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I just bought and installed an OfficeJet Pro 8725 with the full featured all-in-one software.  Multiple laptop computers use it, all running W7 Pro.  I want to by a second 8725 for another location to be used by the same group of computers.  I have found no information in Help or the Internet on installing a separate 8725 using the already installed all-in-one software.  I have OfficeJet Pro L7590 printers in two locations.  In the HP Start Menu item for that printer series is an entry "Add a device" that lets you link a second printer to the already installed all-in-one software (in that case HP Solution Center 14).  When you open Solution Center you can toggle between the two different L7590 computers.  There is no such option in the Start Menu listing for the HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 series.

 

There must be some way to do this.  Help, please?

 

Drek

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Hi Drek,

 

Best option you have is to use the "Printer setup & software" in the HP Printer assistant software for your HP officejet 8725 printer.

 

Open the HP Printer assistant software in the desktop  (OJ 8725 printer icon installed for your first printer), click on "Utilities" icon on the top and click on " "Printer setup & software".

 

Once the "Printer setup & Software" window opens, click on "Connect a new printer" and proceed with the installation wizard to install your second printer.

 

Once it is installed, you can go to Devices and printers folder and rename the printers as you prefer (ex: Home, office).

 

This is the easiest way to install two printers of the same model.

 

Hope it helps!

 

Regards,

Nanda

Although I am an HP employee, I am speaking for myself and not for HP.

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View solution in original post

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Hi,

Thanks for using the HP Forums.

 

Yes, you can add a new (same) printer to the group of comptuers.

 

We'll suggest that you just use the Install Wizard with the computer at the new location with the 2nd printer, it will walk through the install:

 

The following resource will help you :

http://123.hp.com/us/en/

Key in your printer model, Operating System and download & install the FULL feature software.

 

Once installed, we'll suggest that you name the printer according to the location, you can do that following these steps :

 

1. Go to Control Panel > Select printer > Right Click on the printer

 

2. Change the name (e.g. Home Printer or Office Printer)

 

Hope that helps!

 

 

 

I am an HP Employee. Although I am speaking for myself and not for HP.
Click Helpful = Yes to say Thank You.
Question / Concern Answered, Click "Accept as Solution"



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Thank you for your prompt response, Greenturtle. I actually bought the second 8725 as a leap of faith that this issue could be resolved.

 

Just to be clear, even though each of the computers has the full featured All-in-One software installed, I should go to the same location where I downloaded it in each case, 123.hp.com/ojp8720, input the 8725 model number and start the download of the full-featured software again? At some point will the installation application notice that the software had already been installed and just put me into a routine to add the second printer or, alternatively, will it install a parallel copy of the software only for use with the printer in the second location?  If the latter, will I have two separate desktop icons named “HP OfficeJet Pro 8720?”  I didn’t mention before, but the first location has a wired installation and the second will have a wireless.

 

As to renaming the printers, with the L7590 printers I successfully did that. This time I installed the (first) 8725 printer to a computer and used the fax setup wizard.  I tested that scanning and printing was working.  I didn’t rename the printer on that computer.  The next day I installed the software on a second computer.  I attempted to rename the printer on that computer, changing from the default “HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 (Network)” to something unique to the location.  The printer icon disappeared from Devices and Printers in Windows.  I still saw the icon “Fax – HP OfficeJet Pro 8720”, so was pretty sure that Windows had not deleted the printer, just made it unavailable.  I used the desktop icon for the printer to reset its name to its default and it reappeared in Devices and Printers and was usable.   At what stage of the process should the printer be renamed?  Is it important to do it before opening the All-in-One software or using it to do anything?  Is it important to do it at the initial installation with the first computer installing the AIO software?

 

When I install the second 8725, I had planned to attempt to rename it to identify its location before opening the All-in-One software on the computer used for the initial installation and before opening any other software. I also had planned on using a computer for the initial installation of the second printer that had not had the All-in-One software installed to support the first printer.  Is that worth doing, or is one of the computers with the first printer installed in a wired configuration perfectly good for the initial installation of the second printer in a wireless configuration?

 

I know I have asked a lot of questions. I appreciate your help.

 

Drek

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Hi @DrekMonger

 

Spoiler
If the latter, will I have two separate desktop icons named “HP OfficeJet Pro 8720?” 

There will be 2 separate icons "HP Officejet Pro 8720 Copy X" X denoting the number of copies.

 

Spoiler
At what stage of the process should the printer be renamed?  Is it important to do it before opening the All-in-One software or using it to do anything? 

No hard and fast rules on ythat, if you have installed the first printer, you can name it was e.g. "Officejet Pro 8720 - Wired"

After installing the 2nd printer, you can name it e.g "Officejet Pro 8720 - Wireless"

 

The purpose of renaming the printer is so that at the different locations, when you do a print/scan, you MUST select the correct printer (at that location), since both being the same printers.  Else it would not print/scan.

 

Spoiler
or is one of the computers with the first printer installed in a wired configuration perfectly good for the initial installation of the second printer in a wireless configuration?

