a new topic in the community so our member will be able to help you as well, here is the link to post.

[lof55]

Hi,

I had this problem and have performed your solution. Now, I have following printers. With the "...Copy 1) I have now back the colour option and it prints again in colour - great.

However, why can I not delete the "scan" printer? And further, I would like to take out the "Copy 1" from the name.

Thanks for your support.

[TAdvisorKing]

I have the same problem.  My printer will print color if I print the Quality Diagnostic or the alignment form directly from the printer, but if I send a print from a Windows application, it comes out in greyscale.  There are no color setting options in any windows applications.  I ran the print doctor utility, but it did not solve the problem.  It just sent me back to the boilerplate guidance on fixing generic print errors.  I'm looking to reinstate the color controls in my preference settings in Windows applications.  Please advise.

[ShlomiL]

@lof55- By deleting the scanner copy you will break the scan functionality.

You may simply right-click the Copy1 instance of your printer and select Printer Properties, then rename it by removing the (Copy 1) from the name, click Apply and OK and it may take a few moments for the printer name to get updated.

[ShlomiL]

@TAdvisorKing- Have you followed the HP Print and Scan Doctor using the link included in this article? this is a different version.

Be sure to print to the newly added print queue once completing the process, as listed in the instructions, and let me know if that helps.

[TAdvisorKing]

Yes, I ran the scan doctor utility and it did not solve the problem.

Also, if it is useful, when I was following the long, detailed steps for solving the problem (uninstall, delete drivers, etc) I was unable to delete the driver.  It says the drivers are in use.  This remained true every time I tried it, including after uninstalling the printer, unplugging it, restarting my machine, etc.

Also, if useful, there is a "phantom" version of the printer that remains selectable in Excel that was set up by an HP Tech on a previous call.  It doesn't exist under Settings / printers.

[lof55]

@shlomil: I had already tried to rename the "Copy 1"-Printer but I get following message because of the "scanner related Printer": Another printer or printer share with this name already exists....

I really would like to have just one printer as I had before and not this (poor) solution.

Any idea? Thanks.

[TeK_AcE]

The reason you see two icons on printers and scanners is because you may have used Printer Offline version of PSDr( 5.0.6) which has a 2 icon solution. Can you try with the PSDr(5.3.1) version under the other printing problems section from Psdr Download and try to apply the solution.

If still unable to print in color check the port by going to Printer Property>> Port check if its configured to WSD if so configure the port as TCP/IP with the IP address of the printer.

Thanks

[lof55]

@TeK_AcE: Thanks for your advise, but after running PSDr 5.3.1, I was not able to print in colour again. Also, I tried to configure the port.

So, I lost a lot of time again, had to clear all devices, ports, apps...and run 5.0.6 again. Now, I can print in colour again. With two icons in windows devices, what is still annoying. Further, PSDr shows me now 4 printers (one for scanning) ?????

To HP: I really would appreciate a proper solution. This experience with HP, is once more not satisfying and it has cost me already a lot of hours! It is very disappointing.

[parrskool]

I have three problems with my Envy 5540 All in One printer:

1. I can not get it to print double sided consistently. I often get a pop up about something called Duplex and changing the sheets manually.

2. Can't print in colour even though the TEST page comes out in colour and also when I use COPY and select colour.

3. I use Windows 10 on my lap top BUT my wife has an ipad ..... does the Envy support wireless printing on this.

Thanks for any help.

[parrskool]

Thanks for the ipad info. I will try it.  Still no luck with the two sided printing.  I have tried everything The  Virtual Agent  has suggested with no luck.

[sdlepal]

Just out of the blue the printer wouldn't print color.  After following your solution , it works. 

Thank you!!

[ET7832]

On Win10 PC, option box to let Windows manage my 4520 was inadvertently marked.  After removing mark, reinstalled 4520 under user management.  Win10 accepted this change and stated in had reinstalled the HP driver. Was able to print in color for one day.  Next day, no color printing.  Checked device settings and found this message:  "Device did not migrate.  Device SWD\PRINTENUM\WSD-5fa6f29c-84cc-4963-9b22-feb88df37e48 requires further installation."

How do I fix this?

Thanks

[BC82]

I have the same problem as stayed at the top, can't print in color wireless and no option to change it.  But, if I plug printer into computer the option to print in color comes back. I have a new HP all in one computer bought within the last month.  It worked fine on old computer.  I would appreciate any help in this matter.

Thank you

[MikeLa1]

Thank you for all the info above.  Unfortuantely none of it worked!

My problem is that I cannot actuelly get into settings in the first place  - so I do not know if colour / monochrome option is there.

I tried a "Root uninstall/reinstall" as suggested by a few other people on the forum, but had the same problem.

I eventually solved it by doing a root uninstall and then installing the driver from the original disk and refusing any updates - particularly the one that is promoted as making everything easy.

[EMilesR]

When I updated to Windows 10 version20h2, I found I could no longer print in color on my HP OJ3830. The color option simply was not there.  After 3 days of looking for a solution, uninstalling and reinstalling hp software and drivers, powering down and powering up the computer, multiple tries with HPPSdr,  I finally dug out the original installation disk that came with the printer and installed the original drivers. I declined online updates and stepped around downloading HPSmart and now, finally, I can again print in color.  The HP printer drivers that arrived with any update whether from Microsoft or HP suck.  The original drivers that come with the printer work just fine.  Keep that original disk, it may save you some time.

[Mordi]

When I updated to Windows 10 version21H2, I found I could no longer print  in color on my HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 3835.

The color option simply was not there.  After many  days of looking for a solution, uninstalling and reinstalling hp software and drivers, powering down and powering up the computer, multiple tries with HP smart,   I finally implemented the proposed solution in this post running the HPPSDR.exe version 5.0.14 and do not update it to the last version,  and it created a new printer with copy 1 in the name. This printer is ok with color printing and the original is still printing B&W only.

In addition I  tried out the original installation disk that came with the printer and installed the original drivers.

This also solved the color problem.

The only problem now is the fax driver, which is in the windows scanners and printers list but it is giving the followinf error:

This printer is not installed. 

Could anyone help?

[Dolly222]

I've tried to download the link, and my PC says it cannot be downloaded securely, so won't let me open the file.

Please help, this has happened since I swopped printers, and is very frustrating !