HP3630 - All lights and symbols flashing

[HughR64]

This printer was in storage and I set it up with new ink. Test pages printed fine, and I got it connected to the network and the HP app.

It tjen asked if I wanted to enable automatic updates, and I answered "Yes." A few minutes later a page printed that said "Printer Update Completed." There was no power disruption during the update.

Once that finished, all lights and symbols on the LCD panel began flashing, the printer doesn't respond to any buttons and is "offline" in the app. I've followed all the recommended steps:

 - Checked for paper jam

 - Reinstalled the ink cartridges 

  - Unplugged the printer and waited 1 minute, then again tried waiting 5 minutes

As soon as the printer is powered on and goes through it's self tests, it ends up in this state, and is completely unusable. The only thing that works is the Power button.

I am guessing the firmware update broke something. Is there a way to hard reset this printer to the original firmware? Are there any other reset options?

[Garp_senchau]

@HughR64, Welcome to HP Support Community,

Thank you for posting your query; I’m here to help by guiding you through steps to resolve this issue

Hard Reset

Turn off the printer.

Unplug the power cord.

Wait 60 seconds.

Plug the power cord back in.

Hold the power button for 10 seconds.

Turn the printer back on.

Restore Factory Settings

Turn on the printer.

Go to the printer’s Settings or Setup menu.

Look for Restore Defaults or Factory Reset and select it.

Follow the prompts to reset.

I hope this helps.

Please feel free to reply here if you have any questions or if you need further clarification on any of the steps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Regards,

[HughR64]

Hi Garp,

My apologies for the delayed reply. I posted this just before going out of town, and am just catching up. As well, I didn't seem to get a notification about your reply, only the follow-up DM (which I appreciate).

Unfortunately, neither of these solutions helped. The hard reset seemed to work, displaying ink levels, WiFi signal, and an 0 with an exclamation mark inside it:

But after displaying that for a few seconds, it went back to the flashing E:

I'm afraid I can't try the second suggestion:

1. The information for the buttons on the 3630 doesn't show a "Settings" or "Setup" button;
2. All buttons, other than Power, are unresponsive when it enters the E mode;
3. The printer doesn't connect to the app when it is in this state.

What other options are there? I'm pretty comfortable around electronics, so if there's any sort of switch or jumper on the logic board, to force a factory reset, I would be willing to try it.

Thank you,

Hugh 

[HughR64]

Update: When the printer was in the "0" mode, I was able to use the WiFi and Cancel buttons to reset it. It now almost works. While I am not getting the "E" and flashing lights when I turn it on, I can't connect it to my network. I've used the app and followed its instructions several times.

1. It can't find the printer, but offers the Find Printer button, saying it will use a temporary network to connect to the printer;
2. This works, and I am asked to choose my WiFi network and enter the password (the password is correct);
3. It begins connecting and gets all the way to "Finishing Connections," but then the printer goes back to the flashing lights and "E," and the app keeps spinning at this stage, until it times out and says it can't connect:

The one bright spot is that I can power the printer on and off to get out of the flashing "E" mode. However, I need to connect it to my network. This worked on the first attempt, so I know it can connect to the network.    

Thank you,

Hugh

[Garp_senchau]

Hi @HughR64,

Thank you for your response

It seems like your printer is still stuck in an error mode ("E" and flashing lights), which indicates it might be having trouble with its internal network or settings. Here are some steps to resolve the issue, based on the error behavior you're describing.

Power Cycle the Printer:

Turn off the printer.

Unplug it from the power source for about 60 seconds.

Plug it back in and turn it on. This helps reset many internal settings.

Reset the Printer to Factory Settings:
Since the "E" error is persistent, a complete factory reset might be necessary. You may refer to this guide: Restore factory defaults on your HP printer | HP® Support

Reconfigure Wi-Fi:
Once reset, your printer should be in a default state. Follow these steps to reconnect to your Wi-Fi:

On Printer Panel: After it powers up, Use the WiFi button to trigger a manual setup or connection attempt.

Using the HP App:

Open the HP App.

Tap the + icon to add a new device.

The app should now try to find the printer on a temporary network (directly from the printer).

Once the printer appears, proceed to input your Wi-Fi network name and password.

Reference: HP DeskJet 3630, 4720 Printers - Blinking Lights | HP® Support

I hope this helps.

Please feel free to reply here if you have any questions or if you need further clarification on any of the steps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Regards,

[HughR64]

Hi Garp,

Unfortunately none of this has worked, I have spent many hours first of all trying to reset the printer, and then trying to connect to it. I was finally able to reset the printer to factory defaults by connecting directly to the EWS via WiFi Direct. I've now done that twice, with exactly the same result as before: Whether I use the app or the EWS to try to connect the printer to my network, it gets most of the way through the process, then goes back to flashing "E" and all lights flashing mode.

This worked before the automatic firmware update, and I can only assume the updated firmware has a bug, Is there any way to return to the firmware it came with from the factory? Otherwise, it's just been a waste of time and money, as a printer I can't connect to on the network is completely useless to me.

I am open to any further suggestions.

Best wishes,

Hugh

[Garp_senchau]

Hey @HughR64, 

Thanks for reaching out! Since the issue remains unresolved, I suggest contacting our phone/chat support team for personalized assistance. They can provide one-on-one help and may even be able to work their remote assistance magic to fix the problem.

Note: There might be a nominal charge for the service they provide.

Regards,