Actually, the renaming of printer is to facilitate one computer having to print with 2 of the same printers.  If you are using different computers, then there should not be any confusion if the computer is only located at one location.

 

 

Hope that helps.  It's actually not complicated once you are able to successfully install the printer, it's a matter of knowing which location you are at and choosing the correct printer to use.

 

 

Thanks.

I am an HP Employee. Although I am speaking for myself and not for HP.
Click Helpful = Yes to say Thank You.
Question / Concern Answered, Click "Accept as Solution"



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Hi Drek,

 

Best option you have is to use the "Printer setup & software" in the HP Printer assistant software for your HP officejet 8725 printer.

 

Open the HP Printer assistant software in the desktop  (OJ 8725 printer icon installed for your first printer), click on "Utilities" icon on the top and click on " "Printer setup & software".

 

Once the "Printer setup & Software" window opens, click on "Connect a new printer" and proceed with the installation wizard to install your second printer.

 

Once it is installed, you can go to Devices and printers folder and rename the printers as you prefer (ex: Home, office).

 

This is the easiest way to install two printers of the same model.

 

Hope it helps!

 

Regards,

Nanda

Although I am an HP employee, I am speaking for myself and not for HP.

Say “Thanks!” by clicking Kudos Star next to the Post that helps you.

Mark this Post “Accept as Solution” to say your issue is solved.

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Thanks, Nanda.

 

That looks similar to what I went through with the L7590's.  I wouldn't have found the location in the application without your help.  I am traveling, but will give it a try when I get back.  It could be a couple weeks before I report back.  Fingers crossed.

 

Drek

HP Recommended

you are welcome Drek!

 

Take your time, procedure is similar to the L7590 if you get stuck somewhere please do let me know.

 

Regards,

Nanda

Although I am an HP employee, I am speaking for myself and not for HP.

Say “Thanks!” by clicking Kudos Star next to the Post that helps you.

Mark this Post “Accept as Solution” to say your issue is solved.

Note: You can find “Accept as Solution” only on threads started by you.



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NandaKM, I just wanted to circle back to let you and others now how installing the second HP 8725 at my home went. The first HP 8725 is a wired connection at my office.  I have now done the two-printer installation on several computers.

 

I opened the all-in-one software, which showed HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 (Network) : HP Printer Assistant. The applicable symbol on the top row is “Utilities.”  I elected “Device Setup & Software”, clicked on “Connect a new device”, authorized progress in the User Account Control box and proceeded with the installation.  I elected a Wireless installation for my home network.  The software recognized the new printer instantly.  I then highlighted the only printer shown as available and hit Continue.  “Installing network device.”  I was asked how and where the printer would be used and input that data.  I registered the printer with HP Connect on the first computer I installed the home printer on but skipped it for the others, since the printer had already been registered.  Succesfully completed the installation.  I then renamed the home printer through Devices and Printers in Windows.  It is a little stressful to see the icon immediately disappear, but after closing Devices and Printers and reopening, the home printer was shown with its new name.  I did an update to the HP firmware using the printer control panel.  I remember reading something that a particular type of connection to the printer requires that updates be installed automatically. I believe both of my HP 8725’s are setup that way.

 

I should point out that in the past I have learned the hard way not to install HP all-in-one software with McAfee Total Protection installed on the computer. I actually uninstall McAfee and run the MCPR cleanup tool before the HP software installation, not just suspend Real-Time Scanning and the Firewall.  I have never had an installation problem using this procedure.  I then reinstall McAfee.  I uninstalled McAfee before my "Connect a new device" efforts.

 

One thing I would like to point out. My office HP 8725 with a wired connection never fails to print.  The home HP 8725 does fail to print after the initial bootup of the computer unless I open the all-in-one software and designate the home printer in the available printer list.  I then do a scan, which always is successful.  (I haven’t tried to print after selecting the home printer but not scanning, so don’t know what would happen then.)  After the scan, the home printer will print normally.  If I shutdown the computer at home and reboot, I again have to initialize the home printer using the all-in-one software. 

 

When I just attempt to print without the all-in-one software initialization, the print fails and in Devices and Printers I see that the home printer requires troubleshooting. I right-click its icon and select “Troubleshoot” from the drop-down menu.  The tool takes a number of steps and ultimately advises me that a print job got clogged in the queue and stopped other jobs from completing, but that the troubleshooting fixed it.  The first time this was run after connecting to the home network, the attempted print job had been removed from the queue but I could initiate it again and it would print.  The second time I connected to the home network (after the shutdown and reboot) and the troubleshooting had completed, I got the same message but the print job was still in the queue and printed immediately after I closed the Troubleshooter.  The behavior is odd, but I can work around it with only minor inconvenience.  I wanted to report the issue, as perhaps it is being faced by others and/or HP could investigate.

 

By the way, since my initial post and my successful installation of a second HP 8725 on the various computers that share the all-in-one software, I have purchased another HP 8725 printer for a third location. I don’t anticipate installation problems there.  It will be a wireless connection too.

 

Thanks again for your help.

 

Drek

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