Windows 10: New laserjet: HP Smart rigmarole

Last week, we bought a new HP LaserJet printer (model M118dw) and connected it to our home network. It works fine from Linux, iOS and MacOS, without requiring a printer-specific driver. I understand that the OS printing subsystem can get all the information it needs directly from the printer.

Not so on Windows (2020H2 19042.685). It detects the printer, but apparently fails to install a driver. Manually installing via its IP address works, but only if I respond along the way to a popup from a piece of software calling itself HP Smart, which tried to foist on me an HP account and all manner of unwanted cloud functionality.

Thankfully, it was no problem to uninstall HP Smart afterwards, without losing the ability to print.

Why didn't Windows install a simple built-in PCL6 driver and forced me instead through this rigmarole?

:)

 

HP LaserJet M1522nf Laser AIO Printer for $60 after MIR.

HP Laserjet M1522nf toner

Stinkyink now offer toner cartridges for the HP Laserjet M1522nf toner. Oh and it's free delivery too!

 

Install HP LaserJet 4M Plus

Printer is connected to router with EtherNet cable, was able to print test page which gives IP Address of: 10.0.0.81, and did find drivers but attempting to install with any of the LaserJet 4 drivers listed below, gives the error message, "Printer Driver was not installed".

This printer has both Postscript and PCL personalities.

Thumbnail sketch of what I did:

Settings>Devices>Printers & Scanners>Add Printer and Scanner>[Clicked on the text, "the printer I want isn't listed"]>chose "Add a local printer" using existing port 10.0.0.81>did Windows Update and each of the following LaserJet drivers for this model of printer failed to install:

HP LaserJet 4 Plus
HP LaserJet 4/4M Plus PS 300
HP LaserJet 4/4M Plus PS 600
HP LaserJet 4/4M PS
HP LaserJet 4/4M PS (300 dpi)


the USB port mentioned in the 400 day old post on this topic was not a choice.

rig is an i9 7900X running at 4.5GHz w/32 GB Ram with an Asus X299 MOBA.

 

Windows 10 Driver for HP LaserJet 4


I tried this after doing a clean install of Windows 10. The list of printers that comes up does not include the Laserjet 4 plus which is the printer I am trying to connect via usb. How do I get that to come up?