Level 1

12 points

HP Laserjet 3055 printer "waiting for printer to be available" after HP Printer Software Update 3.0

I have an HP Laserjet 3055 All-in-One Printer. It has been printing just fine from my iMac running OS 10.9.5 (Mavericks) until after the HP Printer Software Update, Version 3.0, that I installed on 1 Oct 2014. Although the 3055 is shown as connected/idle to my iMac via USB, after clicking "PRINT" for a document, the print queue status soon changes from "printing" to "waiting for printer to become available", and the printer never becomes available. I have tried rebooting everything (printer, computer, text software), checking USB cable connections and changing USB ports, deleting and re-adding the 3055 printer (numerous times!) even after resetting the print system, but could there be something inherently wrong with the latest HP driver (version 19.9 for HP Laserjet 3052)? Or is it possible something else is going on? In other words, I have exhausted all the solutions I've found in these and other forums to no avail.

I have tested this printer by connecting it to my MacBook Pro (also running OX 10.9.5) but without having installed the HP Printer Software Update, Version 3.0. (Hadn't gotten around to this update...) The printer works fine, even though the driver has the same version number--19.9 for HP Laserjet 3052. So could the version 19.9 driver in the latest HP Printer Software Update be corrupted? Is there any way to reinstall that driver? Or copy the 19.9 driver from my MacBook Pro and install it on the iMac? HP only refers to the Apple Software Update process for Mavericks compatible drivers for this printer. Can I manually uninstall the HP driver for the Laserjet 3055 from my iMac and then have the iMac download the driver again in the process of re-setting up the 3055? Any suggestions appreciated.

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5), 3.4 GHz, Quad-Core i7, 32GB SDRAM

Posted on Oct 3, 2014 1:59 PM

28 replies

Oct 10, 2014 6:59 PM in response to HH3

Hi, I cleaned out the Startupitems folder as suggested (there were 3 subdirectories - HP IO, HP USB EWS Gateway and HPLasrejet Trap Monitor), and rebooted I no longer get the "waiting for printer to be available", and the document looks like it is sent to the printer. However, nothing prints. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

HH3 Author

Level 1

12 points

Oct 10, 2014 7:27 PM in response to Brian_zimbo

Have you tried to print the document more than once? I recall that in my case, at the first attempt to print, the printer started blinking as though it was about to print then quit. But the second time I clicked "print", and thereafter, the printing worked normally.

If you have tried printing several times without success, you might try deleting and re-adding the printer in System Preferences>Printers & Scanners.

Oct 10, 2014 8:07 PM in response to HH3

Thanks for getting back to me.

Yes, I have tried printing the document several times - however, no blinking on the printer, and nothing prints.

I have deleted and re-added the printer several times in System preferences (using the suggested HP3052 option), but so change.

I have also downloaded the version 3 driver from the HP website, installed it, removed and reinstalled the printer in system pretences with the same result.

When i print from my macbook pro (running OSX 10.9.4) there is no problem with the printing (in system prefs, i have shared the printer on the network, and my macbook is connected wirelessly to the network, and printing OK. However, on my iMac with 10.9.5 no luck.

I am still able to scan using the 3055 on my iMac, but no luck with the printing.

I have restarted the printer several times and also reset the printer settings on the printer.

Any suggestions gratefully accepted

HH3 Author

Level 1

12 points

Oct 11, 2014 9:36 AM in response to Brian_zimbo

I'm sorry the solution to this frustrating problem that worked for me isn't working for you. As noted in my solution entry above, I worked with an Apple Support person to ultimately solve the problem on my iMac. (I used the phone service for the last session rather than the online chat service as it was more efficient AND you are allowed to re-contact your support person if you need followup, something not available with the chat approach. I am not allowed to share the contact information of my support person, unfortunately.) There were other files that we tried trashing before narrowing the culprit down to the StartupItems folder (again, in my case), so it's possible in your case other files are involved. I would suggest contacting Apple Support phone service and refer to the case ID # 673948790 for my case to get started. I suspect the support fellow recorded notes about what actions we tried that I'd be too vague about to be helpful.

For what it's worth, I do think a solution can be found to your specific problem based on all the factors that are now known about this misbehavior.

