Gmail printing issues - HP MFP 4301fdw

[HCHTech]

This is my week for printers, apparently. I have a client with a new HP Laserjet Pro MFP 4301fdw. He is on Google workspace and lives and dies in email. After installing the printer (hard wired to the network with a static IP), updating to the latest firmware & installing the software downloaded direct from HP, we're having tons of problems with printing gmails. All of the client's workorders (from a dozen or so vendors) come in by email, and printing that email is step 1 of his workflow. Ergo, this is a big problem for him.

I should note that printing from Word & Excel works just fine. I can print a gmail attachment just fine, but trying to print the body of an email results in the printer going to an error state with the document stuck in the print queue. This happens across different senders, so it's not just the format or font of one particular email.

I should also note that he normally uses Chrome, but signing into his gmail from Edge gives the same problem. Both Chrome and Edge are the latest versions. I also did a uninstall / reinstall of Chrome. Event log show "Printer in error state", but nothing beyond that. I can copy and paste the body of the email into Word, which will then print fine. His computer is Windows 10 Pro, fully patched. Maddeningly, I installed Thunderbird and set it up to get his email, and had the SAME problem there - couldn't print the body of the email. Did Google change anything recently - I can't believe that wouldn't be all over the internet if so, but I'm starting to think his printer is haunted - haha. Client bought this printer on his own, but based on this and the other problem this week, I don't think I'll ever recommend another HP printer.

Where else should I look for clues?

 

[mmerry]

I would test using the HP Universal Print Driver. Make a new printer pointing to the IP and use the UPD

HP Universal Print Driver for Windows Software and Driver Downloads | HP® Customer Support

Download the latest drivers, firmware, and software for your HP Universal Print Driver for Windows.This is HP’s official website that will help automatically detect and download the correct drivers free of cost for your HP Computing and Printing products for Windows and Mac operating system.

support.hp.com

If that works, I would tend to blame the software.

 

[Markverhyden]

I would test using the HP Universal Print Driver. Make a new printer pointing to the IP and use the UPD

HP Universal Print Driver for Windows Software and Driver Downloads | HP® Customer Support

Download the latest drivers, firmware, and software for your HP Universal Print Driver for Windows.This is HP’s official website that will help automatically detect and download the correct drivers free of cost for your HP Computing and Printing products for Windows and Mac operating system.

support.hp.com

If that works, I would tend to blame the software.

In addition to the above check the driver type. Try a different PCL or PS version.

Edit: forgot to mention about checking for browser addons. Try them in safe mode.

 

[timeshifter]

Where else should I look for clues?

Install a "print to PDF" printer like CutePDF and test printing to a file. Or connect to a different physical printer.

Chrome has it's funky printing engine. Try "print using system dialog" or whatever the Windows equivalent is.

 

[HCHTech]

I did try printing to PDF, which worked but then, when printing that PDF, I got the same error. Didn't try the universal driver or the PS driver (don't remember seeing one, but I could have overlooked it), so I'll do that today if I can arrange a remote.

 

[timeshifter]

That's so weird. But Word and Excel still work OK?

How about printing to PDF but as an image, rather than searchable text? Wonder if there is some font or odd character that's throwing it off.

Or, how about importing that PDF into Word and printing it?

Or a different printer altogether?

 

[britechguy]

Personally, I'd also consider removing the device entirely, re-downloading the appropriate "full drivers and utilities" package from HP, and starting over from scratch.

I had to do that today for an Epson printer that would not, for reasons unknown, maintain a connection to the wireless network after having done so without issue for several years. It's the printer equivalent of a nuke and pave. Whenever I have problems with OEM downloaded software, I nuke that and fetch it again, too. Don't ask me why this sometimes works, but it does.

 

[phaZed]

Sounds like the Windows Printer Subsystem is stuck. The HP Smart software is usually to blame. If so, this virtually works every time with issues like this.

How to Force Remove a Printer That Won't Uninstall on Windows | Windows OS Hub

I have often encountered situations where Windows could not remove installed printers. A printer may not appear in the Windows Control Panel (but it may be available in the Print…

woshub.com

 

[HCHTech]

I would test using the HP Universal Print Driver. Make a new printer pointing to the IP and use the UPD

Just thought I would close the loop on this problem. I did suggest using the UPD as another thing to try, but I think the client was not keen to spend any more money on the problem I suspect as he never replied to that request. He was struggling along copying and pasting content to Word when he had to, I guess. Anyway, didn't hear from him for a month until yesterday when i got a rambling stream-of-consciousness rant email about how he spent 45 minutes on the phone with HP support and they fixed the problem that we were unable to fix - then requesting a meeting to discuss how we were going to "make this right". Gotta love this part of owning a business.

Anyway, had that meeting this morning where he had thankfully calmed down, and we discussed exactly what we did and what I had offered as next steps, along with what the HP support dude had done - Incredibly, the client had taken a video of the remote session they had (45 minutes!), and was happy to let me watch it. The HP guy reinstalled the printer......using the UPD!! Also, he not-so-helpfully said that the way we had installed it (using the printer-specific driver) was "not the best way". I chose to bite my tongue on that comment, but seriously, WTF, HP?

Anyway, I think the client just wanted to see me squirm a bit, since he was happy with the resolution and said he understood that we can't think of everything - so we didn't get fired. Ugh - printers. +1 for @mmerry for nailing the solution. -1 for HP for NOT admitting the problem was their $&*#ing driver in the first place.

 

[britechguy]

WTF, HP?

Exactly. If the model specific printer driver is not "the perfect fit" then nothing should be. The UPD is a "one size fits all" which means, in the end, that it's "one size fits none." It will get you part of the way there, and if that part's what you need that's great, but often other functionality is then *poof*, gone.