There are several reasons why your HP DeskJet 2700 might not be connecting to your computer. Don’t worry, this guide will help you troubleshoot the issue and get your printer working again. Here’s what you can do:

Why won t my HP DeskJet 2700 connect to my computer?

1. Access Control Panel:

  • Click on the Windows Start button and type “control panel” in the search bar.
  • Open the Control Panel application.

2. Locate “Devices and Printers”:

  • Within Control Panel, find and click on the “Devices and Printers” option.

3. Add a New Printer (Even if Listed as Unspecified):

  • Ignore the “unspecified device” listing for now.
  • Click on the “Add a printer” option at the top of the window.

4. Choose Manual Setup:

  • In the “Add Printer” window, select “The printer that I want isn’t listed.”
  • Click on “Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings.”
  • Proceed by clicking “Next.”

5. Select the Correct Port:

  • From the “Use an existing port” dropdown menu, choose “USB001” (or the relevant USB port) if your printer is connected via USB.
  • Click “Next” to continue.

6. Update Driver List (Optional but Recommended):

  • Click on the “Windows Update” button to ensure you have the latest list of printer manufacturers and drivers.
  • This step might take a few moments.

7. Find Your Printer Manufacturer and Model:

  • Once the update is complete, locate your printer’s manufacturer from the list (e.g., HP, Epson).
  • Click on the manufacturer to view available drivers.

8. Install the Correct Driver:

  • If your exact printer model is listed, select it directly.
  • If not, choose the closest model that might work

9. Use Existing Driver (if Necessary):

  • If your model isn’t available, select “Use the driver that is currently installed” and click “Next.”

10. Customize Printer Name (Optional):

  • You can rename your printer here if needed

11. Install and Share (or Not):

  • Click “Next” to start the driver installation process.
  • Choose “Do not share this printer” unless you want to share it on your network.
  • Click “Next” to finalize the setup.

12. Verify Successful Installation:

  • Your printer should now be listed in the “Devices and Printers” window.
  • It might still show as “unspecified,” but you can ignore that for now.

13. Check Printing Functionality:

  • Open a program like Microsoft Word and try printing a test page.
  • If it prints successfully, your printer is ready to use.