Another postscript to this saga. Once this problem was solved for my iMac, I went ahead and installed the HP Printer Software Update Version 3.0 on my MacBook Pro (running Mavericks 10.9.5), an update I had put off installing because of the printer problem encountered on the iMac after installing that update. (Recall from my initial post that the MBP printed fine to the 3055 without the HP Printer Software Update 3.0 installed.) I fully expected that after installing the HP Printer Software Update the MBP would have the same printer problem with the HP LaserJet 3055. But no, it worked fine! When I look at the StartupItems folder on the MBP, it certainly appears that the same HP files/folders are there that I had to trash on the iMac to solve the printer problem. Go figure...! I mention this because there may be more going on in the solution to this problem than what worked for my situation implies.

I hope this is helpful even without a specific cure...

Oct 12, 2014 3:38 AM in response to HH3

This worked for me, and I am still able to use my HP LaserJet 3055 with HP Scan to scan directly to my mid-2009 MacBook Pro running 10.9.5.

Oct 12, 2014 7:14 AM in response to MikeNaples

I spoke too soon. Printing is hit and miss, mostly miss. I have changed over to using the Gutenprint v5.2.3 driver, then restarted, and have been able to print again. I'll report back if that becomes unstable too.

HH3 Author

Level 1

12 points

Oct 12, 2014 11:15 AM in response to MikeNaples

Sorry to hear the printing problem has become "mostly miss" but hope the Gutenprint driver remains stable... So far, touch wood, the solution noted in this discussion continues to work for me. But if the problem returns, I will report here and be back on the phone with Apple Support.

If the Gutenprint driver option starts failing, see my note above to Brian_zimbo about contacting Apple and my Case ID.

Oct 12, 2014 4:17 PM in response to HH3

I have tried using the Gutenprint driver again, and I am now printing. Very intermittent issue as i used this driver previously with no success.

Thanks to you and Mike for your follow up and suggestions.

Cheers.

croehl

Level 1

0 points

Oct 14, 2014 12:40 AM in response to HH3

i made changes with my mac mini (10.8.5.) in order to have my HL LaserJet 3050 running again.

1) reinstall last HP printer update 3.0 without success

2) reinstall the HP printer itself without success

3) reinstall HP printer driver based on Gutenprint v5.2.3 without success

Finally I was following the steps suggested above by deleting the Startupitems. After the mac restart the printer is working again!!!

Thanks or all hints!!!

guyb09

Level 1

0 points

Oct 15, 2014 12:14 AM in response to croehl

I'm using an hp3390 with the yosemite beta and having much the same issues as those have experiences with the hp3050. But I've recently been able to print - the '/Library/Startup Items' was the clue. It contained no files at all so after resetting and reinstalling the printer etc I wondered in deleting the actual folder 'Startup Items' rather than just its possible contents would work. It did! The document printed. So for those still having problems you might like to try this step.

Oct 16, 2014 7:51 AM in response to guyb09

I'm also experiencing the same issue but with a HP 4014. I send a print job and I get the "printing - waiting for the printer to become available" message. Interestingly, it will print the test page from the HP printing utility, but nothing else (from Word or Mac mail). I have deleted the 'library/startupitems/ contents, and it worked for 2 print jobs before going back to the original message of 'waiting for the printer....' I have now tried to delete the actual startupitems folder, but I don't seem to be able to do it. Anybody else still having the same issue after deleting the startupitems contents? Is there a way to delete the actual startupitems folder?

Oct 23, 2014 4:49 PM in response to HH3

Still waiting for a solution for this! Very Frustrating.

Oct 23, 2014 6:22 PM in response to blindlemonbelly

REINSTALLING THE OLD HP DRIVERS (FROM 2008) WORKED FOR ON MY HP5200. HERE'S THAT LINK...

http://h20565.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.PAGE/public/psi/swdDetails/? spf_p.tpst=swdMain&spf_p.prp_swdMain=wsrp-navigationalState%3DswItem%253Dlj_5688 0_1&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok= com.vignette.cachetoken

YOU CAN ALSO SEARCH FOR THIS AT THE HP SUPPORT SITE:

Drivers & software for HP LaserJet 5200 Printer series

GOOD LUCK!

BLINDLEMONBELLY

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HP Laserjet 3055 printer "waiting for printer to be available" after HP Printer Software Update 3.0