I use two old HP printers that were meant for a medium-sized office,
4050s. Alas, the only print driver I can use with Windows 8.1 is generic HP.

After getting a fuser assembly replaced in one of them. I was getting an
error message about "collation" that was preventing me from printing
multiple copies of a one-page document.

I was advised that Mopier mode must be disabled in the generic print
driver, which has no way of knowing if the printer has sufficient memory
to store the document to enable collating. It's got 8 MB of internal memory.
There was also a 16MB RAM disk but it doesn't appear to be so equipped.

The 4000-series printer was supposed to be capable of 1200 dpi but the
print driver offers PCL 5 with 600 dpi maximum.

I can set it as an HP 4000 and PCL 6, which offers 1200 dpi but screws
up other settings and printing ends up too light.

Is there was way to achieve 1200 dpi?

I keep them because I was able to buy used envelope feeders for them and
there just aren't enough modern printers not meant for high-production
mail rooms that offer that option. I used to run off monthly
1500-envelope runs for a regular mailing.

I expect them to outlive me but you may need to be capable of writing
your very own print driver in future.

Adam,

I, too, have several HP 4050's that I use daily.

At first I started with the generic HP driver with Windows 10 and was
VERY unsatisfied.

So, I started experimenting with some of the other drivers that HP
offered and found that using the PostScript (not PCL) LaserJet 4200
Driver from Windows Vista worked great and it allowed me to select both
ProRes 1200 (true 1200 dpi) and FastRes 1200 like it should.

I did have to tweak a few of the settings since the 4200 has more bins
than does the 4050, but otherwise, I'm most satisfied.

I am using the PostScript version of the driver since I found that the
PCL 6 implementation in the 4050's chokes on some of the code that
Windows sends it through the PCL 6 driver. With PostScript I'm error-free.

Since Windows 10 is a 64-bit system, I downloaded the 64 bit version of
the Vista 4200 driver. You many need the 32 bit version for Windows 8.1.

Finally, after I had this working fine for months, another kind soul
gave me a link to a special repository of LaserJet drivers, including
one specifically for the 4050 series. I did NOT change, however, since
the 4200 driver from Vista was doing the job.

But, here is the link:

<https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=laserjet%204050>

Let us know if any of these work for you.

I agree, the LaserJet 4050s were built like tanks and will outlive most
of the folks who still use them. I bought mine over 20 years ago (also
with the envelope feeders) and use them every business day. I use them
with Windows, Mac OS X and even with my 30-year-old Apple II's.

Good luck.

Hugh Hood

On 3/21/2022 2:56 PM, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
> I use two old HP printers that were meant for a medium-sized office,
> 4050s. Alas, the only print driver I can use with Windows 8.1 is generic HP.
>

Hugh Hood <hughhood@earthlink.net> wrote:

>Adam,

>I, too, have several HP 4050's that I use daily. . . .

Thank you for the advice. I'll work on it later today.

I'm using a 64-bit version of Windows 8.1 but there often weren't 64-bit
versions written so sometimes I have to use 32-bit versions.

I'll try the PostScript version as you recommend.