HP F4180 prints wrong colours

[DBrewster]

When printing documents and photos, the colours are distorted (i.e inverted?): blue comes out as magenta etc.  (Printed scans and photocopies are OK.)  I have installed the HP Full Feature Software and Driver (2014) but this clearly needs to be updated to make it fully com[atible with Windows 10 (2015).  How soon is this likely to happen?

[Dvortex]

Hello, @DBrewster – Greetings!
 

Welcome to the HP Support Forums!  It is a great place to find the help you need, from other users, HP experts, and other support personnel!

I understand that you are having issues printing with your Deskjet printer. Do not worry, I’m here to help 🙂

As the copy is working fine, then the issue is with the printer drivers. Try to perform a clean install to try and fix the issue. Here are the steps:
 

• First, unplug the USB cable from the printer if present.
• Go to Control Panel – Programs and feature – Select all the HP Deskjet printer entries and uninstall them.
• Now go to Control Panel – Devices and Printer – Select all the printer entries and remove the device.
• Press the "windows key" + "r" to get the "Run" window open - Type "printui.exe /s" (There is a space between .exe & /) and press enter.
• Under print server properties, go to drivers - remove any entry there as well.
• Again, go to the Run window, type – “c:/programdata” – Go to Hewlett Packard folder, remove any printer related folders & files.
• Restart your computer.
• Now, click http://ftp.hp.com/pub/softlib/software12/COL29976/al-109245-2/DJ_AIO_NonNet_Full_Win_WW_140_404-4.ex... to download and install the software.
• Connect the USB cable if prompted and follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation.

Let me know if that helps!

Good luck 🙂
 

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[DBrewster]

Thank you for your response.  However, I tried to follow your instructions to perform a "clean install",  but this did not work.  I was unable to remove all the drivers as some of them were "curently in use", although I can't understand how they could have been.  Anyway, the problem is still as it was. 

[Dvortex]

Hello, @DBrewster

Thanks for the update!

Restart the printer and the PC and then try the steps listed in my previous message. This will help you remove all the drivers. Once done, restart the PC and then install the driver as suggested. 

Let me know how that goes!

Cheers 🙂

Please click "Accepted as Solution" on the post that solves your issue to help others find the solution. To show appreciation for my help, please click the "Thumbs Up Icon" below!

[DBrewster]

Still no success.  Even with the printer unplugged, the two Microsoft enhanced Point and Print compatibility drivers are proving resistant to removal.  I keep getting the message "...currently in use.  Access is denied".  I don't know what I am doing wrong, bearing in mind that I am less computer-literate than some users. 

[Rainbow23]

Hi @DBrewster,

Welcome to HP Forums, this is a great place to get support, find answers and tips.

Thank you for posting your query, I'll be more than glad to help you.

I understand that your HP Deskjet F4180 All-in-One Printer is printing magenta where it should be blue.

This issue could occur if the cartridge not aligned properly or defective.

Let's go through a few steps to troubleshoot this issue.

And here's the step by step guide for you in the link: Wrong Colors

Let me know how this works.

You have a good day ahead.

[DBrewster]

Thanks for the feedback, but replacing the ink cartridges makes no difference.

The problem began when I purchased a new PC with Windows 10 and plugged in my old HP Deskjet F4180 printer.  Blue print in documents prints out as magenta, and orange colouring in pictures also prints out as magenta.  Photocopies and printed scans are OK. 

I am still using Microsoft Office Word 2007, but surely this cannot have anything to do with it!?

[Rainbow23]

Hi @DBrewster,

Thank you for your reply, I'll be more than glad to help you.

I understand that the issue still persists after following the steps provided in the previous interaction.

This issue could occur if the drivers are not installed properly.

Let's go through a few steps to uninstall and reinstall the drivers:

Step 1: Uninstall the Drivers:

Please follow the steps provided to uninstall the printer software in the link: Uninstalling the Printer Software (Windows)

Also, please follow the steps provided below to completely remove the printer software from printer properties.

Steps to remove printer driver files from Print Server Properties:

1. Open the Print Server Properties dialog window by doing any one of the following:

(a). Press WINDOWS-R on the keyboard to bring up the Run window, type in 'printui /s /t2' (without the quotes), and then press Enter or click OK.

(b) From the Start menu or the Start screen and open Devices and Printers. Select any printer and then click "Print server properties" at the top of the window. Click on the Drivers tab.

2. Select the printer driver you wish to uninstall.

3. Click the Remove button.

4. Select "Remove driver and driver package" and click OK.

Step 2: Download and install the Drivers from the link: Full Feature Software and Driver

Let me know if this works.

You have a good day ahead.

[DBrewster]

Once again, thank you for your advice.  I followed the instructions for reinstalling the printer software to the letter, but it has made no difference.  Blue still prints as magenta, green as blue, orange as magenta etc.

I remarked at the beginning of this correspondence that the Full Feature Software and Driver package predates Windows 10 and that I thought that this might give rise to an incompatibility issue.  I will welcome any comments on this.

[DBrewster]

I see from other questions on the HP Support Forum and, indeed, other online forums, that other users have exactly the same problem.  Please respond.