Officejet Pro 9020 randomly will print 30 pages with a few lines of gibberish

[ecstefanov]

HP Officejet Pro 9020 AiO will randomly start printing single pages with a few lines of gibberish (letters, number, symbols etc.)
the system is Windows 11 (recent updates as of 07 23 2024) the Computer is a Dell Desktop less than 6 months old. Was printing normally and no random printing up until a few days ago - The printer is being used via wifi to my desktop and my laptop. It prints normally when I send a print job but when sitting idle (the Printer) will randomly just start printing and it is nothing that has been sent intentionally to the printer and it will print until it runs out of paper if left to print. nothing shows up in the Print Queue when this occurs. The Computer is in use or idle with nothing open that would require a print job. system has been checked for malware and viruses and is having no issues with software or hardware. the Drivers have been uninstalled and reinstalled both via HP Smart as well as downloading and installing manually the Drivers and the Full install software from the HP Support site. Any input would be appreciated as to a possible cause and a solution.

[Sneha_01]

Hi @ecstefanov,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

The issue you're experiencing with your HP Officejet Pro 9020 randomly printing gibberish pages could be caused by several factors. Here are some troubleshooting steps and considerations to help resolve this issue:

1. Check Print Queue and Spooler Service:

Print Queue: Even though you mentioned nothing shows up in the Print Queue, it's worth checking again when the printer starts printing randomly. Sometimes, print jobs can appear and disappear quickly.

Spooler Service: Ensure that the Print Spooler service on your Windows 11 computer is running properly. You can restart the Print Spooler service by:

• Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
• Locate "Print Spooler" in the list, right-click it, and select "Restart".

2. Network Issues:

Wi-Fi Stability: Ensure that the Wi-Fi connection between your desktop/laptop and the printer is stable. Intermittent connectivity issues can sometimes cause print jobs to queue incorrectly or trigger random printing.

Network Configuration: Check if there are any IP conflicts or network settings that might be causing the printer to receive random print commands.

3. Printer Firmware and Software:

Firmware Update: Make sure your printer has the latest firmware installed. Firmware updates can fix bugs and improve printer performance. Check the HP support website for your printer model to download and install any available updates.

Driver Reinstallation: Since you've already reinstalled the drivers, ensure that you are using the latest drivers from the HP website specifically designed for Windows 11.

4. Printer Settings:

Default Settings: Reset the printer to its default settings through the printer's control panel menu. This can sometimes clear up unexpected behavior caused by settings changes.

Check Settings via HP Smart: Use the HP Smart app or the printer's embedded web server (EWS) to review and adjust printer settings related to network connectivity and sleep mode.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

Rachel571

HP Support

[ecstefanov]

Thank you for the response! I have looked at and attempted your suggestions previous to posting this  (I'm an IT tech my self) and still have the same issue. But like a good tech I am going to start from scratch again and try your suggestions once I remove all the associated software from the system, clean out the registry  and overall system files related to the printer and of course set to defaults the printer (again) and see what Happens. I also may back out of the last Windows update that occurred in the past couple of weeks and see if that has an effect on the issue - all was good 2 weeks ago and then suddenly, 30 or more random pages with a few line of junk started printing. I'll post my results after trying everything you recommended and a few of my own tricks as well. Thank you for your insight and quick response to my request  

[ecstefanov]

So I have performed every thing I know to do that normally resolves this random "out of the blue" printing of single and or multiple pages of gibberish - it still does the same thing when Idle. the Printer is on Wifi. However, the Wifi is very strong and little to no interference from other wifi networks -- I have not tried using a USB printer cable direct from the Printer to the computer to see if that stop the randomness of these unrequested pages of nonsense. any further suggestions and or possible causes and resolutions would be helpful - this happened suddenly last week - no Windows updates no Printer updates - No Malicious software no changes at all. it still prints normally and scans normally but these random single or multiple pages of random text and symbols has started and everyday now it occurs

[Sneha_01]

Hi @ecstefanov 

I'm sending out a private message to assist you with the next course of action. In order to access your private messages, click the private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Support Community profile, next to your profile Name.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance.

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

Rachel571 

HP Support