You place a document on your HP DeskJet 4255e, press a button on the printer, and nothing happens. Before you assume the scanner is broken, here is the most important thing to know about this model: the DeskJet 4255e has no dedicated Scan button on its control panel, so a scan that "does nothing" at the printer is expected behavior, not a fault. Every scan on this all-in-one has to be started from your computer or the HP app, and once you know that, most "scanner not working" problems on the 4255e come down to a few connection or software issues you can clear yourself.
The good news is that the 4255e genuinely is a scanning all-in-one. HP's specifications list its scanner type as "Flatbed, ADF," meaning it has both a flatbed glass and an automatic document feeder, with optical resolution up to 1200 dpi and output to JPEG, TIFF, PDF, BMP and PNG. Work through the fixes below in order, starting with the simplest, and save the network or factory reset for last.
Begin Every Scan From Your Computer or the HP App
Because there is no Scan button on the printer, pressing control-panel buttons will never launch a scan. The scan has to be triggered from software, using the HP app (formerly named HP Smart) on your Windows PC, Mac, or mobile device.
- 1.Open the HP app and click your printer.
- 2.Click a scan tile.
- 3.Place your original on the scanner glass or into the automatic document feeder (ADF); the ADF is for documents only.
- 4.Click Scan or Printer Scan.
Use the flatbed glass for photos and the ADF for multi-page documents. If this is the first time you have tried to scan, simply starting from the app instead of the printer often resolves the whole problem.
Power-Cycle the Printer, Your Device, and the Router
Temporary error states are the most common reason a scan stalls, and a clean restart clears most of them. Turn the printer off and back on, then restart your computer or mobile device.
If you scan over Wi-Fi, restart your router as well. Bringing all three back up fresh re-establishes the connection between the printer and your device and resolves many one-off scanning failures.
Get the Printer and Your Device Onto the Same 2.4 GHz Network
The 4255e connects over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) only. It cannot join a 5 GHz network, so if your computer or phone is on a 5 GHz band, it may not be able to see the printer at all.
Disconnect your computer or phone from its current Wi-Fi name (SSID) and reconnect it to the same 2.4 GHz network the printer is on. If your router broadcasts a combined 2.4 and 5 GHz network under one name, make sure your device is using the 2.4 GHz band so it can reach the printer. For a wired connection, the 4255e supports Hi-Speed USB 2.0; it has no Ethernet port.
Let Diagnose and Fix Repair the Connection Automatically
HP's built-in repair tool checks the printer connection and common scan and print problems, then applies fixes automatically. It lives inside the HP app, so there is nothing extra to download.
- 1.Open the HP app and click the printer.
- 2.Click Diagnose & Fix (or choose it from the Printers menu).
- 3.Click Start.
- 4.Do not close the HP app while the troubleshooter is running.
Let the tool finish on its own. When it is done, return to the HP app and try the scan again.
Hide and Re-Add the Printer When the App Says "Unavailable"
Sometimes the HP app reports that the printer is not available or that scanning is currently unavailable, even though the hardware is fine. Refreshing the app's connection to the printer usually clears this.
- 1.In the HP app, right-click your printer.
- 2.Click Hide Printer, then click Hide Printer again.
- 3.Click Add Printer.
- 4.Complete setup again in the app.
This removes the stale connection the app was holding onto and forces it to rediscover the scanner.
On Windows, Make Sure the Image Acquisition Service Is Running
Windows talks to the scanner through a background service called Windows Image Acquisition (WIA). If that service is stopped or disabled, scans will fail no matter how healthy the printer is.
- 1.Search for and open View local services.
- 2.Find Windows Image Acquisition (WIA). It should show Status "Started" or "Running" and Startup Type "Automatic."
- 3.If it is Disabled or blank, right-click it and choose Properties.
- 4.On the General tab, set Startup type to "Automatic."
- 5.Under Service status, click Start.
Once WIA is running on Automatic, return to the HP app and try the scan again.
On a Mac, Reset the Printing System and Add the Printer Again
If you are on macOS and the printer keeps showing as unavailable for scanning, resetting the Mac's printing system gives you a clean slate. Be aware this is more drastic than it sounds: a reset removes all printers and scanners, and clears all print jobs and saved print settings, so you will need to set everything up again afterward.
- 1.Click the Spotlight icon, then search for and open Printers & Scanners.
- 2.Right-click (or Control-click) in the Printers list and select Reset printing system.
- 3.Restart the printer.
- 4.Click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax to re-add it.
Do a Clean Reinstall of the HP App and Driver
When the scanning software itself is corrupted, the cleanest fix is to uninstall everything and start over. HP Easy Start includes a dedicated option for this.
- 1.Download HP Easy Start from 123.hp.com/setup.
- 2.From its drop-down menu, select Uninstall HP Software and follow the prompts.
- 3.Reinstall the HP app from 123.hp.com or your device's app store.
- 4.Re-add the printer.
Check that your system meets the app's requirements first: on Windows the HP app needs Windows 10 version 1809 or later, on a Mac it needs macOS 12 or later, and the mobile app needs iOS or iPadOS 16 or later or Android 10.0 or later. Installing on an unsupported version is a quiet but common reason scanning never works.
Reset Wi-Fi Setup Mode, or Restore Factory Defaults as a Last Resort
If the printer still cannot be reached, the next step is a network reset that puts the printer back into Wi-Fi setup mode while keeping its other settings. Press the Cancel button, then press and hold the Wireless button and the Cancel button at the same time until the Power light blinks and the printer restarts. Then re-add the printer in the HP app within the time window the app gives you.
If a network reset is not enough, you can restore full factory defaults. This clears your saved settings, including your Wi-Fi network details, and returns the printer to its out-of-box state, so you will have to set it up again from scratch afterward. Open the cartridge access door, then on the control panel press and hold the Power and Wireless buttons for at least 3 seconds. After about 20 seconds, close the cartridge access door, then set the printer up again. If scanning still fails after a full reset and re-setup, contact HP Customer Support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does nothing happen when I press the scan controls on my 4255e?
The HP DeskJet 4255e has no dedicated Scan button on its control panel. That is by design, not a malfunction. Every scan must be started from your computer or from the HP app, where you click your printer, click a scan tile, and then click Scan or Printer Scan.
Can the DeskJet 4255e scan multiple pages automatically?
Yes. HP lists the scanner type as "Flatbed, ADF," so the model has both a flatbed glass and an automatic document feeder. Use the flatbed glass for photos and place multi-page documents in the ADF, which is for documents only.
Why can't the HP app find my printer to scan over Wi-Fi?
The 4255e supports 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) only and cannot join a 5 GHz network. Make sure your computer or phone is connected to the same 2.4 GHz network the printer is on; if your device is on a 5 GHz band, it may not be able to see the printer.
What is the difference between a Wi-Fi reset and a factory reset on this printer?
Restoring Wi-Fi setup mode (press Cancel, then hold Wireless and Cancel together until the Power light blinks) is a network-only reset that keeps your other settings. A full factory reset (open the cartridge access door, hold Power and Wireless for at least 3 seconds, then close the door after about 20 seconds) restores factory defaults, clears your saved settings including Wi-Fi details, and requires setting the printer up again.
