Print Jobs Disappear in Queue but Do Not Print

LoadToadBoss · 03-21-2010, 16:35

I recently upgraded a HP 64-bit Vista machine to 64-bit Win 7. The upgrade went well. Then I tried to add a new printer, HP OfficeJet 4500-series multifunction machine. I used the prepackaged Win 7 installation disk. After driver installation, the machine sees the printer just fine. However, every time I send a print job, the job appears in the queue for about 2 seconds then disappears without the page actually printing.

The printer is connected to a USB port. I am able to initiate a scan from the desktop just fine. I can print to a network Toshiba printer in another room just fine. I just can get the little HP to print anything. I did several software uninstalls and reinstalls with no luck. I went to the HP web site and downloaded the drivers from there and tried, but no luck.

I contacted HP tech support and they sent me an email with directions for a level 1 uninstall. Did that and still no joy. The HP email also gave instructions to use an alternate device driver. No luck.

Finally, I went and got another printer from a different company (Cannon). Same problem. Now I'm thinking that its a Win 7 glitch. There are no error messages. Win 7 printer troubleshooting does not see an error.

Any ideas as to how to fix this?

LoadToadBoss · 03-22-2010, 10:49

Really? No one? Bueller?

Drjones · 03-22-2010, 11:40

I really have no clue if you've installed/reinstalled the drivers multiple times (and rebooted in between, I hope) and tried drivers from HP as well as the native Win7 drivers.....

Is there a firmware update for the printer? You could try that....

**bobby_w** · 03-22-2010, 11:50

I know you don't want to hear this...

But have you shut everything down cold and restarted? Not rebooted but shutdown.

Printer and the PC.

I have a HP 2600n that I had problems with and this fixed it.

Wulfgang · 03-22-2010, 12:28

Did you assign the new printer as your DEFAULT printer?
If the jobs are disappearing they could be going to a "phantom document printer" instead of your "physical" printer.

LoadToadBoss · 03-23-2010, 05:34

Thanks for the imputs. I've configured thousands of printers in the past and have never had this problem before.
1. Downloaded the latest driver updates from HP
2. Did multiple cold reboots
3. Printer set as default; no phantom printers. The print job shows as pending in the printers/devices window, then magically disappears after what one would expect to be a respectable queue time.
4. No other printer on the network is receiving the print jobs.

Nothing resolved the issue.

RESOLUTION:
Purchased an Epson NX410. Set up went smoothly and printer functions as designed. I moved the glitchy HP4580 to an older XP machine. The setup and configuration went wonderfully. I configured the HP4580 to share on the network and was able to print to it from the Win 7 machine. All is fine now, but it was a bit frustrating.

I was using the right Win 7 setup disk, but the problem seems to be a Win 7 issue.

Drjones · 03-23-2010, 08:43

Glad you "fixed" it. As with any new software, there are bound to be random, inexplicable bugs.

Oh well....