HP laser printer no longer works after golden gate update

Based on user reports, macOS 27 Golden Gate has ‘broken’ printer drivers from several manufacturers. 

See if your printer model supports AirPrint, which is the easiest way to connect to a printer and does not require drivers from the manufacturer, only an AirPrint-capable printer. 

Rosetta 2 (the macOS engine for running Intel apps on Apple Silicon) is needed for some old printer drivers. Even if it was installed on your Mac previously, the upgrade to macOS 27 Golden Gate removed it for some users (me, included). If Rosetta 2 is not installed and you launch an Intel app, you’ll be prompted to install it. That is what happened here, when I launched an app that I had used frequently on Tahoe then launched for the first time after upgrading to Golden Gate. This is the reason many people with older printers that need manufacturer drivers are not working on macOS 27.

That prompt does not happen with a printer driver. Accordingly, it may help to install Rosetta 2 using Terminal. Apple provides instructions for that HERE. Note that if this enables your old printer drivers to work, you’ve only put off the inevitable. As the dialog box above indicates, macOS 27 is the last version that will support Intel-only apps (and printer drivers). If you upgrade to macOS 28, you will need to find another solution – either a new printer (get one that supports AirPrint), or for example setting up a Raspberry Pi as a print server (not too hard and plenty of tutorials, but the cost will be similar to an inexpensive printer).

If that does not help, then the first step is to reset your printing system. Note that doing so will remove all your printers and you will need to re-add them, but that is Apple’s suggested method to solve printing problems.

Steps to Reset the Printing System

• Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners
• Secondary-click (right-click, two-finger click) in the top two lines or on any printer and select Reset Printing System

• More info: Reset the printing system on your Mac to solve a problem - Apple Support

The next step for an AirPrint-capable is to re-add the printer. Follow Apple’s instructions for that:

Print wirelessly from your Mac to your printer - Apple Support

If your printer does not support AirPrint, check the manufacturer’s website, and if there are no updated drivers, then you may be able to set up your printer on macOS using a generic driver.

Steps to Connect and Print

• Connect the printer: Plug the printer into your Mac using a USB cable, or connect it to your local network via an Ethernet cable. 
• Add the printer: Click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax (the + button).
• Choose Driver: Select your printer from the list. In the "Use" drop-down menu, choose Generic PostScript Printer.
• Finish setup: Click Add to complete the installation.
• More info: Add a printer to your printer list so you can use it on Mac - Apple Support

If that does not work, there are two other options:

Option 1: connect the printer to a always-on host computer (like a Mac, Windows PC, or Raspberry Pi) running third-party print server software such as HandyPrint, Onyx, or a CUPS-based solution to share the printer via AirPrint.

Option 2: you may be able to use the manufacturer’s printing app, which is available on the Mac App Store.

HP Print & Support app:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hp-print-and-support/id1474276998?mt=12

I have an old HP 1022, which was working fine on OS X 26, and the upgrade broke it as well with "hardware incompatible". Found a very simple solution from this YouTube video which worked like a charm for me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkT8SdVdmM8

Just run "softwareupdate --install-rosetta" in terminal and restart your Mac, and that's it! Worked for me. I had my driver working on OS X 26, so a simple rosetta update was all that was required.

Yes, it turns out that macOS 27 Golden Gate removed the Rosetta 2 framework upon installation. I pretty sure this was intentional to further draw people’s attention to the fact that Rosetta 2 will be permanently removed in macOS 28 next fall, and will not be able to to be re-installed at all, period. Hopefully it also gets the attention of third party manufacturers, especially printer manufacturers who have had six years now to update their drivers to support Apple Silicon but have stuck to the basic Intel code in their drivers.

And thank you for your report about your HP 1022 Laserjet working after installing Rosetta 2. I also have an old battle scared HP 1022 that is happily printing away on macOS 26 Tahoe. I plan to upgrade when macOS 27.2 hits the streets. The very first thing to do will be to re-install Rosetta 2.

More information is required, starting with the printer's exact model designation.

SUPER ! My Brother HL-2030 is working again.