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If you’re struggling with your HP DeskJet 4100 not printing black, encountering a frustrating situation where your HP Envy 4500 does not print, or dealing with the persistent issue that your HP Envy 4520 does not print, you’re not alone—these issues are surprisingly common and can stem from a variety of causes, ranging from something as simple as clogged printheads to more complicated software or firmware glitches. Picture this: you’re rushing to print out a boarding pass or a homework assignment only to find the pages coming out blank or faded, with no error message to clue you in, leaving you frustrated and confused. The HP DeskJet 4100, in particular, is known for intermittently failing to print black ink even when the cartridge is full, which can often be traced back to dried ink obstructing the nozzles or a misalignment issue that throws off the printer’s calibration. Cleaning the printhead manually or using HP’s built-in utility in the printer settings menu is a good first step, but sometimes even that doesn’t resolve the problem. Similarly, the Envy series—both the 4500 and 4520 models—are notorious for stopping printing without warning, even mid-document, leading many users to assume the printer is broken when it’s actually a more subtle issue involving outdated drivers, software conflicts after system updates, or overlooked maintenance routines. For instance, Windows updates can occasionally reset printer settings or interfere with the device drivers, rendering the printer undetectable or nonfunctional, even when everything seems correctly connected. It’s often helpful to uninstall and reinstall the printer completely, ensuring you download the latest drivers from HP’s official support site rather than relying on Windows to auto-install generic ones that may lack compatibility. Another key step is checking your printer’s firmware—HP frequently rolls out updates to improve performance or fix known bugs, and outdated firmware can be the root cause of many inexplicable glitches, including failure to print. Users have also reported that switching the printer’s connection from wireless to USB, even temporarily, can restore printing capabilities and help identify whether the issue lies in the printer itself or in the wireless configuration. This is especially useful for the HP Envy 4500, which sometimes drops Wi-Fi connections silently, resulting in print jobs being sent but never processed. In homes with multiple devices or mesh networks, interference can make this worse, so ensuring the printer is connected to the same network band (2.4GHz is generally more stable for printers) is another troubleshooting trick. And while it may seem obvious, double-checking the ink levels—even if you recently replaced the cartridges—is critical, as HP printers often struggle to recognize third-party or refilled cartridges, and may incorrectly report them as empty or incompatible. Sometimes, reseating the cartridge or performing a hard reset—unplugging the printer for a minute, then plugging it back in—can refresh the printer’s memory and allow it to recognize a working cartridge. And let’s not overlook software tools like HP Print and Scan Doctor, a free utility that can scan for common issues and provide guided steps to resolve them; it’s helped many users restore normal printing without having to dig into advanced settings. Yet, as helpful as troubleshooting guides and utilities can be, many users prefer straightforward, step-by-step instructions tailored to their specific printer model, which is why dedicated support pages like those linked above can be so valuable—they aggregate known fixes, relevant driver updates, and targeted advice for models like the HP DeskJet 4100, HP Envy 4500, and HP Envy 4520, rather than offering vague, generic suggestions. These pages not only address the problem directly but often include visuals, downloadable tools, and community-sourced tips that reflect the real-world experience of people who've faced and resolved the same issues. It's worth noting that if you print infrequently, any inkjet printer, including all three of these HP models, is at higher risk of dried ink and blocked nozzles—using the printer weekly, even for a simple test page, can help keep ink flowing and prevent issues from building up silently over time. Additionally, regular maintenance like printhead alignment and calibration, which are accessible through your printer’s control panel or companion app, can significantly extend your device’s reliability. For Envy 4520 users in particular, who often use their printer for photo printing or school projects, ensuring high print quality means staying on top of both ink levels and nozzle health. Meanwhile, if your printer simply won’t respond at all, checking the print queue for stuck jobs and clearing them out can sometimes magically fix things—a jammed queue can silently halt all future print attempts until it’s manually reset. Ultimately, resolving these common HP printing issues isn’t about replacing your printer or endlessly fiddling with settings—it’s about understanding how your specific model behaves, where it’s prone to problems, and what proactive steps can keep it running smoothly, whether that’s using manufacturer-approved cartridges, keeping firmware up to date, or simply knowing which support link to follow when things go wrong.