The HP Officejet printer uses inkjet technology which produces higher quality and on more kinds of paper than laserjet printers. When setting up for the first time or after you’ve been using it for a while it can have issues where it won’t work at all. In this article I will explain how to troubleshoot an HP Officejet printer that isn’t working.
If you’re using a Windows computer download the HP Print and Scan Doctor software, and for Mac computers download the HP Smart App. Once installed they can be run to diagnose exactly what the issue is. The software will then advise you how to fix the issue.
In this article I will provide step by step details for where to download the official HP software, how to use it, as well as some other fixes that the software won’t pick up.
HP Officejet Not Working
Typically an HP Officejet printer will print and work fine. It will run out of ink which will need to be refilled. But, it can also encounter issues such as not connecting to the computer or via wireless, not turning on, or not printing once you press print. When it’s not working, here’s what you should do to get it working again.
There is a software made by HP to fix HP printers that aren’t working called the HP Print and Scan Doctor. It only currently supports Windows computers. For Mac computers use the HP smart app and use the troubleshooting feature.
I’ll provide step by step instructions for where to download either app so you can run the troubleshooter. It will generally pick up most issues but after that I’ll provide some steps that aren’t picked up by the software.
1. How to install the HP software that will identify what the issue is
For Windows PC download a .exe file that will install the software you need. The software is called HP Print and Scan Doctor. Download it from the official HP website here, but you need to scroll down and look on the left hand side where it has a blue button that says ‘Print and Scan Doctor’. Once it downloads open the file and it will open the install wizard. Once it installs, open up the software.
Here’s a really helpful video from HP that shows how it works:
For Mac computers
The HP Print and Scan Doctor doesn’t work for Mac computers. If you’re using a Mac computer download the HP Smart App. It has a bunch of functionality and works for both Windows and Mac computers. But, it has a troubleshooter feature that works in virtually the same way as the HP Print and Scan Doctor.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on November 13, 2021.
Download it from the official HP website by clicking here. Once you install it, use the ‘Diagnose & Fix’ feature to identify what the issue is. To select the diagnose and fix tool click on the printer that you’re using from the printers shown in the center of the window. Then at the top menu click on ‘Printers’ and then ‘Diagnose & Fix’.
It will run a check, and then explain what to do to resolve the issue.
2. Not powering up at all and not turning on fix
If you can’t get your HP Officejet to turn on at all then there is an issue with the power cord, or the wall outlet. Test the wall outlet by plugging in another device to check that it’s working. If the wall outlet isn’t working, then plug your printer into a different wall outlet. Or, check that the circuit breaker has tripped at the fusebox.
In an office environment this usually won’t be possible, and you’ll usually have to contact the building manager. And therefore, it’s best to use a different wall outlet. The power cord that goes from the wall outlet to the printer has 2 separate cords that connect to the small brick shaped power converter in the middle. It’s a good idea to check all of these connections are plugged in all the way.
First unplug it from the power outlet. Then unplug it from the computer. After that unplug it from the center black brick shaped part of the cord. Then plug everything back in and ensure they’re plugged in all the way and not only plugged in part-way.
3. Ensuring that the correct printer is selected in the printer options
When you open up Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or a similar program to print something and then hit print it opens up a new window which shows the printing options. A simple mistake that I’ve made many times and you may have done is not selecting the right printer from the drop down menu. It will have a default printer there which may be different to the printer that you’re using. Try to print it again but check that the printer in the dialogue box that opens is your HP Officejet printer and not some other printer that you’ve used previously or that is also in your office and not turned on.
4. Windows specific issue – resetting and editing the spooler
If you’re using a Windows computer there is a known issue with the spooler setting malfunctioning. It can be fixed with a few clicks which will reset it and is something which the HP Print and Scan Doctor may not necessarily pick up.
If you’ve tried all of the above steps and your HP Officejet printer is still not working it’s best to contact HP through the live chat support on their official website. Or, create a support ticket for a representative to provide some possible solutions.
HP Officejet Not Printing
After you select print and send a document to an HP Officejet printer to begin printing sometimes nothing happens. It’s difficult to know exactly what’s causing the issue. But, the solution to get it working is the same regardless of what’s causing your HP Officejet printer to not print, here’s what to do.
Install the HP Print and Scan Doctor for Windows computers or the HP Smart App for Mac computers and run the diagnostics tool to identify what’s causing the issue. When you select print also ensure the correct printer is selected from the drop down option.
There’s a default printer that’s selected when you press print. It’s possible the default printer isn’t the HP Officejet printer which will cause it not to print. I’ve explained step by step how to check this. As well as, how to install the software provided by HP to identify the issue near the top of this article.
Scroll to the top and look for step ‘1. How to install the HP software that will identify what the issue is.’ After that there are some additional steps to do to fix this issue if the troubleshooting software isn’t able to fix the problem. So, work through each of them. At the end I’ve provided an explanation of what to do if you’ve tried everything and it’s still not working.
HP Officejet No Power
There is an on off button that will power up an HP Officejet printer, and then you can begin using it to print, scan, or fax. If it’s not getting any power, however, here’s the troubleshooting steps you should do to find the cause of the issue.
The wall outlet, power cord, or an internal component in the printer are causing the issue. Test the wall outlet using another device to ensure it has power. If it’s not that, unplug the power cord at both ends, and in the middle and reconnect it making sure everything is fully plugged in.
An internal error can be identified using a diagnostic piece of software created by HP. Full details on how to install and use it are provided at the top of this article. After that I’ve provided step by step instructions for what to do if it’s still not getting power. Follow those instructions, and if you still can’t get it to turn on then contact HP over live chat on their website, or create a support ticket.
There are two pieces of software provided by HP that can identify what’s causing the issue. For Windows download the HP Print and Scan Doctor, and for Mac download the HP Smart App. Once installed it will find the issue and explain how to fix it.
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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on November 13, 2021.