LaserJet Pro MFP M148 - scanner not working any more as expected

[scanner_broken]

Env. MacOS 10.15 15.3.1 newest, MacBook Pro M1, all HP driver updated (like 10 times ...)

I tried literally _everything_ (removing, uninstalling driver, removing all manually, use the HP uninstalle app, re-installing, firmware update, ...)

symptoms:

1. it started last year when the double sided scan stopped working: the easy scan app is just freezing (unresponsive) after the front page scans for all pages. no error message

2. EasyScan does not see the printer with it's real name (from the settings), but just as "Printer"

3. EasyScan shows "Printer" as Bonjour device .. not as connection Type USB 

4. Scanner not showing as Device, but under SHARED as "Printer" in MacOS image capture app

5. selecting "supply levels" : information not available

Any help is appreciated ..

[Max3Aj]

Hi @scanner_broken,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

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

It looks like your HP LaserJet Pro MFP M148 scanner is having serious communication issues with your MacBook Pro M1 running macOS 10.15 (Catalina). Since you've already tried extensive troubleshooting, let's focus on a few targeted solutions.

Reset the Printing System (If Not Done Already)

This clears all printer-related configurations and resets connections.

1. Go to System Preferences > Printers & Scanners.
2. Right-click (or Control + Click) in the printer list and choose "Reset printing system…".
3. Restart your Mac and re-add the printer using USB, not Bonjour/WiFi.

Reinstall HP Software Using Rosetta 2

Since your MacBook Pro M1 uses an ARM-based Apple Silicon chip, HP’s older Intel-based drivers might not work properly.
Try this:

1. Uninstall all HP drivers using HP Uninstaller.
2. Install Rosetta 2 (if not already installed). Open Terminal and type:

softwareupdate --install-rosetta --agree-to-license
 

1. Reinstall HP Easy Scan and Drivers using Rosetta:
   • Right-click the HP installer > Get Info > Check "Open using Rosetta".
   • Run the installer and restart your Mac.

Add Scanner Using TCP/IP Instead of Bonjour

Since Easy Scan is detecting the scanner as a Bonjour device instead of USB, adding it manually using IP might help:

1. Open System Preferences > Printers & Scanners.
2. Click "+" and go to "IP".
3. Enter the printer’s IP address (find it on the printer’s control panel under Network Settings).
4. Use HP JetDirect - Socket as the protocol.
5. Choose the correct driver and add the printer.

Check for Conflicting HP Background Services

HP background services sometimes conflict with macOS security settings, blocking scanning functionality.

• Open Activity Monitor and search for anything HP-related (hpscan, HPEventHandler, hpnetwork).
• Force quit them and restart your Mac.

[Max3Aj]

Try Image Capture (Instead of HP Easy Scan)

Since Image Capture recognizes the scanner under SHARED, but not as a standalone device:

1. Open Image Capture.
2. Look under SHARED and try scanning from there.
3. If scanning fails, go to File > Import from Scanner > Include Networked Devices and check if it appears properly.

Run HP Smart App (Instead of Easy Scan)

Try using the HP Smart app instead of HP Easy Scan:

• Download it from the Mac App Store.
• Open HP Smart, add the printer, and try scanning.

Update macOS (if possible)

macOS 10.15 (Catalina) is quite old and might have compatibility issues. If you can, try updating to macOS 12 Monterey or later for better HP driver support.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted 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!

Max3Aj

HP Support 

[scanner_broken]

Hi @Max3Aj!

thank you ... thanks for all the advice! Just to clarify:

>> Right-click the HP installer > Get Info > Check "Open using Rosetta".

What exactly do you mean by "HP installer"? Do you mean the "Easy Start"?

[scanner_broken]

Hi Max3Aj,

Thanks for the advice!

As far as I could figure out, neither image capture nor HP Smart support double side scan. Can you confirm that? This is the only thing I really need ..

>> Update macOS (if possible)

I am on 15.3.1already. My mistake ...

[scanner_broken]

Hi @Max3Aj!

tried all the reset, reinstalling with rosetta etc. - did not help.

Status now:

* re-added using the IP - this printer is visible in the settings with the IP as name

   --- even when I go to add printer there is my printer as "USB Multifunction" (but it was like this before) .. however, when I add it, it becomes a name with "AirPrint"

* however EasyScan does not recognize either of them - Browse Scanner" shows a Bonjour device called "Printer"

   ---- scanning with this device works, but as before, it get s stuck when trying the double sided scan (app "not responding")

* interesting: EasyScan is shown as "Kind: Application (Intel)", but in this case, there is no option "Open using Rosetta"

Anything else I could try??

[Max3Aj]

Hi @scanner_broken, Thank you for your response. 

