HP printer troubleshooting

The Best HP Printer Troubleshooting for Every Common Issue

Hewlett-Packard printers are some of the most reliable and high-performing devices. Still, you can encounter hardware and software glitches from time to time. So, knowing HP printer troubleshooting for various problems is crucial. Learning the resolutions to common printer problems will help you immensely when you need to print something urgently.

This article will list major HP printer issues and their resolutions.

 

Causes behind HP Printer Problems

HP printer issues can arise due to a myriad of causes. The main reasons for different printer problems are as follows:

  • Low ink or toner
  • Faulty print settings
  • Clogged printheads
  • Corrupt print drivers
  • Hardware issues
  • Invalid IP address
  • Network congestion
  • Usage of non-genuine cartridges

 

 

Resolve Different HP Printer Problems

You can resolve all HP printer problems with the solutions mentioned in this post. We have provided the solutions in a stepwise sequence so you can fix your specific issue quickly.

 

 

1. HP Printer Troubleshooting for Ghosting

Ghosting occurs when an HP printer says there is a paper jam, but it isn’t true. It means a mechanical problem and often arises after a real paper jam issue.

  • Inspect the mechanical parts around the ghost jam. They should operate properly.
  • Check whether the rear duplexer and the grip of the four rollers move freely.
  • Touch the brass contact points with a paper clip. It will make the printer think that the duplexer is installed.
  • Hit ‘OK’ in the control panel.
  • Ensure that the white plastic gears on the left part move freely.
  • Now, see if there are any shards of paper in the gear teeth.
  • Ensure that no consumable part of the printer is expiring.
  • If they are, replace them.

 

 

2. Fix Print Jobs Stuck in the Queue

To fix the stuck print jobs, use the HP Print and Scan Doctor. Follow this HP printer troubleshooting guide to remove stuck print jobs.

  • Head to the official HP website to download the Print and Scan Doctor.
  • Now run the downloaded HPPSdr.exe file on your PC.
  • Launch the Print and Scan Doctor and tap ‘Start.’
  • Now choose your HP printer.
  • If you see your printer, tap the ‘Retry’ button after turning the printer on.
  • In the event that the printer cannot establish a connection, adhere to the instructions provided.
  • Finally, tap ‘Fix printing.’

 

 

3. Troubleshoot Ink Issues

There are many ink issues that HP printer users encounter. One of them is the printer printing streaky or light prints. To fix it, prime the cartridge with a paper towel.

  • Use a paper towel that’s been dipped in warm water.
  • Use the damp towel to block the cartridge and printhead.
  • The ink will appear on the towel.
  • Now smother the ink cartridge with a dry towel for a minute. It will eliminate the dried ink leading to a streaky or light print.
  • Finally, install the cartridge into the printer and carry out a test print.

 

Fix toner smears 

Do you find the print coming off when you put your hand on it? It may point to a damaged fuser assembly. You must replace the fuser assembly. Besides this, check if the toner cartridge is letting out excessive toner at a single time. If you have an HP Laser printer, replace the cartridge. Also, check whether there is toner spilled on the printer. Clean it if it is there.

 

4. Troubleshooting HP Printer for Corrupt Drivers

Printer drivers become corrupt for no specific reason. The printer starts behaving erratically when the drivers go corrupt. Follow these fixes to eliminate such drivers.

  • Remove the printer. To do so, go to ‘Settings’ followed by ‘Devices.’
  • Choose ‘Printers & Scanners.’
  • Tap on your HP printer and click ‘Remove device.’
  • Follow the on-screen instructions.
  • If the problem persists, uninstall the printer software.
  • Type ‘print management’ in your search box and click Enter.
  • Now, choose ‘Drivers.’
  • Find the corrupt driver and uninstall it.

 

 

5. Resolve Print head Clogging

The ink in the HP printer head clogs if you don’t use the printer regularly. This, in turn, leads you to lines, streaks, and bands on the printed copies. You must clean the print head to eliminate the problems.

If the print head is clogged, you will also notice an alert to change the cartridge on your printer. Use these steps to fix the clogged print head.

  • Access the ‘Control Panel.’
  • Navigate to ‘Printers and Scanners.’
  • Tap your printer and choose ‘Properties.’
  • Now choose ‘Printing Preferences’ followed by the ‘Service’ tab.
  • Select ‘Printer Services’ in the succeeding window.
  • A command to clean printheads will show.
  • This will begin the process of printhead cleaning, which will get you rid of the clogged printhead problem.

 

 

6. Fix HP Printer Not Connecting to Wi-Fi

Your printer may not connect to Wi-Fi because of a defective router or printer not being in the Wi-Fi range. Besides this, your antivirus can also obstruct the connection. So, temporarily disabling Wi-Fi and checking whether the connection gets established should help.

Besides that, ensure that your printer is within the range of wireless connectivity. You can also restart your computer to clear this error. If this doesn’t help, restart the Wi-Fi router. Check whether the network credentials are correct. Also, install printer driver updates and check whether this error gets fixed.

