Deskjet ink advantage 2545 continually feeds paper when no jobs in print queue

[CaroleCR]

I have an HP 64-bit laptop running Windows 10 Home, with 12 mb memory, and 2T hard drive.   My problem is with my HP printer.

I have owned this HP Deskjet Ink Advantage All-in-one 2545 printer for less than one year, and have printed less that 300 pages during that time.  So I don't think it's a hardware problem because when I print a document it prints just fine.

However, it has been a challenge with various problems in the past that all seem to be software/driver related.  I thought I had the last problem solved yesterday but now it has decided to dump another problem on me.  After spending more than a week on this last problem, I've run out of ideas, patience, and hope.  So I am here (still hoping, evidently) asking for any ideas you have on how to solve this problem.

I happened to walk by the room where the printer is located last night and heard a noise.  I walked in the room and the printer was continually feeding blank pages of paper through the printer.  This was directly after the neighborhood had a 30 minute power failure.  The computer and router were on battery power during the outage.  I was not doing anything on the computer and there was nothing in the print queue.  It fed about 30 sheets of paper through until it ran out of paper.  I thought it had stopped so I put the paper back in and it started feeding it through again.  I had to press the Cancel button (the big X) three times before it stopped feeding the paper.  Then about three minutes later it started feeding the paper again.  Again with the Cancel button, three times.  And then twenty minutes later it started again.  Before going to bed last night, I put a few sheets of paper in the feeder and sometime during the night, the printer fed it through.  The only way I can stop it is to either remove all the paper or turn the printer off.

There has not been any new software added to the computer for weeks, maybe months.  Except that I had to completely reinstall the printer yesterday to get it to connect to my wireless network.  To do that, I had to make changes to the registry file to remove references to the printer.  I know this was a very drastic move but I had tried every suggestion I could find before resorting to regedit.  Then I installed it as a new printer using the control panel.  And it seemed to work fine after that.  It connected to the wireless network just like it was supposed to and I was able to print.  I was thrilled to say the least.

So if there is anyone out there with ideas on how to fix this problem, I sure would appreciate hearing them.  As I said, I'm out of ideas.  And I searched the internet and the only reference to this problem that I found was a hardware problem with parts needing to be replaced and it was not on this model of printer.  I do NOT believe it could be a hardware problem.  The printer sounds perfectly normal and prints great when I actually print something.

[Betty0610]

@CaroleCR

Welcome to the HP Support Community.

Let's try to reset the Printer here:

Turn the printer on, if it is not already on.

1. Wait until the printer is idle and silent before you continue.
2. With the printer turned on, disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.
3. Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet.
4. Wait at least 60 seconds.
5. Plug the power cord back into the wall outlet.
6. NOTE: HP recommends connecting the printer power cord directly to the wall outlet.
7. Reconnect the power cord to the rear of the printer.
8. Turn on the printer, if it does not automatically turn on.
9. Wait until the printer is idle and silent before you proceed.

Also, try connecting the Printer to a different wall outlet directly.

Let me know if this helps.

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the Accepted Solution button, that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!

Thanks!

[CaroleCR]

Thanks for your suggestions but now my problems seem to have multiplied.  Before I got your response, I got a message from HP saying there was an update for the printer that I needed to download and install.  In hopes that this would fix my problem, I clicked on OK and it began downloading a file called DJ2540_188.exe.  It was large, over 100 mb and it took hours to download.  I have a very slow internet connection.  I finally got another message saying the installation was complete.  Now everything I print gives me a message saying Error Printing.  I can't get anything to print.

Just in case I turned off the Windows Firewall and my other anti-virus software.  

I tried the steps you suggested and it didn't do a thing.  I usually have my printer plugged into a surge protector because the electric here is rather flaky.  Although following your steps I did plug it directly into a wall plug, although I would prefer to use a surge protector.

When that didn't work, I went to Devices and Printers in the Control Panel and deleted the 2545 printer and tried to Add a Printer.  Then it didn't find ANY printers to add. 

Even when the printer is connected with a USB cable, I get the same Error Printing message.

And when I click on the small icon to see the print queue, it says there are two documents pending for the printer, however when I open it to look at the documents, there is only one displayed.  I inserted a pic so you can see what I mean.

So now I am totally without a printer, thanks to this last update.

What do I do now?  How can we fix this ongoing nightmare? 

Is there a way to completely delete this printer and start over as if it were brand new?  I need my printer back, ASAP.

[Betty0610]

Let's run the HP Print and Scan Doctor:

Use this link for details on using the HP Print and Scan doctor: https://hp.care/2JyaC93

If the issue persists, let's do a root uninstall and reinstall of the software:

Unplug any USB cable, if any, before doing this.

1.) In Windows, search for and open Programs and features

2.) Select your HP Printer

3.) Select Uninstall

4.) In Windows, search for and open Devices and printers

5.) In the Devices and Printers windows look for your HP printer. If you see it listed right-click on it and choose 'Delete' or 'Remove Device'

6.) Open up the run command with the "Windows key + R" key combo.

7.) Type printui.exe /s and click Ok. (Note: there is a space in between “printui.exe” and “/s”)

8.) Click on the "Drivers" tab

9.) Look for HP Printer driver. If you see it Click on it and click Remove at the bottom

10.) Select Ok

11.) Select Apply and Ok on the Print Server Properties windows

12.) Close Devices and Printers

13.)  Open up the run command with the "Windows key + R" key combo.

14.) Type c:/programdata and click Ok. Go to Hewlett Packard folder, remove any printer related folders & files.

15.) Restart the computer.

Once done, please download and install the software from here:

https://support.hp.com/in-en/drivers

Let me know if this helps.

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the Accepted Solution and Kudos buttons, that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!

Thanks!

Have a great day!

[CaroleCR · Accepted solution]

I have literally spent many hours per day for many days but have FINALLY solved this problem.  At one point or another I've done most if not all the steps suggested by Betty0610 so I'm going to accept that as a solution.  I've run Scan Doctor so often that the doctor knows me by my first name.  I did so many different things and rebooted so often, I thought I was going to wear out the laptop. 

One morning I turned the computer on and in the Devices and Printers there was a picture of a printer that looked like mine and the name on it was Scan Only-HPDD5ECE (HP Deskjet 2540 series)-DO NOT DELETE.  Trust me on this, I did NOT specifically request that this item be installed nor do I know what installed it. 

But I thought what the hell, I'll try most anything once.  I opened a Word document and printed to that printer.  And it worked.  I have no idea why.  And it did not feed any extra pages of paper.

Being the brave soul that I am, I then deleted the other icon in Devices and Printers named HP Deskjet 2540 series.  That's the one I could never get to work.  I don't care what the printer is called as long as it works.  I opened a Word document and it again printed just fine to the new Scan Only printer with no extra pages.  I set it as my default printer and printed another document successfully.   Again with no extra pages of paper.  

I don't know why or how this got installed but it works.  I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.  I'm tired of spending hours of my life with this.  Hopefully, it will work for a while.

[sandytechy20]

@CaroleCR

Good to know that issue is resolved.

Feel free to contact us in the future if you need any assistance.

Cheers.