Did Windows 11 create the need to retire my 24-year-old HP Laserjet 6P Printer?


LarryS_nowinNYC

New member
Local time
11:01 AM
Posts
3
OS
Windows 11
It's 24 years old and solid as a rock. Worked under Windows 10, but sometimes got wonky with the parallel to USB, and I would need to change the USB port it was plugged into. I keep it clean, and it has served me well. But there are no drivers I can find - HP Site or elsewhere - even for Windows 10 or 7. Window 11 sees and recognizes the printer, but when I print, nothing, nada. I even went through REGEDIT and removed all references to "LaserJet 6P".

Any suggestions welcome!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    i5-9600
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Z390M Gaming
    Memory
    32GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Pavilion 27xw (2)
    Screen Resolution
    1920*1080
    Hard Drives
    500GB Samsung SSD
    3TB WD Black
    PSU
    Corsair RM750
    Case
    Corsair 280x White
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i
  • Operating System
    win7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    pentium g5400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    1x8gb 2400
    PSU
    xfx pro 450
You can't get it using the "add printer" method?

The only other thing I can think of is getting drivers from the Microsoft Update catalog. Microsoft Update Catalog Don't get the IA64 ones, unless you're running an old Intel Itanium based system.:)

The download will be a CAB file, which will require a little extra work to install. Install CAB file in Windows 10

I have no personal experience with this. My own printers are from Brother. I like them because of their long driver support.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Amd Threadripper 7970X
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte TRX50 Aero D
    Memory
    128GB (4 X 32) Kingston DDR5 5200 (RDIMM)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 4090 OC
    Sound Card
    none (USB to speakers), Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 27E1N8900 OLED
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @ 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Crucial T700 2TB M.2 NVME SSD
    WD 4TB Blue SATA SSD
    Seagate 18TB IronWolf Pro
    PSU
    eVGA SuperNOVA 1600 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo XL
    Cooling
    Alphacool Eisbaer Pro Aurora 360, with 3 Phanteks T30 fans
    Keyboard
    Logitech K120 (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Internet Speed
    1200 Mbps
  • Operating System
    windows 11 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Intel I9-13900K
    Motherboard
    Asus RoG Strix Z690-E
    Memory
    64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000
    Graphics card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
    Sound Card
    built in Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus PA329C
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WDC SN850 1TB
    8 TB Seagate Ironwolf
    4TB Seagate Ironwolf
    PSU
    eVGA SuperNOVA 1300 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo
    Cooling
    Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX Liquid CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Keyboard
    Logitech K120 (wired)
You can search it in Microsoft Update Catalog: LaserJet 6P.
Open the links in the driver list and look for AMD64 driver, which means x64 OS (Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and later). There is a chance that such driver, (I'd prefer non-Postscript for start) will be compatible with Windows 11.

Download CAB file, you may need to manually allow downloading, and try to install. I suggest to unpack the *.cab to a separate folder and select it in the Add Printer dialog. If Windows will refuse to install this driver, you still can try the generic PCL6 class driver from the list of drivers in included Windows 11. But whether the generic driver will work, I can't say, never tried yet.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro; Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-12700K (Alder Lake)
    Motherboard
    Asus PRIME Z690-M Plus D4
    Memory
    16 GB (2x8 Corsair DDR4-2132)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus GeForce 1050 Ti, 4 GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 235PQ
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Windows 11: Samsung SSD 870 EVO, 500 GB (SATA), MBR
    Windows 8.1: Samsung SSD 980 PRO, 500 GB (M.2), MBR
    PSU
    Platimax D.F. 1050 W (80 Plus Platinum)
    Internet Speed
    Local link 1 Gbps, provider's line 500 Mbps
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Other Info
    Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller (for Windows 8.1 compatibility)
    Microsoft Office H&S 2013 x64
You can search it in Microsoft Update Catalog: LaserJet 6P.
Open the links in the driver list and look for AMD64 driver, which means x64 OS (Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and later). There is a chance that such driver, (I'd prefer non-Postscript for start) will be compatible with Windows 11.