 

 

 

7. Troubleshoot HP Printer Paper Jams

Before fixing the paper jam, turn off your printer and take it out from its power source. Now use these steps for troubleshooting the HP printer for paper jams.

  • Open the printing device’s cover to head to the paper path.
  • Now, remove the paper from the printer’s input tray.
  • To find jammed paper inside the printer, grasp the paper and pull it out gently from the paper path’s direction.
  • Ensure to remove all the torn paper pieces.
  • After that, access the rollers for signs of damage.
  • Use a lint-free fabric to clean the rollers.
  • Finally, reassemble the removed printer parts.

 

 

8. The Printer Is Not Printing from the Expected Paper Tray

You may sometimes notice that your printer does not pull paper from the expected input tray. Follow this troubleshooting when this happens.

Disable the manual feed mode

  • Turn on the printer and open the ‘Properties’ window for your device.
  • To do so, go to ‘Hardware and Sound’ in the control panel, tap ‘Printer’, and right-click on your printing device.
  • Now, in the Properties window, choose ‘Paper/Quality.’
  • Choose ‘Automatic’ or the suitable tray from the dropdown.
  • Tap ‘OK.’
  • Now, try printing.

 

Inspect the paper guides on the tray

  • Remove all the paper from the tray.
  • Fan the paper sheets and tap the corners of the paper stack on a flat surface.
  • Pull the paper guides. Pull it to its outermost portion.
  • Now, load the papers into the tray.
  • The print side must face up.
  • Push inside the paper guides until they are against the edges of the paper stack.
  • Try printing.

 

9. Fix the Slow Printer Speed

If you find your HP printer printing slowly, reset the printer. Restart the device to fix the slow printing issue. If that doesn’t work, use this HP printer troubleshooting in your Windows system.

  • Disable the quiet mode. To do so, tap your printer on the HP Smart app.
  • Now, tap ‘Advanced Settings.’
  • Select ‘Off’ for ‘Quiet Mode.’
  • Tap ‘Apply.’
  • Minimize the print quality to boost the print speed.
  • Go to ‘Printers & Scanners’ in Windows.
  • Tap your printer followed by ‘Manage’ and then ‘Printing Preferences.’
  • Tap the ‘Paper/Quality’ tab and check that you have selected plain paper.
  • Now, modify the print quality.
  • Choose either ‘Draft’ or ‘Normal’ for HP InkJet and LaserJet printers.
  • Tap ‘OK.’

 

10. Fix HP Printer Won’t Print

There are a few things you can do when you find your printer not printing.

Perform a printer troubleshooting sequence

  • Examine the connection between your wall outlet and the HP printer.
  • Now check the cables from your Windows PC to your printer.
  • Also, check the lights in front of the printer.
  • If they are not on, turn on the printer by plugging its power cord in.
  • You can also restart your printer for this problem.

 

Update your printer drivers

  • Head to ‘Device Manager’ in your system.
  • Enlarge the print queues and right-tap on your printer drivers.
  • Now, click ‘Uninstall device’ from the menu.
  • Adhere to the prompts you see to finish the remaining process.
  • Go to ‘Device Manager’ and right-tap the first option.
  • Now tap ‘Scan for hardware changes.’
  • The printer driver will get installed.

 

 

11. Fix Printer Hardware Problems

Your printer may be having hardware issues if it makes unusual noises. A defective printer tray or a printer printing smeared output also indicates these problems. Only an HP printer technical expert can examine your printer and tell you about the defective parts. So, report this problem to a professional support person. Besides that, you can navigate to the HP printer support page. Here, you will find good information about this issue.

 

 

12. Fix HP Printer That Cannot Print From a Mobile Device

Many users complain that when they try printing from an Android phone, they see a message saying, ‘This printer isn’t available right now.’ For troubleshooting HP printer that cannot print from a mobile device, restart your printer, router, and phone. After that, fix a poor network connection and ensure that the wireless signal is turned on.

 

You should also restart your computer to clear possible errors. Turn on the Bluetooth on your system or phone so the HP Smart application can identify your printer.

 

 

13. Resolve Loaded Paper Queue

If you find a loaded paper queue, your print command will repeatedly fail. Here is a simple HP printer troubleshooting guide to fix this common error.

  • Firstly, restart the spooler service.
  • Type services.msc on the Run box and hit Enter.
  • Find ‘Print Spooler’, right-click it, and choose ‘Stop.’
  • Head to ‘C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS.’
  • Delete every file in the printer’s folder.
  • Right-tap ‘Print Spooler’ in the Services window. Then choose ‘Start.’
  • Navigate to the ‘Print Job’ queue. You will find that the loaded paper queue issue has been resolved.

 

Concluding Words

HP printers are some of the most trustworthy printing appliances. But they are also vulnerable to many errors. Fortunately, there is a fix for almost every problem. Hopefully, the HP printer troubleshooting in this article will help you fix your specific problem. If not, don’t hesitate to call a printer technical expert.

Talk to Experts +1-314-558-7512