C4385 photosmart will scan but not receive items from hp laptop to print.

[LDionysius]

My c4385 photoSmart printer connected to my HP laptop, will scan an item and upload it to my laptop with no problem. But I cannot send an item from my HP laptop to the printer to be printed. I’ve been working on this for three weeks. I’ve tried everything. When I display devices, the Photosmart is listed, but underneath it in light gray type it says: driver unavailable. I see in my control panel list the photoSmart is listed under scanners, but not under printer queues . I tried so many things. I can’t list them all here. Any clue as to what I should do?

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @LDionysius,

Welcome to the HP Support Community! 

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding your printer!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

Try these steps:

Confirm the Printer Connection

Ensure that your HP Photosmart C4385 printer is properly connected to your HP laptop. If using a USB connection, make sure the cable is securely connected. If connecting over Wi-Fi, ensure both devices are on the same network.

Reinstall the Printer Driver

You need to reinstall the correct printer driver for your HP Photosmart C4385:

Uninstall Existing Driver:

• Go to "Control Panel" > "Devices and Printers."
• Find your HP Photosmart C4385 printer, right-click, and select "Remove device."

Download the Latest Driver:

• Visit the HP Customer Support - Software and Driver Downloads page.
• Enter your printer model (Photosmart C4385) and select your operating system.
• Download and install the latest driver.

Install the Driver:

• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
• Restart your computer after the installation is finished.

Update Windows

Ensure your Windows OS is up to date, as updates can resolve driver issues:

1. Go to "Settings" > "Update & Security."
2. Click "Check for updates" and install any available updates.

Use HP Print and Scan Doctor

HP provides a tool called HP Print and Scan Doctor, which can diagnose and fix most printing and scanning issues:

1. Download HP Print and Scan Doctor here.
2. Run the tool and follow the instructions to troubleshoot and fix your printer issue.

Check Printer Status

Finally, verify that your printer is set as the default printer:

1. Go to "Control Panel" > "Devices and Printers."
2. Right-click on your HP Photosmart C4385 and select "Set as default printer."

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the issue of being unable to print from your HP laptop to your HP Photosmart C4385 printer.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[LDionysius]

I apologize for the delay in getting back to you.  I greatly appreciate your time. Thank you so much for your immediate reply. I followed your instructions and reached a roadblock concerning the location of the driver software. This has been an issue all along. I did get a driver from a non-HP website but it didn’t work. But let’s start at the beginning and walk-through if you will. Below, I have broken down your instructions, step-by-step:

Confirm the Printer Connection Ensure that your HP Photosmart C4385 printer is properly connected to your HP laptop.

Q:  would my scanner work if it were not connected properly to my HP laptop? In my question I wrote that I am able to scan a document and upload it to my HP laptop with no problem.

If using a USB connection, make sure the cable is securely connected. If connecting over Wi-Fi, ensure both devices are on the same network.

In my question to you, I stated that I’m using a USB cable.

Reinstall the Printer Driver You need to reinstall the correct printer driver for your HP Photosmart C4385: Uninstall Existing Driver: Go to "Control Panel" > "Devices and Printers." Find your HP Photosmart C4385 printer, right-click, and select "Remove device."

I uninstalled existing driver for HP Photosmart. I want to mention here that In light gray type, it said driver unavailable. I believe this is an important clue to solving the problem.

Download the Latest Driver: Visit the HP Customer Support - Software and Driver Downloads page. Enter your printer model (Photosmart C4385) and select your operating system. Download and install the latest driver. Install the Driver: Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Q: I did this, and the screen instructions say: select your software and driver below. I select this link. Then it states: all software and drivers. When I click this link, it shows some videos.  I looked at the videos and none of them helped me. Shouldn’t I be able to just select a driver at this point? When I return to the original page, it has something for diagnostic tool fixes and driver issues, but not the driver software. There’s also something called driver product installation software. Again, it shows the related videos, but no place to download the software driver. It only displays the software for HP print and scan doctor for windows which I already have. So I’m stuck there. I have Windows 10. 64 byte. Can you give me the link directly to the driver installation software?

Again, thank you so much for your time.

[LDionysius]

After reviewing my question to you I see I did not specifically indicate that I was using a UBS connection. It is connected to my laptop and printer.

[LDionysius]

Also, I downloaded the HP Smart app and went through the procedure step-by-step. It also did not work. Thank you for your time.

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @LDionysius,

 Currently, @Kuroi_Kenshi is not available, hence I am reaching out to you to assist you further, as you mentioned, you are looking for the driver for the HP Photosmart C4385 All-in-One Printer. Please use the link for this model, and you can install the full feature software for the printer.

HP Photosmart C4385 All-in-One Printer:

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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

VikramTheGreat

HP Support