Windows 10: Windows 10 Driver for HP LaserJet 4

for those who have a HP (Hewlett Packard) Laserjet 4 or Laserjet 5M I finally found how to connect up the computer to these great printers when OS is Windows 10. Follow step-by-step. This really works!! I love my old printer:

Win 7 with Win 10, and as others have reported the drivers for my older printer did not load.
Although it is a HP Laserjet 4 plus, that appars to be not so important, other than the fact that the original cable has been replaced with one with a USB connector for my more modern laptop.

After struggling and Googling for far too much time, here is what worked very well.

--press teh Windows icon in the lower left corner
--select "settings"
--select "devices"
--select "add printers & scanners"
--select "add a printer"
-- it probably will scan and deliver a message like "printer ----- isn't listed"
--click on that message
--scroll down to "add a local printer"
--accept "use existing port" then scroll down and select USB001(virtual port for USB)
--it is possible that if you are using the original cable that the default LPT1 is the correct choice.
--that will lead to the same list of printer drivers that you would have had with Win 7 (my understanding, or misunderstanding, is that when Win 10 loaded it retained the Win 7 printer drivers, but did not make them particularly accessible.
--select your printer
--print a test page
--all done
--you may need to make that your default printer

 

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?

 

There's a line missing in that guide.



The printer I want is not listed

Clicking on it will bring you to port selection


than



Than it should download all possible drivers from which you can choose. I already di that so can't show you further procedure but here it is on mine.

 

I did all that. After clicking Windows update (which took a while) I got a whole load of extra printers, but Laserjet 4 Plus was not one of them.

 

That's odd, even my W7 found it that way. I happen to have that bottom one, it works although with reduced options. That's a tank of printers and would be pity not to use it. I also had one in the factory long time ago (1990's) and were printing labels with it, used to spend 2 or more cartridges a week and it survived them all for several years.

 

Is it maybe because I started with a clean install? As far as I know, there are no win10 drivers for this printer, so did you pick up yours from a previous install? In which case I must be able to get it some other way?

 

I used to run W10 upgraded from W7 for long time but last couple of months I had 2 clean installs of insider builds and every time I did same thing to get the driver. At the beginning, insider builds used to kill printer drivers but this method brought them back although they stayed in the list. Last few builds don't touch printer drivers.

 

This is with a clean install done done a couple of weeks ago. I dont know what the build is as I am not at the machine right now. Are you saying I should get the same list as you do?

 

Yes, you should get same list as I get it all the time. I also have an 6L and 1200 that also get drivers and work. Do you have it plugged in and on when trying for drivers ? I always do that but no idea if that's necessary.