Hewlett-Packard is widely recognised as the number one provider of printers, scanners and imaging equipment. The California-based company ships a huge stock of these items every year, and there’s a good chance that if you go out to buy a printer, you’ll be coming home with an HP product.

Given the lofty stature of HP, you shouldn’t encounter too many compatibility problems when it comes to finding the right printer or scanner for your system. The installation doesn’t always run smoothly, however, and we’re going to look at some of the most problems and how to overcome them.

First of all, it’s important to note that all HP printers come with software. It’s not possible to simply “plug ‘n play” as you might do with other hardware devices. Every HP printer, scanner or imaging device will come with a CD. On this CD, you’ll find an installation program and the drivers required to use the hardware.

It’s also important to follow the instructions explicitly and install the software BEFORE you connect the device. To do this, insert the CD and run through the installation procedure. It will copy files to your local drive before telling you when to connect the device. Most printers and scanners use a USB port these days. Once your device is connected, follow the remaining instructions and you’ll usually be asked to restart your system. This validates the new drivers and it will ensure that your hardware is detected in the future.

So what are the most common problems with the installation of a HP device? First and foremost, we have driver issues.

HP can’t release software which is customised for each user’s system configuration, and it’s possible that the printer or scanner drivers may clash. Driver issues are typically marked by a device which fails to connect. If Windows springs up a message that it cannot recognise the hardware device, it’s likely that you’re suffering from either outdated drivers or the wrong driver altogether.

Log on to the HP website and search out your device. It’s here that you’ll be able to download the very latest drivers and patches. Test the different software and attempt to connect to the device with different configurations. If you have a working driver, you’ll be able to connect to the hardware and Windows will detect it automatically.

Sometimes Window will recognise the hardware, but won’t be able to retain the connection. This is another example of a driver incompatibility issue.

Of course, it’s important to check - before purchasing a printer, that the device is compatible with your system. You’ll also need to download different software if you’re working on a Linux platform. The standard Windows package will not work on Linux, and vice versa.

Another common problem stems from wireless printer connectivity. If you’re installing a printer to work on a network, you’ll need to ensure that the computers can connect to it.

If this isn’t happening, try pinging the printer adapter. To do this, you can open up the command shell (c:\windows\system\CMD.exe) and type the following:

ping 192.168.173.1.

If no signal is returned, the printer is failing to connect with your local system. This could be for a number of reasons. You might want to try moving the printer closer to the computer, or checking that radio interference isn’t playing a role. As a last resort, consider replacing the network and printer adapters.

If you’re sure that the printer is installed, yet it fails to print, check that the device isn’t configured to work offline.

Go to Start, then Settings and finally Printers. It’s here that you’ll be able to see if the device is set to work online. It’s also possible that documents may be jammed in a queue. Restart the jobs and wait for the printer to respond.

If your printer shows no sign of connectivity at all, usually displayed by an orange or red light, you could be suffering from a connectivity issue with the hardware itself. It’s possible that the USB cable is faulty and replacing it could fix the problem.

HP provides extensive support for their products so do make sure to check the help archives on their official website. Printers and scanners can be notoriously fiddly to install and it’s likely that if you have a problem, somebody else has experienced it too.

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