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What To Do If HP Printer not Printing Anything

Today, we are going to give you a step-by-step guide on how to resolve the issues associated with HP printer not printing on laser and inkjet printers. But first, let us discuss why you are encountering this problem to at least give you an idea of how to fix it.

There are several reasons that we assume to be responsible for not printing pages.

  • HP printer cartridges are empty/running low
  • Dirty cartridges and printheads
  • Faulty or incompatible cartridges and papers
  • Wrong printer settings
  • Color printing is disabled
  • The printer driver is not working properly

How to Fix: HP Printer Not Printing

Solution 1: Performing basic checks

Before we move on with proper technical workarounds, it is advised that you implement these basic checks on your setup.

  • Check the status of the connection between your printer and your computer. If you are using a network connection, make sure all the details (IP address and ports) are aligned with your printer’s configuration.
  • Perform a power cycle of the entire setup (your computer and the printer) before you move on. There may be some misconfiguration which might induce unknown problems. Turn all the modules off, take out the power cord from the devices and let them sit for ~10 minutes before plugging everything back in.

Solution 2: Cancelling All Print Jobs

Another workaround is canceling all print jobs which are submitted to the printer and then restarting the printer. This will prove to be a soft reset to the system and might solve any discrepancies in it.

  • Navigate to Devices and Printers, right-click on the printer and click See what’s printing.
  • On the new window which opens up, click on Printer and click Cancel all documents.
  • Now you should check if you can print perfectly.

Solution 3: Unclog the Print head (Automatic Cleaning)

When it comes to inkjet printers, you can unclog the print head using the printer’s automatic cleaning cycle. You can activate this cycle from your printer’s control panel or at the Printer Properties from your computer’s Control Panel.

The process prompts your printer to discharge excess ink out, softening and removing clogs on the print head. Select the deep cleaning function option if the simple cleaning doesn’t work in unclogging the print head.

Solution 4: Unclog the Print Head (Manual Cleaning)

If the automatic cleaning method fails, you can also opt for a manual cleaning approach. Keep in mind that there are two kinds of print heads. There’s a print head that’s integrated from the cartridge, and there’s also a detachable type.

Avoid exposing and cleaning the sponge area of the ink tank when cleaning removable print heads. To prevent any direct contact of ink on our skin, use protective gloves throughout the process. Here’s a step-by-step guide on cleaning a printhead manually:

  • Open the Ink Cartridge Carriage and uninstall each Ink Cartridge unit from its slot. Carefully take out the Print Head from the Carriage.
  • Wipe off any congested and dried ink on the Print Head using a clean, lint-free cloth damped in warm water.
  • Keep on cleaning the Nozzle area until there’s no more black ink sticking on the fabric.
  • Soak the printhead in a bowl with warm water for 10 minutes. Do not use boiled water. Put a clean paper towel at the base and place the print head above it while it soaks.
  • Take out the print head from the bowl, and wipe off any water and moisture using a dry lint-free cloth. Place the printhead on top of a paper towel and allow it to air-dry for 15 minutes. Reinstall the print head back to the Carriage once it’s fully dry.
  • Conduct a Nozzle check to confirm if the print head is clean before you start printing.

Solution 5: Run the Windows Printer Troubleshooter

If you’re still getting blank printouts, you can use the built-in printer troubleshooter utility to automatically detect and resolve printer issues.

  • Right-click Start > Settings > Update & Security.
  • Select Troubleshoot > Additional Troubleshooters and then select Printer under the Get up and running section.
  • Next, select Run the troubleshooter to begin.

Solution 6: Update the Printer Driver

To resolve this, you may need to update the printer driver or uninstall and reinstall it back so as to get the newest version of the driver. You can update your printer’s drivers by visiting the device manufacturer’s official page and downloading the available driver updates. You can also update your printer driver via the Device Manager.

  • Right-click Start > Device Manager and select the Print queue section to expand it.
  • Right-click your printer’s name and select Update Driver.
  • Select Search automatically for updated driver software.

Getting problematic prints from your HP printer can be very irritating, especially if you have tight deadlines and need to print a lot of documents. However, you can quickly solve these issues using the solutions we mentioned here.

How to Fix HP Printer Driver is Unavailable Issue on Windows

The Printer Driver Is Unavailable because of the driver installed against your printer. There is possibility that the installed driver is outdated or incompatible.

