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Troubleshooting Guide

HP Smart Tank 580 "Driver Not Found" — How to Fix It

"Driver not found" or "printer not detected" means Windows can see that something is there, but cannot find the software needed to run it. In practice this comes down to three causes: an incomplete install, a conflict with an older HP driver, or a connection problem. The fixes below are ordered from easiest to most involved — start at the top and stop as soon as printing works.

3 files · Free · Official HP source

Why this error appears

Windows links every printer to a driver package. If that package installed only partially, or a Windows update replaced it, or fragments of an older HP driver are still on the system, Windows ends up holding a reference to a printer with no working software behind it. The visible symptom is "driver not found", or the printer sitting under "Unspecified Device" in Device Manager.

Do not buy a driver updater

Search this error and most of the top results will try to sell you "driver updater" software. You do not need it. HP's driver is free, and HP Print and Scan Doctor — also free — resolves the majority of these cases automatically. Paid tools generally perform the same steps listed below, and some bundle software you did not ask for.

If the printer shows as "Unspecified Device"

This means Windows detected the hardware but never matched it to a driver. Open Device Manager, find the unspecified entry, right-click it and choose Update driver, then point Windows at HP's full-feature package after installing it. In most cases a clean reinstall as administrator resolves it outright.

Free repair tools

Every file below is served from HP's official servers. We host nothing ourselves.

HP Print and Scan Doctor Recommended
Windows 11, 10 1 MB vLatest
Download
Full Feature Driver (reinstall)
Windows 11, 10 19 MB vLatest
Download
HP Easy Start
Windows 11, 10 11 MB vLatest
Download

Six fixes, in order

  1. 1

    Restart both devices

    Power off the printer and the PC, wait 30 seconds, switch both back on. This alone clears a surprising number of cases.

  2. 2

    Uninstall old HP software

    Settings › Apps › Installed apps → remove every HP printer entry, then restart.

  3. 3

    Remove the printer entry

    Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners → select the printer and click Remove.

  4. 4

    Restart the Print Spooler

    Press Win + R, type services.msc, right-click "Print Spooler" and choose Restart.

  5. 5

    Run Print and Scan Doctor

    HP's free tool diagnoses and repairs most driver problems automatically.

  6. 6

    Reinstall the full driver

    Install the full-feature package as administrator, then print a test page.

Frequently asked questions

Windows says the driver was not found. What should I try first?

Restart both the printer and the PC, then check the cable or Wi-Fi connection. If the error persists, uninstall any old HP software and reinstall the full-feature driver as administrator.

Why does my printer appear as "Unspecified Device"?

Windows detected the hardware but could not match it to a driver. Installing HP's full-feature driver, then updating the device in Device Manager, normally resolves it.

Do I need to buy driver updater software?

No. HP's driver and HP Print and Scan Doctor are both free and do the same job. Paid tools are unnecessary here.

I tried everything and it still fails. What now?

Connect the printer to a different USB port directly on the PC rather than through a hub, or test it on another computer. If it fails there too, the issue may be hardware and HP support is the next step.

Can a Windows update cause this?

Yes. Updates sometimes replace or break a working printer driver. Uninstalling the driver and reinstalling HP's package usually restores normal operation.

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