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HP Smart Going Blank

Gerard McAlinden 0 Reputation points
2026-04-15T18:38:15.1433333+00:00

Hi,

I was having problems with my HP Printer, so I decided to un-install/ re-install everything associated with the Printer.

Now when I download the HP Smart for the store, it downloads ok and when I accept , I,m presented with a blank screen. It had worked before, say last week.

I have tried to find out why this is happening but can,t seem to find any info on it.

The printer has installed OK but I can,t check Settings etc...because of the above.

OS W11

Any suggestions?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Apps

Answer recommended by moderator

  1. Gerard McAlinden 0 Reputation points
    2026-04-17T09:35:54.4166667+00:00

    Hi,

    And thanks for the reply. After exhausting all and waiting for the reply, I messaged HP directly and they gave me a link to D/L the HP App, not HP Smart.

    After doing this, I selected my printer and all is working again, albeit a new App.

    So maybe HP would need to tell all customers of this change because on the Microsoft Store it,s still Smart.

    Thanks.

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  1. Clary-N 11,140 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-04-16T01:19:05.1233333+00:00

    Hi Gerard McAlinden,

    To get a clearer picture, could you please share a bit more detail about the original printer issue that led you to uninstall and reinstall the software? For example, was the printer not printing, going offline, or failing during setup? Also, please let me know the exact printer model and whether it’s connected by USB or Wi‑Fi.

    I can see that Q&A Assist has already shared some initial guidance above. Please give those steps a try first to see if they help. In the meantime, here are a few steps you can try specifically for the HP Smart blank screen issue:

    1. Repair or reset the HP Smart app

    Sometimes the app installs correctly but its local data becomes corrupted.

    • Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps
    • Find HP Smart, select the three dots (…), then choose Advanced options
    • First select Repair (this keeps your app data)
    • If that doesn’t help, select Reset (this clears the app’s stored data)
    • Restart your PC and open HP Smart again

    2. Make sure Windows and Microsoft Store are fully up to date

    Outdated Store components can cause apps to load incorrectly.

    • Go to Settings > Windows Update and install any available updates
    • Open Microsoft Store > Library > Get updates
    • Let all updates complete, then restart and test HP Smart again

    3. Test whether this is specific to HP Smart or the Microsoft Store in general

    This helps determine whether the issue is app‑specific.

    • Try downloading and opening another app from the Microsoft Store
    • Please let me know if that app opens normally or also shows a blank screen

    If other Store apps work fine, then the issue is very likely limited to HP Smart itself rather than Windows as a whole.

    Once you share the printer model, how it’s connected and whether this affects other Store apps, I’ll be happy to guide you through the next steps.

    If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  2. Q&A Assist
    2026-04-15T18:38:32.2666667+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    Follow these steps in order on Windows 11 to troubleshoot HP Smart showing a blank screen while the printer itself is installed and working:

    1. Confirm Windows and printer work without HP Smart
    • Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
    • Select the HP printer and use Print a test page (or print from Word/Excel or another app) to confirm that basic printing works.
    • If printing fails or the printer is offline, first fix the printer/driver issue (see references below) before focusing on HP Smart.
    1. Update or reinstall the printer driver A damaged or incompatible driver can cause printer‑related apps to misbehave.
    • Right‑click Start and select Device Manager.
    • Expand Printers.
    • Right‑click the HP printer:
      • Select Update driver and follow the prompts.
      • If that does not help, select Uninstall device, then restart the PC so Windows reinstalls the driver automatically.
    • Alternatively, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, select the printer, choose Remove, restart the PC, then use Add a printer or scanner and let Windows install the recommended driver.
    1. Restart the Print Spooler service If the print spooler is not working correctly, HP Smart can hang or show blank content.
    • Press Windows key + R, type services.msc, press Enter.
    • Find Print Spooler in the list.
    • Right‑click Print Spooler and select Restart.
    • Close Services and try opening HP Smart again.
    1. Run the Windows printer troubleshooter This can automatically fix many printer‑stack issues that affect apps like HP Smart.
    • On Windows 11, run the automated printer troubleshooter in the Get Help app using the Printer troubleshooter. It will run diagnostics and attempt to fix printer problems.
    • If issues are found and fixed, restart the PC and test HP Smart again.
    1. Power‑cycle the printer If HP Smart is waiting on a response from the printer, a stale connection can cause a blank or stuck screen.
    • Turn the printer off and unplug it.
    • Wait at least 30 seconds.
    • Plug it back in and power it on.
    • After it reconnects to the network, start HP Smart again.
    1. Check for known Windows printer issues Recent Windows updates have caused various printer‑related issues (including HP‑related behavior). If the problem started very recently:
    • Check whether the device is on Windows 11 version 21H2 or later and whether any recent printer issues are listed as resolved.
    • If affected by a known printer configuration issue (for example, HP metadata problems), apply the remediation tool or critical troubleshooter described in the Windows release health documentation, then reboot and test HP Smart again.

    If HP Smart still shows a blank screen after these steps but printing works from other apps, continue using the printer through Settings > Printers & scanners and Office/desktop apps while monitoring for HP Smart app updates from Microsoft Store, as future updates may address the blank‑screen behavior.

    References:

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