When a problem arises with your Hewlett-Packard Photosmart 2575 printer, you may find yourself unable to print, copy or scan. First, you must confirm proper printer set-up and verify that the USB cable connects securely into the back of the printer and the USB port of your computer. Then, if the problem persists, you can troubleshoot the other common culprits of printer failure, including paper jams and problems with the ink cartridges. If all else fails, you can reinstall the printer software.

1

Clear Paper Jams

Paper jams can occur anywhere along the paper path. If you see paper jammed in the tray, gently pull the paper free. If you cannot see where the paper has jammed, you must remove the rear access door of the 2575 and open the top cover. To open the rear access door, you first must disconnect the USB cable from the back of the 2575 and turn off the printer. Press the tab on the left side of the rear access door, and pull the door out and away from the printer. To remove jams from the carriage area, open the top cover, wait for the carriage to slide into position and then turn off the printer. Slide the carriage to the left or right, if necessary, to gain access to the jam. Use both hands to remove the jam to avoid tearing the paper. HP recommends removing all paper from the paper input and output trays before attempting to remove paper jams.

  • Paper jams can occur anywhere along the paper path.
  • To remove jams from the carriage area, open the top cover, wait for the carriage to slide into position and then turn off the printer.
2

Clean Print Heads

Lines, smudges or streaks that appear on the paper often mean dirty print heads. You can clean the print heads using the Clean Print Heads utility found in the HP Solution Center software on your computer. Open HP Solution Center and click "Settings," "Print Settings" and "Printer Toolbox." Select the Device Services tab and click "Clean the Print Cartridges." Follow the screen prompts to choose and run the desired level of cleaning. If you cannot open the HP Solution Center software, you can access the Printer Toolbox by opening the Windows Control Panel and selecting "Printers and Faxes." Then right-click the icon representing the HP 2575 printer and click "Properties." Click "Printing Preference," select the "Services" tab and click the "Service This Device" icon.

  • Lines, smudges or streaks that appear on the paper often mean dirty print heads.
  • Select the Device Services tab and click "Clean the Print Cartridges."
3

Replace Ink Cartridges

Poor print quality or the printing of blank pages often indicate a need to replace the ink cartridges. Remove the cartridges and insert them back into the carriage to confirm proper installation. Without a doubt, empty cartridges will not print, but infrequently used cartridges can dry out prematurely. Replace the ink cartridges if pages continue to print blank or if you continue to receive error messages stating the printer is out of ink.

  • Poor print quality or the printing of blank pages often indicate a need to replace the ink cartridges.
  • Replace the ink cartridges if pages continue to print blank or if you continue to receive error messages stating the printer is out of ink.
4

Reinstall Printer Software

The printer software allows your computer to communicate with the HP Photosmart 2575. If the software becomes corrupt, your computer cannot communicate to the 2575, resulting in the inability to print. In addition, the software installed on your computer may not be compatible if you recently upgraded the operating system of your computer. Uninstall the printer software from your computer and then reinstall the software using the original installation disk or, if necessary, download the current version from the Hewlett-Packard website.

  • The printer software allows your computer to communicate with the HP Photosmart 2575.
  • Uninstall the printer software from your computer and then reinstall the software using the original installation disk or, if necessary, download the current version from the Hewlett-Packard website.