Download CAB file, you may need to manually allow downloading, and try to install. I suggest to unpack the *.cab to a separate folder and select it in the Add Printer dialog. If Windows will refuse to install this driver, you still can try the generic PCL6 class driver from the list of drivers in included Windows 11. But whether the generic driver will work, I can't say, never tried yet.
I'm a little hurt. Seems like no one reads my posts.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Amd Threadripper 7970X
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte TRX50 Aero D
    Memory
    128GB (4 X 32) Kingston DDR5 5200 (RDIMM)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 4090 OC
    Sound Card
    none (USB to speakers), Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 27E1N8900 OLED
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @ 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Crucial T700 2TB M.2 NVME SSD
    WD 4TB Blue SATA SSD
    Seagate 18TB IronWolf Pro
    PSU
    eVGA SuperNOVA 1600 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo XL
    Cooling
    Alphacool Eisbaer Pro Aurora 360, with 3 Phanteks T30 fans
    Keyboard
    Logitech K120 (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Internet Speed
    1200 Mbps
  • Operating System
    windows 11 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Intel I9-13900K
    Motherboard
    Asus RoG Strix Z690-E
    Memory
    64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000
    Graphics card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
    Sound Card
    built in Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus PA329C
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WDC SN850 1TB
    8 TB Seagate Ironwolf
    4TB Seagate Ironwolf
    PSU
    eVGA SuperNOVA 1300 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo
    Cooling
    Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX Liquid CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Keyboard
    Logitech K120 (wired)
I'm a little hurt. Seems like no one reads my posts.
You can see, I added some details about installation from MS Catalog and also mentioned a generic driver (the more options, the better).
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro; Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-12700K (Alder Lake)
    Motherboard
    Asus PRIME Z690-M Plus D4
    Memory
    16 GB (2x8 Corsair DDR4-2132)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus GeForce 1050 Ti, 4 GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 235PQ
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Windows 11: Samsung SSD 870 EVO, 500 GB (SATA), MBR
    Windows 8.1: Samsung SSD 980 PRO, 500 GB (M.2), MBR
    PSU
    Platimax D.F. 1050 W (80 Plus Platinum)
    Internet Speed
    Local link 1 Gbps, provider's line 500 Mbps
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Other Info
    Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller (for Windows 8.1 compatibility)
    Microsoft Office H&S 2013 x64
You can see, I added some details about installation from MS Catalog and also mentioned a generic driver (the more options, the better).
I noticed. But it also repeated the ideas in my post.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Amd Threadripper 7970X
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte TRX50 Aero D
    Memory
    128GB (4 X 32) Kingston DDR5 5200 (RDIMM)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 4090 OC
    Sound Card
    none (USB to speakers), Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 27E1N8900 OLED
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @ 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Crucial T700 2TB M.2 NVME SSD
    WD 4TB Blue SATA SSD
    Seagate 18TB IronWolf Pro
    PSU
    eVGA SuperNOVA 1600 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo XL
    Cooling
    Alphacool Eisbaer Pro Aurora 360, with 3 Phanteks T30 fans
    Keyboard
    Logitech K120 (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Internet Speed
    1200 Mbps
  • Operating System
    windows 11 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Intel I9-13900K
    Motherboard
    Asus RoG Strix Z690-E
    Memory
    64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000
    Graphics card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
    Sound Card
    built in Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus PA329C
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WDC SN850 1TB
    8 TB Seagate Ironwolf
    4TB Seagate Ironwolf
    PSU
    eVGA SuperNOVA 1300 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo
    Cooling
    Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX Liquid CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Keyboard
    Logitech K120 (wired)
Well, here's a suggestion. Do you have an older computer laying around doing nothing? If so, put windows 7 on it and install the printer and then share the printer OR put linux on it and do the same thing. That is what I did for an older hp laserjet 4+. Ran it that way till the printer gave out. Works great.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE B550 AORUS ELITE AX V2
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidea??
    Sound Card
    MB Sound only
    Hard Drives
    m2.nvme
    PSU
    Seasonic Focus
    Case
    Cougar
    Cooling
    Enermax Liquid CPU
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    2.5 GB
    Browser
    BRAVE
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
@LarryS_nowinNYC I acquired an HP Laserjet 4 Plus when I was working on mainframes from one of the customers----legitimately I may add. They used to replace their printers with new ones every so often and the old ones were then disposed of. I must have got it around 2002 as I took early retirement 2004. I bought an interface card on eBay to hard wire it to my router. Also some extra memory as they had been removed. No problems installing it at that time nor for my subsequent builds and I used the drivers from the Catalogue.
I built a new PC around 2018, I think it was and when I came to install the printer--Windows complained that it needed 64 bit drivers or words to that effect. Couldn't understand it as I was doing nothing different from previous times. Anyway a search on the web revealed others who had experienced the same thing. One guy reckoned it was Microsoft's way of eliminating hardware they considered no longer appropriate!! Fortunately he gave the name of the file and I then got it from another PC.
So now when I build a new PC I just go through the motions to install a printer and then tell it that I Have the Disk and point it at the file. Only problem I now get is that Windows Update keeps wanting to install the driver---it's not classed as an optional one. I tried hiding it using wushowhide --it says it's been successful but I still get them. Now I just ignore them and they eventually dry up. It's using the one that dated as the one in the Catalogue---mine's 2009!!!!!!!
You could try it. I would think your printer will be there---the file is 66MB!! It's now finished uploading to my BT Cloud. Here's the link, let me know when you've downloaded it cos I'll then delete it.

