HP Printers - HP Printer Assistant Prompts to Connect a New Printer

This document is for HP printers with HP Printer Assistant software and Windows computers.

HP Printer Assistant is printing software to set up your printer, scan, order supplies, check ink levels, and more. It comes with HP printers made after 2009.

After upgrading Windows, the printer information in HP Printer Assistant and Windows is lost. When this happens, use HP Printer Assistant to connect your printer as a new printer.

Step 1: Reconnect the printer

Connect the printer again to regain access to HP Printer Assistant tools.

Click Connect a new printer.
Select the connection type when prompted, and then follow the on-screen instructions to set up the printer.

note:
If a red X displays and the connection fails, click Retry, and then continue to the next step.
Turn off the printer, and then restart your computer.
Turn on the printer, and then open HP Printer Assistant.
- If HP Printer Assistant opens, the issue is resolved.
- If HP Printer Assistant does not open or the connection fails, continue to the next step.

Step 2: Uninstall any HP printer software

Uninstall the HP print driver and software before reinstalling the latest driver.

Disconnect the USB cable from the printer, if necessary.
In Windows, search for and open the Control Panel.
Click Programs and Features.
In the list of installed programs, click your HP printer name, and then click Uninstall or Yes.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the software removal.
Restart the computer.

Step 3: Reinstall the latest driver from the HP website

After uninstalling the software, download and install the latest version of the full feature software.

note:
You can also use the installation CD if it includes the driver for your version of Windows.

Turn on the printer.
Disconnect the USB cable from the printer, if necessary. The software installation prompts you to connect the cable if needed.
Go to HP Customer Support - Software and Driver Downloads.
If a Let's identify your product to get started page displays, click Printer, type your printer model number, and then click Submit.
If you need to change the operating system, click Change, select your version, and then click Change.
Under the Driver heading, click Download for the full software package, or click Basic Drivers for other driver options.

Step 4: Restart the computer and the printer

Restart the computer and the printer to finish setting up the software in Windows.

Turn off the printer, and then restart your computer.
Turn on the printer, and then open HP Printer Assistant.
- If HP Printer Assistant opens, the issue is resolved.
- If HP Printer Assistant does not open, and the Printer Setup & Software screen displays, click Connect a new printer, and then follow the on-screen instructions. Restart the printer and computer to complete the installation.

Step 5: Try the Windows built-in print driver

If the previous steps did not resolve the issue, use the Windows built-in driver. Go to Installing and Using the Built-in Windows Print Driver.