You set a document on the glass, hit Copy or scan, and your HP Smart Tank 5101 does nothing, throws a scanner error, or hangs partway through. Often the printer side still works fine, so you know the unit has power and a connection; the flatbed scanner has stopped responding. Because the 5101 is an all-in-one with a built-in flatbed scanner and copier, a non-working scanner can come from a stalled job, a software hiccup, a network mismatch, or, in rarer cases, the scan mechanism itself.
The good news is that most scanner faults on this model clear with a few minutes of work, and almost every fix below is safe to try. Work through them in order, easiest first, and stop as soon as scanning comes back. The factory reset and the call to HP are saved for last.
Clear the stuck job and give the printer a quick off-and-on
Before assuming anything is broken, clear whatever the scanner is currently working on. A single failed scan can leave the unit in a state where every new attempt fails until the job is cancelled.
- 1.Press the Cancel button on the printer to stop the failed scan.
- 2.Try scanning again.
- 3.If it still fails, turn the printer off, then turn it back on.
Since the 5101 can still print even when the scanner is acting up, this first round of cancel-and-restart is low-risk. A surprising number of scanner errors disappear here, so do not skip it just because it sounds simple.
Run a full power reset to clear a Scanner Failure state
If a quick restart did not help, the next step is a deeper power reset. This is HP's official scanner-troubleshooting reset, and it clears many scanner error and "Scanner Failure" conditions that a normal power button cannot.
- 1.Press the power button to turn off the printer.
- 2.If the printer does not turn off, disconnect the power cord from the printer.
- 3.Unplug the power cord from the power source.
- 4.Wait 60 seconds.
- 5.Connect the power cord directly to a wall outlet and to the printer.
- 6.Turn the printer on.
Plug the printer straight into a wall outlet for this step rather than a power strip or surge protector, because that is what the official procedure specifies. The 60-second wait matters too; it lets the internal components fully discharge so the unit boots clean.
Confirm the scan bar actually lights up and moves
Here you find out whether you are dealing with a software problem or a hardware one. A quick mechanical check tells you which path the rest of your troubleshooting should take.
- 1.Lift the scanner lid slightly.
- 2.Press the Copy button or icon.
- 3.Watch the scanner bar.
The scanner bar should illuminate and travel across the length of the glass. If it lights up and moves, the mechanism is healthy and your issue is almost certainly software, drivers, or the network, so keep going with the steps below. If the bar does not move or does not light up at all, the scan mechanism itself needs service, and you can skip ahead to the final section about contacting HP.
Wipe down the glass and the underside of the lid
Dirt is easy to overlook, but it directly affects scan quality and can trip failed scans. Fingerprints, smudges, dust, or debris on the scanner glass or under the scanner lid can cause lines, color bands, or scans that fail outright.
Clean these parts with a soft, lint-free cloth sprayed with glass cleaner. Spray the cloth, not the glass, so liquid does not seep into the edges of the scanner. Let the surface dry, close the lid, and try a copy or scan again before moving on.
Let the HP app diagnose and repair the problem for you
The HP app (also known as HP Smart) includes Diagnose & Fix, HP's current automated print-and-scan troubleshooter. It replaced the retired HP Print and Scan Doctor for Windows, so this is the official tool to reach for now.
- 1.Open the HP app.
- 2.Click your printer.
- 3.Click Diagnose and Fix.
- 4.Click Start, and then wait a few minutes while the app diagnoses and fixes any issues found.
On Windows, the Diagnose & Fix option lives under the wrench icon in the bottom-left corner of the HP app. On Mac, it is under the printer dropdown in the top menu bar. The tool can quietly repair connection and hardware issues that you would otherwise have to hunt down by hand.
Put the printer and your device on the same Wi-Fi network
If you scan over Wi-Fi, a network mismatch is one of the most common reasons the scanner appears dead from your computer or phone while the printer itself is fine. The two simply cannot see each other.
- 1.Restart your computer or mobile device and the printer.
- 2.If you use a network printer, restart the router too.
- 3.Disconnect your computer or phone from the network name (SSID) you are on.
- 4.Reconnect it to the SAME network name the printer is on.
Confirm your device is on a network name the printer can actually join. Getting both onto one shared network frequently restores scanning instantly.
On macOS, verify the printer is ready to scan
Mac users have a quick way to confirm the system recognizes the 5101's scanning ability, and a clean fix if it does not.