Drivers.png

Windows Update.png
BT Cloud.png

That's not the complete list of files loading---just to show you there's others than just my 4Plus.

Edit:- Just to prove it works------
IMG_2379.JPG
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home built.
    CPU
    3.6 GHz. AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-core
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME X570-PRO (BIOS 4021 17/8/2021)
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVidia GeForce GT710
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung S24F350
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 PRO 250GB
    Samsung 970 EVO Plus 250GB
    Seagate ST500DM002-1BD142 500GB
    2 x ST1000DM010-2EP102 disks---hot swappable and only one fitted at a time. Swapped weekly on a Thursday for backups using Macrium Reflect 8.
    PSU
    Corsair TX650W
    Case
    Novatech
    Cooling
    Wraith
    Keyboard
    Novatech Combo
    Mouse
    Novatech Combo
    Internet Speed
    Currently 146.50 Mbps Down 29.25 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Windows Chromium Edge ; Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender: Malwarebytes Premium.
    Other Info
    Synology DS218J NAS.
    Two Networked printers----an HP Laserjet 4 Plus and a CanonPixie MG5750.
    All Disks are running Bitlocker.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home built
    CPU
    3.6 GHz AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-core
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME X570-P (BIOS 4403 19/07/2022)
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics card(s)
    NVidia GT710
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viewsonic VX2260WM
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 PRO 250GB, Kingston SA400S37120G 120GB, Kingston SA400S37240G 240GB,Seagate ST500DM009. External USB 3.1 Docking Station with Seagate ST1000DM0 for Macrium Reflect backups. All Disks running Bitlocker.
    PSU
    Corsair TX550M
    Case
    Corsair 110Q
    Cooling
    Wraith
    Mouse
    Logitech MK270 Combo
    Keyboard
    As above.
    Internet Speed
    Same as System 1.
    Browser
    Windows Chromium Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender; Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Same as System #1 except this one is using a T4U Wi-Fi Adapter to connect to Router.
    Also have an ASUS Vivobook M513UA Laptop running Windows 11 Pro.
Hi there

@LarryS_nowinNYC

Three possible "get arounds"

1) set it up as a "stand alone Network device" if there's wifi / lan possibilities.

2) run it in a VM on a compatible OS where the printer worked and set it up as a shared printer. You had W10 so just set up a basic W10 VM system -- you don't need to install any extra software after the basic Windows stuff and then you are in business again !!

3)Some laserjets will also work on W11 BTW using the drivers from a W10 system (where the printer worked) l -- try in device manager going down the devices- and against the printer choose "Update driver" >browse this PC-> point to directory windows\system32\Driverstore and click the include subdirectories box. You can mount a Macrium image of a W10 system to point to the directory if you have one - no need to install W10 again.

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP,7,10,11 Linux Arch Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    2 X Intel i7
This is hilarious. The HP LaserJet 6P driver for win10x64 was already linked in post #2.