Effective Solutions To Fix HP Printer Driver Unavailable Windows 10 Error

If you are experiencing Windows 10 Printer Driver Is Unavailable error, you are perhaps missing some updates or else requiring a driver reinstallation. Here, we will walk you through all its fixing procedures one-by-one. Thus, give a brief look at below:

Solution 1: Update Your Windows 10

One of the most possible reasons for the appearance of “Printer Driver Is Unavailable HP” error could be using an outdated Windows system. It is, thus, always recommended you install the available Windows updates to instantly cope-up this problematic hurdle. Here’s how:

  • On your Windows 10 search box simply type “Update”.
  • Now, select the “Check for updates” option.
  • If there are updates available, it will show you on Windows Desktop.
  • You just need to tap on the “Install now” button.
  • Windows will start updating automatically.
  • Once Windows has completed updating, restart your PC.
  • Now, print a test page from your Windows 10 PC and check if the problem has been resolved.

If you are yet facing Windows 10 Printer Driver Is Unavailable error even after installing the available Windows Updates, move to the next solution.

Solution 2: Uninstalling The Printer

In general, you can have the two options in your hand to counter the error ‘Driver Is Unavailable Printer HP’. Either you can uninstall the printer, all the related software from Windows 10 system and then try installing it accurately again. Or else you can frequently look at all the available drivers and then select the right suitable one for your HP printer.

In this below guide, we will uninstall the printer and all the associated software first and then try connecting it in an appropriate way. For sure, doing this will, in turn, install the default drivers and hence the ‘Windows 10 Printer Driver Is Unavailable error is gone.

So, let’s start following the below steps without making any mistake:

  • Press “Windows + R” keys simultaneously on your keyboard.
  • Type “Control Panel” by opening the Run dialogue box and then hit “Enter” key.
  • Once in the control panel, give a single click on “Devices and Printers”.
  • After tapping on it all the printers will be listed.
  • You will have to choose the printer which is causing problem and give a right-click on it to select “Remove Device”. The printer creating trouble will be removed from your system.
  • Now press “Windows + R” key again and then type “devmgmt.msc” in the search box.
  • Go to the “Print queues” option, place a right-click on your printer and then select “Uninstall device”.
  • Afterward, you are suggested to press “Windows + R”, type “appwiz.cpl” in the dialogue box and then hit “Enter” key. Doing so all the applications will be listed.
  • Give a right-click on all your printer application and select “Uninstall” tab.
  • After performing all these above mentioned steps from top-to-toe, disconnect your printer from your Windows 10 PC if it is connecting via a USB connection or disconnect it from the router if it is using wireless. After disconnecting the devices shut down your computer, printer, and your router as well. Plug-out the power supply from all of them.
  • After that wait for around 10 minutes, plug everything back in properly and then start all the modules. Now, use a USB cable to connect the printer with your computer. Wait for the required drivers’ recognition and let it install on the Windows 10 system.
  • Now go back to the Control Panel section, right-click on the device and select as default printer“.
  • Once you have successfully set your printer as default, you can try printing a test page. This time you may get high-quality printouts without receiving a message HP printer driver unavailable windows 10.

Solution 3: Reinstalling Latest Drivers Manually

If the above solution doesn’t helpful in solving the HP Printer Driver Is Unavailable issue, in the next we will try updating the HP printer drivers manually. There are also some circumstances where the printer is working perfectly but due to a Windows system not up-to-date, it gets broken. The updated drivers from Windows most probably creating trouble and may not work for all systems. Such a specific situation was particularly noted with HP printers. The best way to eradicate this issue is to update the driver. To do it, navigate to the manufacturer’s site for manually downloading the current driver. Once you have the latest driver on Windows 10, try disabling the Windows update.

Before you proceed, make sure that you visit the manufacturer’s website and download the suitable drivers for your hardware to an easy-accessible location. Reinstallation of the latest drivers could help to fix the HP printer driver unavailable windows 10 error. Here’s what to do:

  • Press “Win + R” keys simultaneously to evoke the “RUN” command on Window.
  • Next, type “devmgmt.msc” in the search field and click “OK” tab.
  • Doing this will launch your computer’s device manager.
  • Navigate through all the hardware, open the “Print queues” tab, right click on your printer hardware and select “Update driver”.
  • After doing so a dialog box will be popped-up on your Windows screen asking you that how do you want to update your driver? Select the second option stating ‘Browse my computer for driver software’ and then continue.
  • Opt for the driver file you have downloaded earlier using the browse if it appears and then update it accordingly.
  • Note: In many times, the printer won’t be visible in the device manager. In such condition, just run the installer file and the driver will be installed automatically.
  • Check your printer whether it is functioning well at this point of stage. If it is working, navigate to the official Microsoft website and download the complete package “wushowhide.diagcab”.
  • Run the package on your system now and click “Next” button.
  • Now select Hide updates from the displayed option.

Thereafter, select the printer update if anyone is available and then proceed. However, Windows update will not automatically update your printer driver until you tell it to.

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