- 1.Open Printers & Scanners.
- 2.Select the name of your printer.
- 3.Make sure the Open Scanner button or Scan tab appears.
If that button or tab appears, the printer is ready to scan and the connection is healthy. If it does not appear, remove the printer and add it again; re-adding it rebuilds the scan link that macOS uses to talk to the device.
Reinstall the HP scan software and drivers
When the scanner refuses to work from your computer despite a good network and a working scan bar, the scan software or drivers may be corrupted or incomplete. Reinstalling through HP's guided setup puts the full scan stack back in place.
- 1.Go to 123.hp.com/setup (or your device app store) to download the HP app.
- 2.Follow the prompts to connect the printer over USB or Wi-Fi.
- 3.On Windows, use HP Easy Start from 123.hp.com/setup to download the full-feature drivers.
- 4.Open HP Scan or the HP app and try scanning.
The full-feature drivers on Windows include the scan components that a basic driver may leave out, so this step often fixes scanning that prints just fine. Let the setup finish completely before testing.
Restore Wi-Fi setup mode so the app can find the printer again
If the HP app cannot find the printer at all on the network, putting the 5101 back into Wi-Fi setup mode lets you add it fresh. This model uses a button control panel, so the action is done with physical buttons rather than an on-screen menu.
- 1.On the printer, press and hold the Wireless and Cancel buttons at the same time until the Wi-Fi light blinks.
- 2.Open the HP app.
- 3.Choose Add printer (the Add icon) and follow the prompts to set the printer back up on Wi-Fi.
Once the printer is re-added, test a scan from the app. Re-establishing the connection from scratch resolves cases where the printer has dropped off the network entirely.
Restore factory defaults with the button sequence
If nothing above has worked, restoring factory defaults gives the 5101 a clean slate. This erases the printer's stored settings, including its Wi-Fi network details, so only use it as a last resort and have your network name and password ready. Because this model has a button panel and no on-screen Settings or Tools menu, the reset is performed entirely with a button-hold sequence during power-on.
- 1.Turn off the printer.
- 2.Press and hold the Resume and Black Copy buttons at the same time.
- 3.Without releasing the buttons, turn on the printer.
- 4.Wait at least 5 seconds, and then release the buttons.
The printer restarts automatically after about 20 seconds. After it comes back up, set it up on your network again using the HP app.
When to hand it to HP for service
If the scanner still fails after every step above, particularly if the scan bar does not move or light up when you press Copy, the scanner hardware itself may need service. That is not something you can repair safely at home, and continuing to retry will not change a mechanical fault.
At that point, contact HP customer support to schedule a product repair or replacement. Have your product number (1F3Y0A) and a brief description of what you have already tried ready, since it speeds up the conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my HP Smart Tank 5101 still print but refuse to scan?
Printing and scanning use different parts of the all-in-one, so the printer can work while the scanner does not. A stuck scan job, a software or driver problem, or a network mismatch usually causes a scan-only failure, and these are fixable. If the scan bar does not light up or move when you press Copy, the scan mechanism itself may need service.
Which app should I use to scan and troubleshoot the 5101?
Use the HP app (also known as HP Smart), HP's official companion app for setup, scanning, and the built-in Diagnose & Fix tool. Download it from 123.hp.com/setup or your device's app store. Diagnose & Fix is HP's current automated print-and-scan troubleshooter and replaced the retired HP Print and Scan Doctor for Windows.
How do I reset the HP Smart Tank 5101 when there is no on-screen menu?
This model uses a button control panel, so you reset it with a button sequence. Turn off the printer, press and hold the Resume and Black Copy buttons at the same time, turn the printer on while still holding them, then wait at least 5 seconds and release. The printer restarts automatically after about 20 seconds. A factory reset erases stored settings including Wi-Fi, so set it up on your network again afterward.
Do I need to remove an ink cartridge to fix scanning?
No. The HP Smart Tank 5101 is a refillable ink-tank printer, not a cartridge model, and scanning does not depend on ink at all. Any advice involving removing or reseating an ink cartridge does not apply to this printer, so you can ignore those steps entirely.
The HP app cannot find my printer at all. What should I do?
Put the printer back into Wi-Fi setup mode by pressing and holding the Wireless and Cancel buttons together until the Wi-Fi light blinks, then open the HP app and choose Add printer to set it up again. Also confirm your computer or phone is on the same network name the printer can join, since a network mismatch can hide the printer from the app.
