el Capitan and HP 932C Printer

Question

el Capitan and HP 932C Printer

My HP Deskjet 932C colour printer worked properly with the Mac OS 10.10 (Yosemite) and my Mac. After upgrading to OS 10.11.2 (el Capitan), I no longer can print in colour, only in black & white. Previously, when I printed under Yosemite, the print window provided the options of printing in Colour, B&W, and in grayscale. This option appears to be no longer available under el Capitan.

I tried downloading a new driver from the HP website, and only a driver for the HP Deskjet 930C (not 932C) Yosemite version is available. I followed the HP website directions for installing a new driver (which in my case is the old one) by deleting the listed printer from Mac>System Preferences>Printers & Scanners, and adding a new printer and driver from the drop down menu. I still am only able to print in B&W.

I have contacted the HP Support website, and there doesn't appear to be any solution from them. Can the Apple wizards help me?

My 932C printer worked perfectly well prior to the Mac OS upgrade. It doesn't make sense to me that I have to replace perfectly good operating hardware, as a result of an operating system upgrade(??). How do I get my printer to once again print in colour, (plus the b&w and grayscale) options with the Mac el Capitan OS?

Thank you.

A Frustrated Senior Citizen

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.2), Photos 1.2(340.4.0)

Posted on Jan 7, 2016 12:39 PM

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Answer 1

greg sahli

Level 7

25,508 points

Jan 7, 2016 2:01 PM in response to Westcoast Peter

That printer isn't listed as supported.

Printer and scanner software available for download for your Mac - Apple Support

I think you should try Gutenprint - open-source drivers:

http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/p_Supported_Printers.php

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Answer 2

Jan 7, 2016 2:17 PM in response to greg sahli

Thanks for the prompt response, Greg.

I checked the referenced Gutenprint website you provided, and yes the list shows my HP Deskjet 932C, but there are no linkages to anything. Now what? I am not a programming wizard, merely a humble senior citizen, who needs directions. I tried clicking on the tabs of the Gutenberg website, and aside from the Tab with the printer list, all other Tabs won't open: "Safari Can't Open Page". So, what do I do?

Again, is there a way I can get my HP Deskjet 932C to print in colour, B&W or grayscale, as it did under the Yosemite OS? Why does a new Mac OS make perfectly good hardware inoperable?

A Still Frustrated Senior Citizen

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Answer 3

greg sahli

Level 7

25,508 points

Jan 15, 2016 5:35 AM in response to Westcoast Peter

Sorry for not responding sooner.

I don't have an HP printer, so I can't help much.

I see the sourceforge web page for Gutenprint is still down. Sorry.

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Answer 4

SCB A2

Level 1

8 points

Apr 21, 2016 11:37 AM in response to Westcoast Peter

Dear West Coast Peter:

I have the same problem. I went to the current (April 21, 2016) Gutenprint website for OS 10.11:

http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/MacOSX.php

I installed the latest version: Gutenprint-5.2.11.dmg and I can now print in color. However, I cannot reset the printer settings from my computer operating OS 10.11, but I can change them using an older laptop running OS 10.6.8, when I connect that one to the printer. It remains stuck with those settings when I re-connect my new laptop, until I re-connect and change the printer's settings on the older OS.

Hopefully, Apple can spend some of its $BB cash to provide a driver that works with all the 932C printer's capabilities.

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Answer 5

Old Toad

Level 10

207,463 points

Apr 21, 2016 11:44 AM in response to SCB A2

Hopefully, Apple can spend some of its $BB cash to provide a driver that works with all the 932C printer's capabilities.

Apple doesn't create the drivers, Canon does. It only incorporates them into the printer driver updates when received from the developers. So unless Canon decides to update the driver for its older models we're out of luck.

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Answer 6

PAHU

Level 6

16,705 points

Apr 21, 2016 2:20 PM in response to Old Toad

Old Toad wrote:

Hopefully, Apple can spend some of its $BB cash to provide a driver that works with all the 932C printer's capabilities.

Apple doesn't create the drivers, Canon does. It only incorporates them into the printer driver updates when received from the developers. So unless Canon decides to update the driver for its older models we're out of luck.

To clarify, the 932C is made by HP, not Canon, so in this case it would have been up to HP to produce a supporting driver for 10.11. But as Greg has mentioned above, the 932C is no longer supported by HP so you have to look at using an alternate driver package such as Gutenprint.

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Answer 7

Old Toad

Level 10

207,463 points

Apr 21, 2016 2:28 PM in response to PAHU

Opps! I was looking at my Canon when I started writing my reply. 😟 The rest is still valid in that Apple is not responsible for printer drivers. Those come from the manufacturer.

Thanks for the catch.

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Answer 8

Apr 21, 2016 4:19 PM in response to Old Toad

Thanks SCB A2 and Old Toad,

It's frustrating when HP will not support the hardware it sells. I had a perfectly good HP printer before the Mac OS upgrade, and now I have to consider buying a new printer because HP does not support and modify the printer driver. I will certainly consider these actions from HP when I am forced to buy my new printer, and it doesn't bode well for HP.

A Frustrated Senior Citizen

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