HP LaserJet - Install an HP Universal Print Driver (UPD) using a USB connection to enable print-only function in Windows 7

This document provides download and installation instructions for Universal Print Drivers (UPDs) provided by HP for most LaserJet products that will be installed in Microsoft Windows 7. This document also contains information about UPDs to help guide you in selecting the correct UPD type or in determining whether or not a UPD is the best choice for your product.

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Do NOT install a universal print driver (UPD) unless you have a print-only product and you know that reinstalling using a UPD is the correct solution. If you are trying to resolve a particular issue or error message, reinstalling a driver might not resolve the issue.

If you are not sure, go to How to Select the Correct Print Driver (c00751649) (in English) or search for help documents that pertain to your specific issue or error message.

Even if a Universal Printer Driver option(s) is listed, this may not be the best driver choice for your product.

Universal print drivers (UPDs) are print-only drivers and are not recommended for use with multifunction or all-in-one products where scanning or faxing software and drivers are needed.

UPDs are 'one-size-fits-all' drivers (not product-specific) created to facilitate product installations typically in a commercial or business environment where there are multiple printer or product types and a series of drivers might be needed. UPDs are often used by business administrators / IT Help desks that want to share or distribute a small driver that enables basic software functionality.

Normally, the full solution or product-specific driver is recommended for most products when available for download at www.hp.com/go/support.

If the full solution or a product-specific driver is not available, you might use a UPD in one or more of the following conditions:

• When you have a print-only product
• When there is no other Windows 7 driver available for your product (e.g. Full solution, PCL 6 (non-UPD), Basic Print/Scan, Plug and Play, etc.)
• When installing Windows Vista drivers in compatibility mode is not an option for your product
• When you are not already using a basic driver or do not have an In-OS driver included in your Windows 7 operating system
• When printing in an enterprise or managed print server, static, or mobile print environment (administrators or IT Help desks)

Universal Print Drivers (UPDs) are a good driver choice for print-only products because these drivers ONLY provide print capability.

If you are using a multifunction or all-in-one product, and there is no other driver option available, the In-OS driver included in the Windows 7 operating system is considered a better choice than UPD. While some of the advanced software features might not be available, customers can use this driver with either the product control panel or the Scan and Fax feature in Windows. For more information, go to Use the software in Windowsto scan (c03501661) (in English).

If a UPD is not right for you or you are not sure, go to How to Select the Correct Print Driver (c00751649) (in English) or search for driver installation instructions specific to your product before trying a UPD.

The type of UPD driver you use may depend on your environment and printing needs. In some cases, only one UPD driver is available for a product. In this case, use the available driver. If two or more UPD drivers are available, use the following information as a guide to select the driver most appropriate for your environment:

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UPD drivers can be found under the Driver - Universal Print Driver section on the individual printer support pages or directly at www.hp.com/go/upd. The UPD type can be identified by the name appended to the end of the file name (e.g. PCL 5, PCL 6, Postscript, etc.).

If you know that you need a UPD driver but are not sure which driver to select, use the following information as a guide.

After you determine the correct UPD driver for your environment and printing needs, see section Download and run the driver setup.

Drivers and Universal Print Drivers (UPDs) are available for most products. If none of the drivers mentioned above are available, your product may not be supported. For more information, go to Products Not Supported in Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit versions) (c02535920) (in English).

This section provides information on how to download the Universal Print Driver (UPD) and run the driver setup from www.hp.com/go/upd. The Universal Print Driver (UPD) is also available for download from Support & Drivers.

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The following screen shots are intended as a guide. There may be slight variances between products. Follow the on-screen prompts during the installation process to complete the driver installation for your product.

1. Disconnect the USB cable from both the product and the computer (if you already connected it).

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   Do not connect the USB cable until prompted to do so during the software install process.

2. Open a new browser window and go to www.hp.com/go/upd.
3. Under the green header Free Download section, click Download Software.
4. Select your language from the drop-down list and then select your operating system (Windows 7).
5. Under the Driver - Universal Print Driver section, locate the driver option you want to download, click Download, and then click Run and wait while the files download to your computer.

   note:

   The HP Universal Print Driver for Windows PCL6 is recommended for most printing options.

6. Click Unzip or Next, and then wait while the installer extracts the files.

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   Make sure the When done unzipping open: autorun.exe check box is selected and do not change the default location to which the installer saves the files.

   Figure : WinZIP Self-Extractor

   

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   If you receive a notification that the files unzipped successfully, click OK.

7. The HP Universal Printing Installer launches.
   Click Yes to accept the terms of the license agreement.
   

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   You may need to select I accept the terms in the license agreement and then click Next.

8. Select Dynamic mode, click Install, and then wait while the driver files are extracted to the Driver store.
   

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   If Windows detects another driver version for the printer, select Replace the current driver if you are installing a new printer and want this to be your default, or select Use the driver that is currently installed (recommended) if you are installing an optional driver for an existing product.

9. If prompted, click Finish to close the window.

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   You might need to restart the computer to complete the installation.

After downloading the UPD, follow these steps to install the driver files using a USB cable.

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If you receive a Windows security alert(s), allow the installation to continue.

1. Turn on the product and then wait until the printer is in a Ready state.
2. Connect the USB cable to the product and to the computer and then wait while Windows automatically detects the product, locates, and installs the driver files.

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   A notification in the lower right corner of your screen will indicate the progress of the installation.

3. When the Devices and Printers window automatically opens, make sure that the printer is set as the default (indicated by a green check mark).

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   If it is not selected as the default, right-click the printer, click Set as default printer, and select the HP printer.

4. Print a test page.

Universal print drivers are recommended primarily for printers and not for multifunction or all-in-one products because these 'print' drivers do not have scan or fax drivers included. If you are using a Multifunction or All-in-One product, first try a full solution or other non-UPD driver.

In some cases, a separate driver download may be available to enable scan and fax software functionality. These options should be used INSTEAD of a UPD. Examples of fax and/or scan drivers include the following:

• HP LaserJet MFP Wizard Console
• HP MFP Digital Sending Software
• HP PC Send Fax Driver
• Plug and Play Print/Scan (USB install)

These are typically located on the individual product pages under the Software, Driver, or Utility sections.

If there are no fax or scan drivers available for your product, or when full software functionality is not available through the product driver, you might be able to fax and scan using the Scan and Fax feature in Windows. For more information, go to Use the software in Windows to scan (c03501661) (in English).

You can also fax and copy manually using the buttons on the product control panel.

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This applies only to multifunction products (MFPs) and All-in-Ones (AiOs).