Can I just recommend that you get the printer from someplace that might be able to offer you after-sales support? Maybe a local computer shop, or some place like Best Buy if you get the Geek Squad service?
Otherwise, the next time you have an issue — and I guarantee you there will be a next time — you’ll be in this situation again and wondering why it isn’t working.
It’s much easier to get help when you can show them in person what’s wrong.
Can you print any of the test pages from the printer menu?
I assume you’re talking USB connection, not the computer and printer on the ethernet.
So if USB - it’s a process of elimination.
Driver, USB port, cable, printer USB port, printer function…
It printed a while ago, likely the driver on your PC is fine. I assume you’ve done the “turn everything off and on again” routine, still no workee. Usually wait until the PC is back up and running, then turn on the printer. Or unplug the USB and plug it back in… You can always delete the printer and ask your PC to find it, but obviously if it can’t see the printer now, it’s not going to add it.
Did you try a different USB port? Does your mouse, for example, work in the USB port the printer was in? USB ports stopping working - either permanently or time to time - is not unheard of.
As others say, the cable. try a different cable. Check to see it hasn’t been strained, or run over by the chair, etc.
It’s even more convenient if you have another PC to test the printer with, to see if it’s the USB port on the printer. But the fact that another (formerly working?) printer has the same issue suggests “not the printer”. I assume you can print the printer status page using the buttons on the printer, so the printer mechanism is fine.
My guess from experience is the PC’s USB port has stopped working. Try a different port.
If the printer has an ethernet interface, the test is easy - is the printer seeing the network and getting a network address? Usually printer status page will tell you this. 10.0.0.51 or some such 4-number IP address. Link light on the ethernet port, etc.
(The ethernet port on my Brother 2270 died last year and fortunately, the USB port still works.)
The OP did eventually say:
Just in case it’s trying to use wi-fi, try rebooting the router.
But we don’t know how they determined that. The OP’s tendency to use the minimum number of words possible to answer questions, usually without actually answering the question, makes it very hard to troubleshoot their problem. Maybe they just plugged a phone into a USB port, saw the phone’s “charging” indicator appear, and decided that the port was fine. We still don’t actually know what kind of port they’re using,what are the two unsuccessful “methods” that they’ve tried, what “icons” are greyed out, whether they’ve tried rebooting the computer, etc.
They seem to have decided to ignore most of the suggestions and questions in this thread and just buy another printer, despite the fact that two different printers aren’t working. Maybe that will solve the problem, but I wouldn’t put money on it.
Yeah, exactly.
Hope they have better luck in person when they tell the shop “port’s fine”…
Wifi is no different than wired ethernet. Go into the router (ok, getting a bit advanced) and see what addresses are active. With HP, there’s a way to print the status page and see if the printer has an IP address. If PC and printer are on the same wifi network and can’t find each other, things are getting weird.
But with USB, if you move it to a different port sometimes that works. The other thing might be to delete the printer and search for it again, if the port is OK. If the printer’s USB port is toast, then time for a new printer, but it would be quite odd if both printers had the same problem. However, delete and reinstall for the second printer, if using an existing install; it may be looking on a different port.
Yes, I could, which made this all the more frustrating.
In that case, you might try the procedure on this HP support forum, involving completely deleting the printer folder.
I will almost bet this is a WIndows update or printer driver update problem. But:
1/ if these are both connecting to the PC via USB, try ethernet and/or wifi . That will rule out communications at either end
2/ try both printers with ANY other device - PC, phone, whatever
Are there any stuck jobs in the print queue that you can clear?
That’s not working either.
I did purchase another printer, and who was it that said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results? I have the receipt and will return the printer tomorrow. Guess I’ll be printerless. NBD really.
I printed the jobs I wanted at the library in the meantime.