Error when setting up printer

Question

Error when setting up printer

I'm on a mac mini running Sierra and have been using my old HP laserjet 4300n fine up until now. We recently moved house and when I plugged everything back in, it's stopped working. It's all connected the same as it was and the printer adder thingy is finding my printer ok (through a jet connect card - bonjour) but when I go to add it and it gets to the setting up 'hp laserjet 4300' I get an error

An error occurred while trying to add the selected device.

server-error-internal-error

I've reset the printing system a couple of times, removed the printer drivers and they've redownloaded from apple ok but still it's erroring. It won't even add a basic Acrobat driver that doesn't require an external connection to anything. No software has been changed other than when I reset the printing system and it downloaded again. I've currently got no printers available at all as it errors every time, no matter what I try to add.

Help!!

Mac mini, macOS Sierra (10.12.6)

Posted on Mar 7, 2018 2:11 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Eric Root

Level 10

685,257 points

Mar 8, 2018 8:55 AM in response to louisedaartist

If the above doesn't work, try setting up another admin user account to see if the same problem continues. Also try the Safe Mode.

Safe Mode - About El Capitan
also Sierra

Safe Mode Startup – El Capitan. also Sierra

If it works in the Safe Mode, try running this program when booted normally and then copy and paste the output in a reply. The program was created by Etresoft, a frequent contributor. Please use copy and paste as screen shots can be hard to read. Click “Share Report” button in the toolbar, select “Copy to Clipboard” and then paste into a reply. This will show what is running on your computer. No personal information is shown.

Etrecheck – System Information

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Answer 2

Mar 12, 2018 8:58 PM in response to Cunnla

it's a different server error. When I first installed my printers previously I was running Sierra, I updated to High Sierra but it caused issues with my indesign so I reverted back to Sierra. When I went to do a reinstall of the software (command R) it was reading that i was using High Sierra so I'm thinking something has gone haywire when I reverted. I've going to reinstall a fresh copy of the Sierra but that's not worked so I'm thinking I may need to do an erase and install of it to clear out whatever is going on.

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Answer 3

Eric Root

Level 10

685,257 points

Mar 8, 2018 7:48 PM in response to louisedaartist

Did you try it in another admin user account?

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Answer 4

Eric Root

Level 10

685,257 points

Mar 7, 2018 8:19 PM in response to louisedaartist

Try restarting/resetting the router.

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Answer 5

Mar 8, 2018 9:34 AM in response to louisedaartist

Call HP customer service 800 number and ask for technical help you are having with your HP laserjet 4300n and explain your problem to the technical person because HP made the laserjet 4300n. For myself I have a Epson printer for 25 years and if I need help then I call customer service and ask for technical help and the technical help will give you instructions on how to solve your problem which you are having. Last year 2017 I had a problem with my Epson printer and I call Epson 800 telephone number and the tech gave me step to step instructions on how to fix my problem I'm having and it's working now.

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Answer 6

Eric Root

Level 10

685,257 points

Mar 7, 2018 7:53 PM in response to louisedaartist

Have you tried restarting the printer and the computer?

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Answer 7

Eric Root

Level 10

685,257 points

Mar 8, 2018 8:18 PM in response to louisedaartist

If you have another cable, that should be an easy test if you swap.

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Answer 8

Mar 11, 2018 2:37 PM in response to louisedaartist

so replaced the ethernet cable and I'm still getting the internal server error. I've also tried adding my usb connected epson printer and while it installed the software/driver ok, when it went to create the actual printer it gave me the same internal server error. When I went back into the printer system preferences it had actually added the epson (installed from cd) but if I try to print to it it errors. There's obviously something going on with my actual system software...

If I do a command-R and reinstall the system software without erasing will it retain all my mail preferences/settings and stickies etc? will I lose anything?

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