HP Envy 5546 will not print in color from new HP PC

[bigal58]

I have a brand new HP PC but I am unable to print in color on my HP ENVY 5546. My existing Dell laptop can print in color.

The difference appears to be that when I call up the Printer Properties on the HP PC there is no ability to choose between Color and Black & White printing.  This option exists on the Dell laptop printer properties.

I have uninstalled the software following instructions on another post including uninstalling the driver. Upon re-installing the software from the HP web site the problem still exists.

Any thoughts?

[8lives · Accepted solution]

Try a clean install. 
First, unplug the USB cable from the printer if present.
Go to Control panel – Programs and features – Select all the HP Envy printer entries and uninstall them.
Go to Control panel – Devices and printer – Select all the printer entry and remove the device.
Press the "windows key" + "r" to get the "Run" window open - type printui.exe /s

Under print server properties, go to drivers - remove any entry there as well.
Press the "windows key" + "r" to get the "Run" window open - type c:/programdata

Go to Hewlett Packard folder, remove any printer related folders & files.

Press the "windows key" + "r" to get the "Run" window open - type %temp%

Delete all the files in the temp directory that you can

Restart your computer.

[bigal58]

This has not worked. The option to select between Colour and Greyscale is not showing in the printer properties like it is on my other device.

[8lives]

Try installing just the basic driver software.

[bigal58]

I have only been installing the basic driver as I do not like the bloatware that comes with these products.  i followed another blog which suggested this was a fault with recent driver updates from HP. I ran the uninstall process suggested in the earlier response and then installed the driver from April 2017. Same problem, no option to select color or grayscale.

[8lives]

Have you tried contacting HP support?

[bigal58]

I think HP Support may be my only option although looking at the number of disgruntled users on various blogs who have tried that to no avail I do not rate my chances. I followed another link suggesting I uninstall the HP drivers and use the Win10 one. That also has the same problem.

[8lives]

Did you remove the 5540 in Devices and Printers b4 installing the basic driver?

[bigal58]

A new day dawns and as I had not heard back from Support I decided to try a fresh install of driver again. I have done nothing different today from what I was doing yesterday evening but miraculously the problem is solved and I now have the choice of printing in Colour in the printer properties. 

I feel i lost several hours of my life over this!