If you are having trouble with the HP printer error 76, we recommend that you try the following troubleshooting solutions provided below.
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Solutions to the HP Printer Error 76
The following are solutions to the HP printer error 76:
1. Power Cycle the Printer
Power cycling your printer resets the memory of your printer. This memory reset usually clears most of the errors that the printer must have encountered.
To power cycle the printer, click this: HP Printer Errors and Solutions – Run a Power Cycle, and then follow the steps we shared under the “How to Run a Power Cycle on your HP Printer” subsection.
Check if the HP printer error 76 has cleared; if it hasn’t, do the next solution.
2. Delete Old Print Commands
Old print commands could affect your printer and cause the HP printer error 76. Therefore, to fix this error, you need to delete those old print commands that could be responsible for the error.
How to Delete Old Print Commands
To delete old print commands, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Click the “Windows” icon or “Start” on your windows computer.
Step 2: Navigate to the “System 32” folder.
Step 3: Locate the “Spool” option in the folder.
Step 4: Locate the “PRINTERS” option.
Step 5: Search for files with the extensions “.SHD” and “.SPL”.
These files are the currently active print commands that you should delete.
If you want to learn more about HP printer errors, we recommend you read this: HP Printer Errors and Solutions [Detailed]. In that article, we provide solutions to a wide range of HP printer errors.
Step 6: Delete all the files with the extensions “.SHD” and “.SPL”.
Step 7: Close the open window.
Step 8: Click the “Windows” icon or “Start”.
Step 9: Open the “Run” App.
Step 10: Type “NET START SPOOLER” in the search bar.
This will cause the print spooler service to restart.
Step 11: New print commands can now be added.
However, make sure you don’t add too many at once.
3. Set your HP Printer as the Default Printer
If your HP printer is not set as the default printer, you won’t be able to print and the HP printer error 76 might occur. Therefore, to fix this error, set your HP printer as the default printer.
To set your HP printer as the default printer, click this link: HP Printer Errors and Solutions – Confirm that your HP Printer is set as the Default, and then follow the instructions under the “How to Set your HP Printer as Default” subsection.