I have just added an arrow and some bolding to aid comprehension.
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i
  • Operating System
    win7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    pentium g5400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    1x8gb 2400
    PSU
    xfx pro 450
Just to add info, there is a thread on Tenforums that was solved.

 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro & 🐥.
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700U with Radeon Vega Mobile Gfx
    Motherboard
    ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. X509DA (FP5)
    Memory
    12GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    RX Vega 10 Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (1920x1080@60Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080@60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 2TB NVMe 1.3
    Internet Speed
    25 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ACER NITRO
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5800H / 3.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    CZ Scala_CAS (FP6)
    Memory
    32 GB DDR4 SDRAM 3200 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio. NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" LED backlight 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 144 Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB NVMe M.2
    PSU
    180 Watt, 19.5 V
    Mouse
    Lenovo Bluetooth
    Internet Speed
    25 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
There is a command prompt code to backup all your drivers. So while in Windows 10 that the printer works, backup the drivers and copy the folder referring to the printer to a USB Flash drive. In Windows 11 add manually the printer and browse to that folder for drivers. I don't remember the code, but you can Google it.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 64-bit (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    VDSL 50 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v23H2 (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Patriot Burst Elite 480GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Stock Intel CPU Fan, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4
That command you're looking for is "printbrmui" just run it from a cmd window or from the run command. It works great.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE B550 AORUS ELITE AX V2
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidea??
    Sound Card
    MB Sound only
    Hard Drives
    m2.nvme
    PSU
    Seasonic Focus
    Case
    Cougar
    Cooling
    Enermax Liquid CPU
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    2.5 GB
    Browser
    BRAVE
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
This is hilarious. The HP LaserJet 6P driver for win10x64 was already linked in post #2.

I have just added an arrow and some bolding to aid comprehension.
Maybe the OP is reluctant to use a hacked package. (I assume that's what it is.)

Yes, I have used such things when needed. Nothing like that the moment, as I'm not using any hardware that has been abandoned by the manufacturer. (IMHO, HP does that much too often.)
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Amd Threadripper 7970X
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte TRX50 Aero D
    Memory
    128GB (4 X 32) Kingston DDR5 5200 (RDIMM)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 4090 OC
    Sound Card
    none (USB to speakers), Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 27E1N8900 OLED
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @ 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Crucial T700 2TB M.2 NVME SSD
    WD 4TB Blue SATA SSD
    Seagate 18TB IronWolf Pro
    PSU
    eVGA SuperNOVA 1600 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo XL
    Cooling
    Alphacool Eisbaer Pro Aurora 360, with 3 Phanteks T30 fans
    Keyboard
    Logitech K120 (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Internet Speed
    1200 Mbps
  • Operating System
    windows 11 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Intel I9-13900K
    Motherboard
    Asus RoG Strix Z690-E
    Memory
    64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000
    Graphics card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
    Sound Card
    built in Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus PA329C
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WDC SN850 1TB
    8 TB Seagate Ironwolf
    4TB Seagate Ironwolf
    PSU
    eVGA SuperNOVA 1300 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo
    Cooling
    Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX Liquid CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Keyboard
    Logitech K120 (wired)

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    windows 10 & 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    iBuyPower (special build)
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7X
    Motherboard
    Asus Prime x370 Pro
    Memory
    64Gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon RX 480 8Gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung UHD 27 inch
    Screen Resolution
    UHD
    Hard Drives
    3 Samsung 1 TB SSD each; 1 Samsung PCIe M.2 at 2 TB
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    IBuyPower
    CPU
    AMD 9 5900X
    Motherboard
    Asus x570 ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero WI-FI 6E ARGB
    Memory
    32 Gb
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 12 GB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    3D PREMIUM surround sound onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 32 inch UHD curved monitor
    Screen Resolution
    UHD
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 pro 2 tb gen 4 NVMe ssd
    PSU
    850 watt consair RM850X
    Case
    Lian Li LANCOOL ONE tempered glass RGB gaming case
    Cooling
    DEEPCOOL GAMERSTORM RGB 240 mm CASTLE 240EX liquid cooler
    Mouse
    Ares m.2 gaming optical mouse
    Keyboard
    Ares m.2 gaming keyboard
    Internet Speed
    450
    Browser
    Firefox / Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows defender
    Other Info
    With all this gaming rig I am not a gamer!

