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- HP Community
- Printers
- Printing Errors or Lights & Stuck Print Jobs
- HP printer stuck in idle mode

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05-05-2024
09:35 AM
- last edited on
05-05-2024
11:06 AM
by
MayS
My HP printer 6980 is stuck in idle mode and I want to return it to ready mode. This happened after I downloaded an apt to ink levels which then caused the printer to spew out sheets of paper with messages that I could not understand after each print job. Now is doesn't print at all. Has anyone had this problem and found a way to solve it. I've tried rebooting and I've looked for new drivers and the ink level app which I cannot find among my programs.
05-06-2024 11:04 AM
Hi @bab1948,
Welcome to HP Support Community.
Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.
It sounds frustrating to deal with printer issues, especially when they start malfunctioning unexpectedly. Let's try a few troubleshooting steps to see if we can get your HP printer back to working condition.
- Power Cycle: Turn off your printer, unplug it from the power source, and wait for a couple of minutes. Then, plug it back in and turn it on again. Sometimes, a simple power cycle can resolve minor issues.
- Check for Paper Jams: Make sure there are no paper jams inside the printer. Even a small piece of paper stuck in the printer can cause it to malfunction.
- Reset Printer: Many printers have a reset option in their settings menu. Refer to your printer's manual or online documentation to find out how to perform a reset.
- Update Firmware: Visit the HP support website and check if there are any firmware updates available for your printer model. Updating the firmware can sometimes fix bugs and improve performance.
- Reinstall Printer Drivers: Uninstall the printer drivers from your computer and then reinstall them. You can download the latest drivers from the HP website.
- Check Printer Settings: Ensure that the printer settings on your computer are configured correctly. Make sure the printer is set as the default printer and that there are no pending print jobs in the print queue.
- Remove Ink Level App: Since you suspect the ink level app might have caused the issue, try to uninstall it from your computer. Go to the Control Panel (on Windows) or System Preferences (on Mac), find the ink level app, and uninstall it.
Hopefully, one of these steps will help you get your HP printer back to working condition.
I hope this helps.
Take care and have a good day.
Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!
Alden4
HP Support
HP Support Community Moderator