Printer Connection Difficulties

[MacUser12341]

I am using an HP 9020 printer-scanner connecting wirelessly to my iMac.  I have installed HP Smart.  I am encountering difficulty printing from the computer.  When using MS Word, the print job initiates on the printer, and the Apple Print Center shows the print job in the queue.  But the progress line continues going back and forth and the printer does not print the document.  I find that this problem goes away if I reboot the computer, but it now happens so often that I'm required to reboot almost every time I want to print.

Does anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks.

[Rachel571]

Hi @MacUser12341 

Welcome to HP Support Community.

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

It sounds like you're encountering a frustrating issue with your HP 9020 printer where the print job stays stuck in the queue and doesn’t print unless you reboot your iMac. This type of issue can often be related to a variety of factors, such as printer communication problems, network connectivity issues, or conflicts with printer drivers. Below are some suggestions to help resolve this:

1. Check for Printer and MacOS Updates

• Printer Firmware: Make sure your HP 9020 has the latest firmware. HP periodically releases updates that fix bugs or improve performance. You can check for updates using the HP Smart app or by visiting the HP support website.
• macOS Updates: Ensure your iMac is running the latest version of macOS. Sometimes, compatibility issues can cause printing problems, and Apple may release updates to fix such bugs.
  • Go to Apple Menu > System Preferences > Software Update to check for any available updates.

2. Reset the Printing System on Your Mac

This can help clear any stuck print jobs and resolve issues with the printer queue:

1. Go to System Preferences > Printers & Scanners.
2. Right-click (or Control-click) on the list of printers on the left and select Reset printing system.
3. Confirm the reset, which will remove all printers and reset the printing system.
4. After the reset, add your HP 9020 printer back by clicking the "+" icon and selecting your printer.

3. Clear Stuck Print Jobs

• If print jobs are stuck in the queue, you may need to manually clear them. Follow these steps:
  1. Open System Preferences > Printers & Scanners.
  2. Select your HP printer and click Open Print Queue.
  3. In the print queue window, select the stuck print job and click the Delete or Cancel button to remove it.
  4. If the job won’t cancel, try restarting the printer and clearing the queue again.

4. Reinstall HP Printer Drivers

Sometimes the printer driver can become corrupted or outdated, leading to print issues. Reinstalling the driver can fix this.

• Uninstall Current Drivers:
  1. Go to System Preferences > Printers & Scanners.
  2. Select your HP printer and click the - (minus) button to remove it.
  3. Go to Applications > HP and open HP Uninstaller (if available) to remove any HP-related software.

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