Issue with HP M1212nf laser printer getting stuck in initialization cycle
Issue with HP M1212nf laser printer getting stuck in initialization cycle
My father's HP M1212NF MFP laser printer is connected through USB and functioning properly. I attempt to connect it to the network using an Ethernet cable so it can print from other devices. On a Windows 11 laptop, the printer appears but the driver remains unavailable. I visit the HP website to download the complete software and drivers, which install smoothly without errors. Despite this, printing still fails, so I power off and on again. It becomes stuck in an initialization loop. I've searched extensively, found numerous discussions on the HP support forum, and tried various troubleshooting steps—such as resetting NVRAM, waiting 60 seconds, unplugging cables, replacing a toner, and checking the formatter board. A toner low message preceded the problem, but swapping in a new OEM toner didn't resolve it. One suggestion mentioned that the formatter board might need replacement. I also looked into whether a firmware update could have affected the printer. Although some users advise against updating if the device works, I'm unsure what steps to take if the firmware caused the issue.
Was das Treiberpaket auf dem ursprünglichen Computer installiert?
If applicable, you can verify the driver settings in the Windows Device Manager for the printer. There you might find the ability to revert to a prior driver version or to remove the printer entirely. Restart the computer and allow Windows to detect the device once more to determine if the issue resolves.
It seems the firmware update for your 14-year-old printer didn’t work out. Since 2016, HP began sending updates that would prevent third-party, non-HP cartridges from working, leading many to view these updates as profit-driven rather than customer-focused. They’re likened to DRM measures that disable aftermarket chips in third-party cartridges. HP forums recommend considering a different printer.
Right now, I haven’t installed the driver package on the original machine. I believe this was done earlier when it was connected. I plan to examine the computer’s settings to look for any clues about rolling back the driver. I suspect it might be related to a firmware update issue. I’m hoping I didn’t damage the printer. If the firmware update failed, wouldn’t I receive an error during installation? This printer has never used third-party toner before—it always uses genuine HP toner. I really want to confirm I didn’t cause any issues. Some sources suggest the formatter board could be faulty, but I doubt that since the printer still recognizes it when connected via USB during the loop process. If the formatter board was defective, I wouldn’t expect this behavior.
One heck of a printer but to bad the firmware update was not a good idea. It's a tank of a printer and I keep mine off the internet as like you have now experienced bad things happen.
If the printer itself is now looping I'm not really sure how to reverse the firmware or move forward to patch it at this point.
There is a cheat sheet that the printer prints on first boot after the driver has been installed and I get it, it won't print now but maybe you can google to find that sheet as it has different key combo's to try if you get stuck here and there with the printer.
The only way for me to post that sheet from my same printer is to remove the driver and reinstall and that's a pain being as there are so many same drivers through the years as windows has moved forward.
Better it's found off google or at HP.