Why HP Smart instead of a driver installer?
On newer HP printers, setup has shifted into the HP Smart app. The app detects your printer, downloads the correct driver, and completes wireless setup — all in one flow. It is genuinely simpler than the old installer approach, though it does confuse people who go looking for a traditional .exe download.
If you specifically need a standalone driver — for an offline machine or a print server, for example — HP still publishes one on its driver page. Both options are listed below.
The three mistakes that break DeskJet 2700 setup
- Trying to connect on 5 GHz Wi-Fi. This printer only supports the 2.4 GHz band.
- Leaving the printer too far from the router during setup, which causes the handshake to fail partway.
- Leaving old HP software installed, which conflicts with the new install.