Spundojb,
Welcome to the HP Forum. :smileyhappy:
Try this:
Click Start> Click Control Panel>
On the Control Panel > Click Printers and Other Hardware> Click Printers and Faxes
When Printers and Faxes opens >
Right-Click on your Printer (be sure to pick the printer and not the printer-fax) >
Select (from the little menu) Set as Default Printer
That may be enough to fix the problem - it will set your Printer as the default instead of the "fax" part of the printer.
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Continue here only if needed...
If that does not work, then the problem may be that the printer software is not installed OR that the printer software stopped working properly. Either way, you can look for the software and try to reinstall it to fix the problem.
The process to install the printer software is not difficult -- the installation program does most of the work -- I have included the instructions below. You do need to know the model of your printer to be able to look for the software.
General Instructions to Install the Printer Full Feature Software
· Open HP Drivers & Downloads
· Enter your Printer Model information
· Select your Printer from the “Results” list
· Enter your Operating System in the Drop-down menu
· Click NEXT and Scroll down
· Look for category Driver - Product Installation Software
· Select the Basic Driver, e-print, or Full Feature Software
· Save the *.exe installation package(s) on your computer
The file(s) will likely save to your "Downloads “folder.
If available, you may wish to download the Print and Scan Doctor and / or other programs from Category – Utilities
HINT:
Install Utilities / Tools first; the little installation packages are smaller in size
· If you have ‘Admin’ control, you can “double-click” to install the software, else Right-Click, Select run as Administrator and install.
NOTES:
· Look at the bottom half of the main webpage for your printer for helpful videos to assist with the installation of the printer software!
· Scroll the video list back and forth until you find the video that most closely matches your situation.
· USB connection: Download and install the driver softwarebefore connecting a USB cable.
· Ethernet: If the printer supports Ethernet, you may connect the printer to the network (and assign the printer an IP address at the router, if you like). Once the printer is connected to the network, be sure the printer is turned on and then install the printer software.
· After the initial installation is complete and working, install relevant updates - check Category - Update
There is valuable information at the printer’s website, including manuals, how-to pages, Troubleshooting and SOLUTIONS for problems, and alerts for your printer. Be sure to take an extended look at what’s available. Bookmark the page.
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NOTE:
It is not guaranteed that the printer software is still available for XP -- it is worth the time to look for it. If you find the printer software, it might be a good idea to download the software to your computer even if you decide you do not need to install the software right now. You may need to install the package later and it is good to have it ready.
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Although I strive to reflect HP's best practices, I do not work for HP.