HP ENVY 5540 will not print in colour from Windows 10

[MrWolfe169]

My HP ENVY 5540 refuses to print in colour when files are sent from my Windows 10 laptop. This is a new problem - I used to be able to print in colour up to about 6 months ago. The printer is capable of printing in colour - when I use the controls on the printer itself to print a demo page, I get colour but when I print a test page from my laptop, I only get monochrome. Whenever I try to change the colour settings immediately before printing, I get a message that tells me that the settings have been changed back because they are incompatible with another printer setting.

I have read the advice on this (which is all over 12 months old) on the community - I have NO option in the printer preferences to change the colour settings. I know my driver is up-to-date and I have checked printers settings, printer properties and hardware properties with no luck. I have also tried uninstalling & reinstalling the printer and driver, which does nothing.

Bluntly, I'm getting REALLY sick of the constant problems I have with this printer - the issues with it being apparently 'offline' constantly were bad enough but I pay for InstantInk and now I can't even print in colour. This looks very much like a windows driver issue, since the printer will use colour if told to independently - it only refuses to print in colour when told to do so by windows 10.

Help please!

[sandytechy20]

@MrWolfe169

Welcome to HP support community.

Perform root level uninstallation to remove all the printer related software's.

• In Windows, search for and open Programs and Features.
• Select your HP printer.
• Select Uninstall.
• In Windows, search for and open Devices and Printers.
• In the Devices and Printers window look for your HP Printer. If you see it listed, right-click on it and choose "Delete" or "Remove Device.”
• Open up the run command with the "Windows Key + R" key combo.
• Type printui.exe /s and click OK.
• Click on Drivers tab.
• Look for HP Printer driver. If you see it click on it and click Remove at the bottom.
• Select OK.
• Remove all instances of the same.
• Select Apply and OK on the Print Server Properties windows.
• Close Devices and Printers. 
• Restart the PC again.

Download and install printer full feature driver

Click here to download the driver.

Update the printer firmware

Follow the steps mentioned in this HP document to update firmware:- Click here

Once you install the printer, change the bellow settings to print in color.

1. Open Devices and Printers by clicking the Start button , and then, on the Start menu, clicking Devices and Printers.
2. Right-click the printer that you want to use, and then click Printing preferences.
3. Make your choices, and then click OK.
4. Under option Print color select color , then the OK button.

Let me know how it goes.

To thank me for my efforts to help you, please mark my post as an accepted solution so that it benefits several others.

Cheers.

[VJ70]

I had a problem with my printer before after a Windows 10 update but then managed to get it printing in colour again.  It is had now stopped printing in colour again and there are no options in the preferences or setting to switch onto Colour/Grayscale/Black and White.

I have just uninstalled and reinstalled the printer and drivers and checked again to see if the colour preferences are there and they're not.

Can you help?