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DeutschThe HP DeskJet 2700 series was designed to work exclusively through HP Smart. That architecture decision is exactly why it breaks after Windows updates — and why the standard advice of “reinstall the printer” doesn’t fix it.
Most printer drivers are self-contained: the driver registers in Windows’ print spooler, and as long as that registration survives an update, the printer keeps working. The DeskJet 2700 works differently. HP Smart acts as an intermediary layer between Windows and the printer, managing the connection through its own service. When Windows updates the print spooler or modifies the related system services — which major Windows 11 updates do regularly — HP Smart’s service layer loses its connection to the registered driver. The printer shows as offline. Reinstalling the printer (as Windows suggests) doesn’t help because the driver is still there; it’s the service connection that broke.
What the “Offline” Message Actually Means
When the DeskJet 2700 shows as offline after a Windows update, check two things before doing anything else.
First, open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners, find the DeskJet 2700, and click Open print queue. If there are stuck jobs in the queue, clear them. A stuck queue causes the printer to show offline even when the underlying driver connection is fine.
Second, check whether HP Smart itself is running. Open HP Smart and look at whether your printer appears in the “My Printers” list with a connected status. If HP Smart shows the printer as connected but Windows shows it as offline, the problem is in the spooler-to-HP Smart link. If HP Smart also shows the printer as offline, the problem is at the HP Smart service level.
These two failure points require different fixes. Most guides online give you the same steps regardless — which is why the printer keeps coming back offline after a few days.
The Spooler-Link Fix (No Reinstall Required)
If HP Smart shows the printer as connected but Windows shows it offline, try this before reinstalling anything:
- Open Services (search “services” in Start).
- Find Print Spooler, right-click → Restart.
- Find HP Network Devices Support (if listed), right-click → Restart.
- Go back to Settings → Printers & Scanners. The DeskJet 2700 should flip to online within 30 seconds.
If it does, the connection was temporarily broken but the installation is intact. No reinstall needed.
If the printer goes offline again within a day or two, the spooler restart is fixing a symptom, not the cause. Move to the full reinstall below.
Full Reinstall: The Sequence That Sticks
Partial reinstalls are why this problem is so frustrating. People uninstall and reinstall HP Smart, the printer comes back online, and three days later it’s offline again. The reason is that HP Smart’s reinstall doesn’t clean the Windows-side driver registration or the HP service entries — it only reinstalls the app itself.
To actually clear the slate:
Remove everything, in order:
- Uninstall HP Smart from Settings → Apps.
- In Apps, also uninstall any other HP software: HP OfficeJet/DeskJet 2700 series, HP Print and Scan Doctor, anything HP-labeled.
- Open Device Manager, expand Printers. Right-click the DeskJet 2700 entry → Uninstall device → check “Delete the driver software for this device.”
- Open the Print Management console (run
printmanagement.msc). Under All Drivers, delete any HP DeskJet 2700 driver entry. - Restart.
Reinstall, in order:
- Open the Microsoft Store and reinstall HP Smart fresh.
- Launch HP Smart and follow the printer setup flow — choose wireless or USB based on how your printer is connected.
- After setup completes, check Settings → Printers & Scanners to confirm the DeskJet 2700 appears with a “Ready” status.
- Print a test page from Printers & Scanners directly (not from HP Smart) to confirm the spooler connection is live.
Step 4 is the verification most guides skip. Printing from HP Smart confirms HP Smart works. Printing from Windows’ own Printers & Scanners confirms the underlying driver registration is intact. Both need to work for the fix to hold across future Windows updates.
Why This Keeps Happening (and Whether It’s Worth Fixing)
The DeskJet 2700’s dependency on HP Smart as a service layer is a product decision HP made to simplify initial setup. It works well when nothing changes. Windows updates change things — specifically the print subsystem — often enough that the service connection breaks a few times a year for many users.
If you’re on a business machine that receives updates on a managed schedule, this is manageable. If you’re on a home machine that takes consumer Windows updates as they come, expect to go through this process once or twice a year.
The alternative is to get off the HP Smart-dependent setup entirely and use a traditional driver registration. PrintPro Driver Pro installs the DeskJet 2700 driver directly into Windows’ print spooler without routing through HP Smart — which means Windows updates that affect HP Smart’s service layer don’t affect the printer connection. It’s the same official HP driver files; the difference is how they’re registered.
Whether that’s worth $9.99 to you depends on how often you hit this problem and how much the reinstall process costs you in time.
