Printer Properties Infinite Loop

[Nick_Baxter]

When printing from any application, I click the properties button and it pulls up the HP print properties. When I change the properties and click okay, it pops up another printer properties dialogue. When I change the properties and click okay, it sends me back to the first printer properties dialogue, now with the okay option grayed out. It is impossible to change any print properties as I am stuck in this infinite loop.

I've had this printer for years and never had this issue until just recently with no other software or configuration changes to my computer. This is apparently an issue with the current print drivers. Uninstalling and reinstalling the current drivers results in the same issue. Is there a copy of the old drivers available? Is there a way to prevent automatic driver updates in the future? It appears the HP Smart up is in control of this with no apparent way to opt out, but perhaps I'm wrong on that. 

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @Nick_Baxter,

Welcome to the HP Support Community

I understand you are facing an issue with your HP Product. Not to worry I will help you to get a resolution to resolve the issue.

To assist better:

• May I have the exact name of the model of the product? Refer to this document for steps to find the product details. Do not share your personal information such as serial, phone number, email ID, etc.

Could you please elaborate in detail? 

I hope this helps! Keep me posted. 

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.

[Nick_Baxter]

OfficeJet Pro 7740 G5J38A

See below images. I added captions to the images to explain the process, summarized here as well:

1. Click properties

2. HP print properties dialogue pops up, make change, click okay, a new print properties dialogue pops up.

3. Make change in this print dialogue, hit okay. This dialogue appears to change the global printer preferences, not just a temporary change to the document settings. Takes me back to the HP print properties dialogue. 

4. At the HP print properties dialogue, OK button is grayed out. Only option is to cancel.

5. I am able to slide the HP print properties out of the way and hit print. Canceling the dialogue does the same. It only retains changes made in the global print properties dialogue. The HP print properties does nothing.

Previously, only the HP  print properties was used to make document level changes, and there was no reason for this other dialogue to popup that makes global printer level changes. I do not want to be making global properties changes. I just need the HP properties dialogue to function as intended. This software/UI glitch is incredibly infuriating. Multiple times I have printed documents to find that the global settings are now changed and I need to go through 5 steps to put them back to the intended defaults and am left with piles of paper and wasted ink now destined for the recycling bin. 

1. Click on properties, brings up HP branded printer properties.2. Make any change, such as double sided print and hit okay, then brings up a different properties menu.3. Different properties menu comes up. Make change such as double sided print, hit okay. This appears to make the change to the printer settings not the specific document now defaulting all printing to double sided. Hitting okay brings me back to the HP branded print properties.4. Back at the HP branded print properties, the OK button is grayed out.5. If I slide this menu out of the way, I am still able to print. It appears to maintain the settings. Previously, I would only get the HP branded menu, and not have the second settings dialogue popup. I never want to change the defaults for the printer, I have those defaults set for a reason. I only want to change the document settings on a case by case basis.

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @Nick_Baxter,

Thank you for the reply 
 

I understand you're dealing with a frustrating issue with your HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 where you’re stuck in an infinite loop of printer properties dialogs. HP print properties dialog is unexpectedly changing global printer settings instead of just document-specific settings This can indeed be annoying and disruptive. Here’s how you might resolve this:

Steps to Address the Infinite Loop Issue:

Update or Roll Back Drivers:

• Check for Updates: Sometimes, new drivers can fix issues. Go to the HP Support website and look for the latest driver for your model.
• Roll Back Drivers: If you recently updated the driver and started experiencing this issue, rolling back to an earlier version might help. You can do this through Device Manager:
  1. Open Device Manager (Win + X > Device Manager).
  2. Expand the "Printers" section, right-click on your HP OfficeJet Pro 7740, and select "Properties."
  3. Go to the "Driver" tab and click "Roll Back Driver" if the option is available.

Prevent Automatic Driver Updates:

• Pause Updates: You can temporarily pause updates in Windows 11:
  1. Go to Settings (Win + I).
  2. Click on "Windows Update."
  3. Click "Pause updates" and select the duration.
• Disable Driver Updates:
  1. Open Device Installation Settings: Go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers > Device Installation Settings.
  2. Select "No, let me choose what to do" and "Never install driver software from Windows Update."

Check HP Smart and Print Software:

• Sometimes, HP Smart or other HP software can interfere. Try uninstalling HP Smart and reinstalling it, or use the HP Print and Scan Doctor to diagnose and fix issues.
• Ensure you are using the latest version of HP Smart.

Use the Printer Properties in Windows:

• Instead of using the HP print properties dialog, try using the Windows printer properties:
  1. Go to Settings (Win + I).
  2. Navigate to Devices > Printers & scanners.
  3. Select your HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 and click "Manage."
  4. Click "Printer properties" and make changes here.

Reset the Printer:

• Sometimes, a factory reset can clear up issues. Refer to your printer's manual for instructions on performing a factory reset.

Reinstall the Printer:

• Uninstall the printer completely from your computer:
  1. Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
  2. Select your printer and click "Remove device."

Restart your computer, then reinstall the printer using the latest drivers from the HP website.

Update Printer Drivers

Ensure that your printer drivers are up-to-date. An outdated or corrupted driver can cause such issues. You can download the latest drivers from HP’s official website.

1. Go to the HP Support page.
2. Enter your printer model (OfficeJet Pro 7740) and select your operating system.
3. Download and install the latest drivers and software.

Check Printer Software

Ensure that the HP printer software is correctly installed and up-to-date.

1. Open the HP Smart app or HP Printer Assistant.
2. Go to the "Software and Drivers" section.
3. Check for updates and install any available.

Reset Printer Settings

Sometimes, resetting the printer settings to default can resolve unexpected behavior.

1. Open the printer's control panel.
2. Navigate to the "Setup" or "Settings" menu.
3. Look for an option to "Restore Defaults" or "Factory Reset" and follow the instructions.

Modify Printer Preferences in Control Panel

You might need to adjust settings through the Windows Control Panel to prevent global changes.

1. Go to "Control Panel" > "Devices and Printers."
2. Right-click your HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 and select "Printer properties."
3. Under the "Advanced" tab, click "Printing Defaults."
4. Ensure that the settings here are configured to your preferred defaults and not set to "Double-sided" or other changes.

Check for Software Conflicts

Sometimes other software or settings on your PC might interfere with printer settings.

1. Temporarily disable any third-party print management software or utilities.
2. Check if the issue persists.

Reinstall Printer

As a last resort, you might need to remove and reinstall the printer.

1. Go to "Control Panel" > "Devices and Printers."
2. Right-click the HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 and select "Remove device."
3. Restart your computer.
4. Reinstall the printer using the latest drivers from HP’s website.
   
   
   I hope this helps! Keep me posted. 

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. 

[Nick_Baxter]

I appreciate the thoughtful response and consideration, however, I've already tried the usual suspects of uninstalling and reinstalling drivers and the HP smart app. HP does not keep old drivers for download that I can find and rollback is not an option since I've already uninstalled and reinstalled. I believe the old drivers are what I need. The infinite loop occurs through printers & scanners as well. Honestly, it's not worth my time to resolve. I'll just buy an Epson Printer to replace it. 

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @Nick_Baxter,

Thank you for your response, I appreciate your efforts. As the issue persists, I am sorry to hear that I'm sending out a private message to assist you with the next course of action. 

Please check your Private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Community profile Next, to your profile Name, you should see a little blue envelope, please click on it or simply click on this link.

I hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance.

Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos, Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!