If you’re trying to set up your printer using a USB cable, wait until you’re prompted before plugging it in. Don’t connect the cable right away. Instead, follow the steps below to manually assign the stub driver, which can solve common printer recognition issues.
First, open the Device Manager on your computer. To do this, type “Device Manager” into the Windows search bar and select it from the list. Once open, look for “Universal Serial Bus controllers” and expand that section. Find “USB Printer Support” or any device that isn’t recognized properly. Right-click on it and choose “Update driver.”
Next, select “Browse my computer for drivers.” Then click on “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.” When the list appears, click “Have Disk…” and then “Browse.” Navigate to the following folder: C:\Program Files\HP\HP Scan\DriverStore\HPScanUnusedStubDriver. Find and select the file called “UnusedScanStub.inf,” then click “Open” and “OK.”
From the list of drivers, pick the model that matches your printer, such as “M234dw,” and click “Next.” After the driver installs, close the window and restart your computer. This should help your printer be recognized correctly.
If your printer isn’t listed or the stub isn’t found, you can download the universal printer driver installer directly from the HP website. Make sure to choose the correct version for your PC’s CPU — either ARM or x64. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
When it’s time to uninstall old drivers, it’s better to use the “printui” command rather than using the standard Windows uninstall feature. Open the Command Prompt and run the command to remove all references to your previous HP printer. After cleaning up the old drivers, install the new driver you downloaded earlier.
Once installed, search for your printer again. It should now appear properly on your device list. If you run into any issues or need further help, don’t hesitate to ask for support or visit the HP support site for additional assistance.