HP3830 prints on PC but not laptop

[rhampong]

Actually there was never a color cartridge installed. Only when I did install one. it printed.  It seems with that particular laptop I need both cartridges installed to print.  With all the other computers, if  only one  is installed (either BW or color) or both installed, they will make the printer print.

[rhampong]

Also prints perfectly using single color  cartridge  from  a Tablet.  Strange

[Hawks_Eye]

@rhampong 

That does sound frustrating—and definitely illogical. It’s odd that the printer requires both cartridges installed only for that one laptop, while everything else prints fine with a single cartridge. Since you've isolated it to just that laptop, it could be a software-related issue rather than a hardware one.

Here are a few things to check:
 

• Driver Settings: Make sure the laptop is using the correct printer driver and not defaulting to a setting that requires both cartridges.
• Printer Preferences: Open Printer Properties on the laptop and check if there’s a specific setting forcing the printer to require both cartridges.
• HP Smart or Other Software: If the laptop uses HP Smart or a different print manager, try uninstalling and reinstalling it. Some versions may enforce unnecessary requirements.
• Firmware & Updates: Updating both the printer firmware and laptop OS might help resolve any compatibility quirks.

If none of these steps change the behavior, you could try adding the printer manually using a different connection method (Wi-Fi, USB, or even a virtual port) to see if it affects the cartridge requirement.

Let me know if you’d like more detailed steps for any of these! This is a strange issue, but with your troubleshooting skills, I’m confident you’ll find a way around it.

Regards,

Hawks_Eye

[rhampong]

Drivers settings : I don't see any with the two cartridge requirement . How ever I do sometimes get a message that the computer has switched borderless printing to OFF  because of some other printer setting ( never figured out what that setting that refered to). always selected correct printer model during install.

Reinstalled HPsmart app and full install dozens of times.

Shut off WIFI and used Broadband Ethernet connection with no difference. (that rules out bad WIFI card)

Installed win 10  pro instead  of default Win 11 pro  with no uncessary win updates with no difference.

Did not update Lenovo drivers.  (win 11 had Lenovo drivers installed.

 I wonder if there is an obscure Bios or Lenovo driver issue ( The bioses could be slightly different)

USB connection prints with only  one cartridge or both cartrdiges present.

Very similar Lenovo T490 laptop prints fine. But I wonder if something in 

I am not sure I want to upgrade the firmware.

[rhampong]

I discovered that once a doc in stuck in the queue, if I switch off the WIFI for 10 secs and the switch it on again. After 30 secs it sends some message  about checking the cartridges  to remove the tape ..  and the it seems to reset the printer spool and document prints.   

[Hawks_Eye]

@rhampong 

It sounds like a frustrating issue where your HP OfficeJet 3830 prints fine from your Acer desktop but intermittently requires manual intervention when printing from your Lenovo T490 laptops. You've already done a thorough job troubleshooting various aspects, including the print spooler, antivirus settings, firewall rules, and connectivity options.

Since the issue seems to be isolated to the Lenovo laptops and persists across multiple troubleshooting attempts, here are some additional steps:

 

1. Verify Printer Driver and Default Settings

• Open Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
• Locate your HP OfficeJet 3830, right-click, and select Printer Properties.
• Check the Advanced tab to ensure the correct HP driver is installed.
• Under Preferences, confirm there is no setting forcing the need for both cartridges.

2. Check Windows Print Spooler Dependencies

You've reset the print spooler, but let's confirm that its dependencies are correctly configured:

• Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
• Find Print Spooler, double-click, and go to the Dependencies tab.
• Ensure Remote Procedure Call (RPC) and other listed dependencies (such as DCOM Server Process Launcher and RPC Endpoint Mapper) are running.

3. Remove and Reinstall the HP OfficeJet 3830 Completely

Since reinstalling HP Smart didn’t resolve the issue, try manually removing the printer and reinstalling it.

1. Open Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
2. Right-click your HP OfficeJet 3830 and select Remove Device.
3. Restart the laptop.
4. Download the HP OfficeJet 3830 full feature software from HP’s official support site.
5. Install the printer again and test printing.

4. Update Printer Firmware

Firmware updates often address compatibility issues. If you’d like to proceed with updating, follow the official HP instructions here:
HP Printer Firmware Update

5. Test with a Wired USB Connection

Since USB printing worked without requiring both cartridges, test whether setting it up this way affects subsequent Wi-Fi printing:

• Temporarily connect the printer via USB and print.
• If it works, remove the USB and retry printing over Wi-Fi.

6. Adjust Wi-Fi Configuration

Since toggling Wi-Fi temporarily resolves the issue, check:

• IP Configuration: Assign a static IP to the printer to ensure consistent connectivity.
• Router Settings: If available, disable band-steering to keep the printer on a stable 2.4 GHz connection.
• Reconnect Printer: Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners, remove the printer, and re-add it using Add Printer or Scanner.

7. Review Lenovo-Specific Software & BIOS

Since only the Lenovo laptops are affected, check:

• BIOS Settings: Look for printer-related configurations and update to the latest version.
• Driver Updates: Confirm all Windows updates and Lenovo drivers are fully installed.
• Event Viewer Logs: Go to Windows Event Viewer > Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > PrintService and review error messages.

This issue is definitely unusual, especially with the printer requiring both cartridges only on the Lenovo laptops, but I appreciate the detailed steps you've taken already. 

Let me know if any of these steps help or if you'd like further refinements!

Thanks,

Hawks_Eye

[rhampong]

Actually it's worse.  One T490 prints okay and the other does not. They both use same bios and settings are identical. Printing from android Tablet is  also fine. Printer has static IP ( I set it outside of my router DHCP range).

I tried a WIFI usb dongle same result.  I also have  a Toshiba laptop  (installed as WSD) on 2.4 G which works fine printing. The problematic T490 always seems to install as WSD  (cannot get it to install in other way).

I tried again removing HPsmart app from host machine and  installing the Hp smart app on a Vmware virtual machine win 11. In bridged network mode.

Same printing issue.

[rhampong]

Hopefully the final solution >

After comparing both T490s again , the bios, printing preferences were the same. The only difference was that I couldn't understand was on the troublesome
  T490, the printer would always install as WSD ( see image) while the "good"  T490 was on TCP/IP . At first that did not bother me because I also have a Toshiba using WSD which works fine printing. But that always bothered me ( that initial hunch would prove correct).

  Well, I should have addressed that issue way back at the beginning. Luckily in printer properties under Ports tab, there was an unchecked entry for TCP/IP.
  I checked that instead (see image) . And it now  prints with only one cartridge installed. Seems as though the WSD option did not quite work as expected (needing both cartridges installed).

  They say that Lenovo computers usually default to WSD which sometimes can cause issues. Why  each T490 defaulted to different setups, is another story I am not going to dig into.

And that resolves the issue. Long journey. Appreciate your hand-holding throught the troubleshooting process.

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @rhampong,

A huge thank you for marking this post as the 'Accepted Solution'! We're thrilled that we could help resolve your issue. 

If you have any more questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to ask. We're here to help! 

Thanks again for your confirmation, and we wish you an amazing day ahead! 

Best Regards,