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 64-bit (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    VDSL 50 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v23H2 (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Patriot Burst Elite 480GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Stock Intel CPU Fan, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4

I just wrote these notes for myself after installing my old 6L on a new W11 machine.​

PROCEDURE FOR INSTALLING A HP LASERJET 5L or 6L PRINTER ON WINDOWS 11 USING A USB CABLE​

Between them, Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard have made installing a LaserJet 6L printer on Windows 11, a bit of a treasure hunt. Windows 11 installs it using a Postscript class driver, which the 6L does not support. Using that, try to print anything from the PC, even a test page, and you get gobbledegook and waste a lot of paper. And getting the failed print document out of the print queue and the printer's memory is a further waste of time. (cancel print job and power down printer)

1) In Printers and Scanners, remove the printer as installed by Windows.

2) Go to printers and scanners, ADD DEVICE

3) “ADD MANUALLY"

4) “ADD LOCAL PRINTER WITH MANUAL SETTINGS"

5) “USE AN EXISTING PORT” select usb port

6) Select HP universal printing PCL5

7) HAVE DISK

8) Copy file "upd-pcl5-x64-6.1.0.20062.exe” If a fresh copy is needed, it can be downloaded from http://drivers.softpedia.com/get/PRINTER/HP/HP-Universal-Print-Driver-PCL5-61020062-64-bit.shtml. (site seems safe)

9) Install, then name the printer not to confuse it with the soon to be reinstalled, non-working auto-install windows edition.

10) Set the printer, which will be called “HP Laserjet 6L" as your default printer.

11) Windows will install the printer again using the useless Postscript driver, calling it Hewlett Packard LaserJet 6L Printer. I left it there so Windows did not reinstall it on every reboot but otherwise ignored it. Just remember never to use it when you print anything or you will get a lot of junk and waste a lot of paper. Don’t use “Hewlett-Packard HP Laserjet 6L"

12) Computer may need to be rebooted. It should also work fine in the virtual XP machine.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 11
What if you let Windows 11 install the printer with the PS driver and then go to Printer Properties, Advanced tab and manually replace the non-working driver with the PCL driver? This should also work without Windows trying to reinstall the printer every time.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 64-bit (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    VDSL 50 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v23H2 (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Patriot Burst Elite 480GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Stock Intel CPU Fan, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4
In terms of technology, Windows 11 introduced stricter hardware requirements, including for peripherals like printers. This means that even if your printer worked well with Windows 10, it might not be compatible with Windows 11.

The main reason your printer is not functioning properly on Windows 11 could be the lack of up-to-date drivers. Printers, like other hardware devices, require specific drivers to function correctly. If HP has not released a driver for your HP LaserJet 6P printer that is compatible with Windows 11, your printer might not function as expected.

Additionally, the HP LaserJet 6P is quite an old printer model. Most hardware manufacturers, including HP, stop providing driver support for older models after a certain period. As you've already found out, there aren't any recent drivers available for this model, not even for Windows 10 or 7.

In your case, your best bet might be to try to use the existing older drivers in compatibility mode. This involves installing the drivers but running them in a mode that emulates an older version of Windows, such as Windows 7. Here's how you can try this:

  1. Download the latest available driver for your printer (even if it's for an older version of Windows).
  2. Right-click on the driver setup file and click on 'Properties'.
  3. Click on the 'Compatibility' tab.
  4. Check the box which says 'Run this program in compatibility mode for', and select the operating system for which the driver is designed from the drop-down menu.
  5. Click on 'Apply' and then 'OK'.
  6. Run the driver setup file.
Please note that this method doesn't guarantee that your printer will work on Windows 11, but it's worth a try.

If this does not work, it might be time to consider upgrading to a newer printer model that's guaranteed to be compatible with Windows 11. I understand that your LaserJet 6P has served you well for 24 years, but with technology advancements and changes in operating system requirements, sometimes older hardware devices eventually become obsolete.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro

Latest Support Threads

Back
Top Bottom