SOLVED After 1903 Upgrade Win 10 Print Function Does Not Work

[onlinenow]

After a Windows 10 automatic upgrade to ver. 1903 my USB connected HP 3630 Desk Jet Multi-printer does not work in Windows 10. None of the installed programs such as Live Mail, LibreOffice, etc. will respond once the final "Print" button has been clicked. I uninstalled the software and downloaded the latest driver and software from HP, but the software cannot be loaded as the installation program cannot communicate with the printer through Win 10. Running the HP diagnostic tool it says that I have a software problem and when it runs an internal printer check it prints out a perfect test page, so it can communicate with the printer which is working fine.

After downloading the latest driver and software upgrade from the HP download site, it uninstalls the old HP software and I'm told to unplug the USB connection to the printer. During the installation of the new HP software it tells me to connect the USB cable. When I do, it does not recognise it as connected so I cannot complete the installation. If I turn off the printer and go to Settings/Devices/Printers it shows the HP 3630 as "offline" and when I turn it on the "offline" note disappears. Under Printer Server Properties/Ports it shows USB001 as the Virtual Port for HP 3630. When I run the Trouble Shooter on the Settings/Devices/Printers page for the listed HP 3630 it states it is unable to find the problem. By the way, I even downloaded the latest driver package separately and it installed without a problem, but the software package will not.

I'm sure there is a setting somewhere that was changed during the automatic ver. 1903 Win 10 upgrade. Can anyone help with this problem? Thanks, Dennis

 

[Tim Locke]

Does Windows think there is a printer connected, in settings? TRY the HP printer software in the windows store...pretty basic but should work.

Does the printer do Wifi? If so try unplugging the USB, de-installing the HP software and then connect the printer wifi. Not with WSP but the hard way...typing in the SSID and the password . Once the Wifi is working then go to it from your browser. to finish its configuration. Then install the HP software.
Most HP printers have an internal web server.

I have done all of these with various HP printers.

You can also go to device manager and check there. The printer should be visible. Print queues should be visible.

 

[Bighorn]

I've seen several Printer and Computer issues with the printer wanting only a USB 2 or USB 3 connection and wouldn't work with the other. It will probably continue being an issue as more computers leave off the USB 2 ports and rely on backward compatibility of USB 3 to USB 2 and the 'new' USB C may add to the issues.

A side note: I have an HP Laserjet Pro MFP M26nw mono printer and an HP Officejet Pro 8600 connected to my Router via CAT5 Ethernet cable. I have their Wireless turned off. Any computer whether Wired or Wireless/Wi-Fi can use either printer when the software is installed, Win10 is doing great in automatically picking up the printers and installing software, at least the basics.

 

[onlinenow]

Does Windows think there is a printer connected, in settings? TRY the HP printer software in the windows store...pretty basic but should work.

Does the printer do Wifi? If so try unplugging the USB, de-installing the HP software and then connect the printer wifi. Not with WSP but the hard way...typing in the SSID and the password . Once the Wifi is working then go to it from your browser. to finish its configuration. Then install the HP software.
Most HP printers have an internal web server.

I have done all of these with various HP printers.

You can also go to device manager and check there. The printer should be visible. Print queues should be visible.

Hi Tim - Sorry for taking so long to respond, but nothing I try is working. Yes, the printer is shown as connected in settings and can communicate with it, as it recognises when I turn it on or off. It also shows, it is the only printer or scanner, in device manager as does Print Queue.

Interestingly, if I try to print something, on the print window which comes up when I do it from "File/Print", my printer is listed, but when I open "Find Printer" it is looking for it in a "Network", "Dennis 1" to be specific, but there is no printer listed on "Dennis 1". How do I get it to look for it on USB001 or how do I list it on "Dennis 1" network? Thanks for your help.

 

[onlinenow]

Just a note to let you know that I finally got all programs and apps to recognise my printer by using the free HP printer installation and management program "HP Smart" from Microsoft Store. I had to stop and restart the installation several times, but each time it restarted on the next step in the process and in the end got the printer fully recognised and functioning in all my Win 10 Ver. 1903 programs and apps. A tip, if you don't live in the U.S., you'll come to a page where it is mandatory to put in a U.S. zip code as your location. I just used my daughter's 78704 Austin, TX zip code and that allowed the program to continue with the installation. It is really obvious that hardware connected to a computer by USB cables is rapidly going "out of favor" and losing support. Everything seems geared for a wireless connection. I've got to upgrade my motherboard on my desktop computer, that for sure.

 

[Bighorn]

I've got to upgrade my motherboard on my desktop computer, that for sure.

You don't necessarily need to go that drastic, there's a number of PCIe and PCI Add-in cards available that will give you Wireless/Wi-Fi capability, even Internet access through the Wireless Router. There's also USB Dongles that will do the same, I use an 802.11n dongle on one of my IP/Insider Preview computers as it has only an 802.11g onboard adapter, got better download speeds.

 

[onlinenow]

Bighorn - Thanks for the suggestions. I've looked into those alternatives and especially like a PCI Add-in card which doesn't require rabbit-ears. One way or the other I'm going to bring my desktop into the wireless world.

 

[Bighorn]

You're welcome.