Blinking power light and “printer is busy”

[Ssprinkle87]

I have an HP 5100 series and it CONSTANTLY ends up with a blinking power light and saying “printer is busy” when I try to print. The printer can be on and unused for days but the minute I try to use it, this happens. Other times, it’ll work just fine then do it randomly in the middle of a print job. Once the power button starts flashing, The ONLY way to make it stop is to unplug the printer for a minute or more and then plug it back in. Sometimes I have to completely uninstall/remove it then reinstall it again. I am getting so frustrated!! It never did this before but over the last 6 months it’s been happening more and more and more!!

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @Ssprinkle87,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

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

I’m really sorry you’re dealing with this. A blinking power light and repeated “printer is busy” messages are definitely not normal, and I understand how frustrating it is when it keeps interrupting your printing.

To help you correctly, I first need to confirm exactly which HP 5100-series model you have.

The “5100 series” name is used across several different product families, and each behaves differently:

• DeskJet 5100 series
• OfficeJet / OfficeJet Pro 5100 series
• Envy 5100 series
• DesignJet 5100 series
• PageWide 5100 series

Each family has different troubleshooting steps, firmware, and error behavior, so the correct model is important before we give steps.

Could you please share the full model name printed on the front or bottom of the printer?
(Example: HP OfficeJet 5100, HP DeskJet 5120, HP ENVY 5155, etc.)

Once I have the exact model, I can provide the right steps to fix the blinking power light and “printer busy” issue permanently.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have an amazing day!
 

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Regards,

VikramTheGreat

[Ssprinkle87]

Hi. The model is HP Smart tank 5000 (hp smart tank 5100 series). Product number 5D1B6A. Hope that helps! Thank you for your help 

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @Ssprinkle87,

I completely understand your frustration when a printer randomly shows “Printer is busy” with a blinking power light and forces you to unplug it; it feels like a never-ending cycle. This issue on the HP Smart Tank 5100 series is usually caused by:

• Firmware glitches that lock the printer in a busy state
• Print spooler conflicts on the computer
• Network communication errors (especially if the printer sleeps for long periods)

Here’s the troubleshooting approach:

Step 1: Power Reset

• Turn off the printer and unplug it for 60 seconds.
• Plug it back in directly to a wall outlet (avoid surge protectors).
• Restart your computer.

Step 2: Update Printer Firmware

Firmware updates fix most “busy” state bugs. 👉 HP Smart Tank 5100 All-in-One Printer Series | HP® Support

Step 3: Clear Print Spooler on Windows

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc.
2. Find Print Spooler, right-click → Restart.
3. Cancel any stuck print jobs in Control Panel → Devices and Printers → See what’s printing.

Step 4: Disable SNMP & Enable Direct Printing

• Go to Printer Properties → Ports → Configure Port.
• Uncheck SNMP Status Enabled.
• In the Advanced tab, select Print directly to printer.

Step 5: Reinstall HP App & Drivers

• Remove the printer from the HP app and Windows.
• Download the latest Full Feature Software from HP: 👉 HP App – For HP Printers, Laptops, and Tech Accessories | HP® Official Site

Step 6: Prevent Sleep/Idle Lock

• On the printer: 
  • Set up → Preferences → Sleep Mode → Set to Never or increase timeout.
• Keep the printer powered on and connected to Wi-Fi.
   

I hope this helps.

Take care and have an amazing day!

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Regards,

VikramTheGreat

[Ssprinkle87]

Hey! The printer is connected wireless to my iPhone. How can I do all this on my phone? 

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @Ssprinkle87,

Thank you for getting back. Since it wasn’t clear at the start whether you were using a phone or a PC, we first shared the steps typically used for PC issues. As you are using the HP App (and not HP Smart, which is no longer available), please try the steps below:

1. Uninstall the HP App from your phone
2. Restart the phone
3. Reinstall the HP App from the app store
4. Open the HP App and add the printer again
5. Check if the same error appears

Please try this and let us know the results so we can continue to help.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have an amazing day!
 

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Regards,

VikramTheGreat