It sounds like the HP Easy Scan app isn't running natively on Apple Silicon, and there's no Rosetta option, which suggests it's already running in emulation mode or there's a compatibility issue with macOS 10.15.

Next Steps:

1. Try Scanning via Apple’s Built-in Drivers

Since Easy Scan isn’t working properly, try Apple’s built-in scanner driver instead:

• Open Preview → File → Import from Scanner.
• Open Image Capture and check if the scanner is listed under both "Devices" and "Shared".
• If it appears only under Shared, it's being detected as a network device rather than a USB device.
• Test single and double-sided scanning from these apps.

2. Manually Add the Scanner Using USB (Avoid AirPrint)

Since the printer is being recognized as AirPrint, try adding it as a raw USB device:

• Remove all existing printer/scanner entries in System Preferences > Printers & Scanners.
• Disconnect the printer from USB.
• Restart the Mac.
• Reconnect the printer via USB and manually add it:
  • Go to System Preferences > Printers & Scanners.
  • Click "+" > Add Printer or Scanner.
  • In the Kind column, ensure it says USB Multifunction (not AirPrint).
  • If it defaults to AirPrint, try selecting the HP LaserJet MFP M148 driver manually.

3. Test an Alternative Scanning App

Since HP Easy Scan is failing, try with third-party apps:

• HP Smart (already tested, but retry with USB connection).

4. Reset HP Easy Scan Preferences

HP Easy Scan might have corrupted preference files. Reset them:

1. Quit HP Easy Scan.
2. Delete its preference file: ~/Library/Preferences/com.hp.scanpreferences.plist
3. Restart your Mac and relaunch HP Easy Scan.

5. Check HP Background Services (Again)

Some HP services may be interfering:

• Open Activity Monitor, look for:
  • hpscan
  • hpnetwork
  • HPEventHandler
  • HPDeviceMonitor
• Force quit them and retry scanning.

6. Consider Updating macOS

macOS 10.15 (Catalina) is no longer supported by Apple and has compatibility issues with M1-based Macs. If possible, updating to macOS 12 Monterey or newer might resolve the problem.

I hope this helps!

If my response resolves your issue, please click “Accepted Solution” to help others find the answer. Also, don’t forget to click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up” button to say thanks!

Take care and have a great day.

Max3Aj

HP Support

[scanner_broken]

Hi Max,

sorry, not working. Stuck 😞

[Max3Aj]

@scanner_broken, Thank you for your response. 

Please follow these steps, 
Delete ALL HP Printer & Scanner Files Manually

Sometimes, HP uninstaller leaves behind old configuration files. Let's remove them manually:

A. Delete HP Printer Drivers & Config Files

Open Finder → Go to /Library/Printers/

• Delete the entire HP folder.

Open Finder → Go to /Library/Application Support/

• Delete HP and Hewlett-Packard folders.

Open Finder → Go to /Library/Preferences/

• Delete these files: 
  com.hp.*
  hp.*

Open Finder → Go to ~/Library/Preferences/

• Delete any HP related files.

Open Finder → Go to /Library/Image Capture/Devices/

• Delete any files related to HP.

Open Finder → Go to /Library/Image Capture/TWAIN Data Sources/

• Delete HP Scan TWAIN.ds if it exists.

Restart your Mac.

B. Reinstall HP Software (Without Bonjour/AirPrint)

1. Download the latest full HP driver package from HP’s website.
2. Install it, then add the printer via USB ONLY (not AirPrint).
3. Open HP Easy Scan and try scanning again.

Try Running HP Easy Scan in Safe Mode

Some conflicting background processes might be causing issues.

1. Restart your Mac in Safe Mode:
   • Power off → Hold Shift while booting → Release when the login screen appears.
2. Open HP Easy Scan and try scanning.
3. If it works in Safe Mode, some third-party software is interfering.

Reset NVRAM & SMC (For USB Communication Issues)

If USB detection is unreliable, try resetting system settings:

Reset NVRAM

1. Power off the Mac.
2. Turn it on and immediately hold: Option + Command + P + R
3. Release after 20 seconds or when you hear the startup chime.

Reset SMC (For USB & Power Issues)

1. Power off.
2. Hold Shift + Control + Option + Power button for 10 seconds.
3. Release and turn the Mac back on.
4. Try scanning again.

I hope this helps!

If my response resolves your issue, please click “Accepted Solution” to help others find the answer. Also, don’t forget to click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up” button to say thanks!

Take care and have a great day.

Max3Aj

HP Support

[scanner_broken]

I tried all this. I also tried to set up printing on 2 other MacBooks. All on the latest MacOS. One other Pro on Apple silicon and one Air on Intel.  

Config seems to work. But on none of them EasyScan is recognizing the actual USB printer. In all cases it defaults back to the generic Bonjour Printer and double sided scanning results in EasyScan freezing after the front pages.