HP Printers - 'User Intervention Required' Error (Windows)

When the printer does not respond or does not work as expected, look for an error message to find more helpful information.

1. Check the printer control panel: If lights on the printer are blinking or an error displays, follow any instructions on the printer control panel or printer software to resolve the error. If no instructions display, go to HP Customer Support, type your printer model, and then search for blinking lights or the specific error for detailed steps.

2. Check the printer software or HP Smart app: Errors and notifications in HP software and apps sometimes provide instructions to resolve printer error states.

Reset the printer to recover from printer errors or failures.

1. If your printer has a rechargeable battery, remove it.

2. Press the power button to turn off the printer. If the printer does not turn off, disconnect the power cord from the printer.

3. Unplug the power cord from the power source.

4. Wait 60 seconds.

5. Connect the power cord directly to a wall outlet and to the printer.

6. Turn on the printer to complete the reset.

Run the Diagnose & Fix tool in the HP Smart app for Windows and macOS.

How to resolve common print errors using Diagnose & Fix in HP Smart for Windows, macOS

This video shows how to use the Diagnose & Fix feature in the HP Smart app for devices running Windows or macOS. This feature can assist in troubleshooting printer issues.

1. Open the HP Smart app, and then click the Diagnose & Fix icon (Windows), or Diagnose & Fix from the Printers menu (macOS).

   If you do not have the HP Smart app, download it from HP Smart - Microsoft Store (in English) or HP Smart - Mac App Store (in English).

   Location of the Diagnose & Fix icon in the lower left (Windows) and from the Printers drop-down in the top menu bar (macOS)

   

2. Click Start, and then wait for the analysis to complete. Do not close HP Smart while the troubleshooter is running.

   

3. On the diagnostics results screen, follow the instructions to resolve any issues found.

   

Stop the print spooler, delete print job files, and then restart the computer and the printer.

Resetting the Printing System When Your Print Job is Stuck in the Windows Print Queue

In this video, you will see how to reset the printing system when your print job is stuck in the print queue. If you are unable to print a document and cannot delete or cancel the print job from the print queue in Windows, follow the steps in this video to delete the print job files and restart your printer and computer.

1. Turn off the printer, and then unplug the power cord.

2. In Windows, search for and open Services.

3. In the Services window, right-click Print Spooler, and then click Stop.

   

4. After the Print Spooler stops, close the Services window.

5. In Windows, open File Explorer.

6. Browse to C: > Windows > System 32 > spool > PRINTERS.

7. Delete all files in the PRINTERS folder.

8. Shut down your computer.

9. Reconnect the power cord to the printer, and then turn it on.

10. Turn on the computer.

Windows includes a troubleshooting tool that can help resolve printer issues.

1. In Windows, search for and open Troubleshoot Settings.

2. Click Printer > Run the troubleshooter.

   

3. If prompted, select your printer in the list, and then click Next.

Print a Network Configuration or Wireless Network Test Results Page, and then use the information on it to connect your printer wirelessly.

1. Print a Network Configuration Report.

   • HP Smart app: From the app home screen, click the image of your printer, click Printer Reports under Tools, and then select Network Configuration Report.

   • Printers with a touchscreen control panel: On the control panel, open the Wireless or Network Settings menu, and then select Network Configuration Report or Network Configuration Page.

   • HP printers without a touchscreen control panel: On the control panel, press and hold the Wireless and Information buttons. Printing reports from the control panel can vary by printer model.

     Depending on your printer, another method might be:

     • Press the Wireless and Resume/Cancel buttons at the same time.

     • Press and hold the Information button until all buttons light up, and then press and hold the Resume button or press the Information Resume buttons.

     • Press and hold the Resume button ( or ) until the Ready light blinks

2. On the printout, find the Wireless Status, IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, and URL.

   • Wireless status: Under 802.11 Wireless, the Status should be Connected. If it is not, your printer is not connected to the wireless network. Connect your printer to the network. For more information, go to Connect to a wireless HP printer.

     

   • IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway: Under 802.11 Wireless, find the printer's IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway numbers. If you see different numbers for IPv4 and IPv6, you only need the IPv4 numbers.

     

   • URL(s): Under General Information, find the URL(s) for Embedded Web Server. Your printer might have more than one URL.

     

3. From a computer connected to the same network as your printer, open an internet browser, type one of the URLs into the address field, and then press Enter to open the printer's EWS. If the EWS does not display, try another browser.

4. In the EWS, click the Network or Networking tab, open the Wireless menu option, and then click IPv4 Configuration.

5. Select Manual IP, and then provide your printer information.

   

   • To auto-fill all fields, click Suggest a Manual IP Address, and then make sure the fields for Manual IP Address, Manual Subnet Mask, and Manual Default Gateway match your printer's information on the Network Configuration Page.

   • If Suggest a Manual IP Address is not available, type the information from the Network Configuration Page into the IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway fields.

6. Click Apply, and then wait until the changes are confirmed.

Add a new printer port using your printer IP address.

1. In Windows, search for and open Printers & scanners.

2. Click the name of your printer in the list, and then select Printer properties.

   In Windows 10, you might need to click Manage first.

3. On the properties window, select the Ports tab, and then click Add Port.

4. From the list of available port types, select Standard TCP/IP Port, and then click New Port.

   

5. From the Add Standard TCP/IP Printer Port Wizard, click Next.

6. On the Add port screen, enter the printer IP address, and then change the port name to something you can easily recognize.

   

7. Click Next when you are done, and then click Finish to close the wizard.

8. From the printer properties window, select the port name you assigned, and then click OK.

9. Click the Device Settings tab, and then select Automatic Configuration.

10. From the menu, click Update Now.

    

    After a few seconds, the setting automatically changes to Off.

11. Click OK to close the printer properties window.

    CAUTION:

    Do not uninstall duplicate printers of the same model name to prevent printing and scanning issues.