HP LaserJet 2420 Driver, Grinding Noise, Light Print, Blank Pages, USB Errors, and Tray 2 Feed Problems

HP LaserJet 2420 Driver, Grinding Noise, Light Print, Blank Pages, USB Errors, and Tray 2 Feed Problems

HP LaserJet 2420 series printers, including the 2420, 2420d, 2420dn, and 2420n, are older workhorse models that tend to fail in predictable ways as they age. Reported problems include grinding from the rear of the printer, repeated smearing, blank pages after long storage, very light output, USB printing errors on Windows 10, JetDirect network stalls, lost web-interface credentials, and Tray 2 paper feed failures.

These cases should not all be treated as driver failures. A grinding sound usually points toward the fuser and gear train. Repeating smears can look like a fuser issue but may follow the toner cartridge instead. Blank pages after storage can involve the laser/scanner path. USB PCL XL errors can be driver-stream problems. Tray 2 jam messages without a visible jam often point toward pickup roller wear.

Problem: HP LaserJet 2420 makes grinding or rumbling noise from the rear

What users observed: Users reported excessive grinding or rumbling from the rear of the HP LaserJet 2420 during operation. The printer was already known to be a noisy model, but this sound was louder and more mechanical than normal.

What was tried: Users inspected the fuser assembly and related gear train. Fuser replacement was recommended when the pressure roller bushings, often green or tan-brown, had worn thin. When the noise continued or became louder after installing a new fuser, attention moved to the internal fuser drive gear inside the printer chassis.

How this played out: Worn pressure roller bushings can let the pressure roller gear ride too low, which causes poor gear mesh and grinding. A new fuser can make the sound more obvious if it meshes against a worn internal drive gear. The more complete repair path was replacing both the fuser and the fuser drive gear, which is often included in maintenance kits.

Problem: HP LaserJet 2420 repeats smears or ghosted parts of the page

What users observed: Users saw large smears and repeated parts of the document down the page. The issue appeared after a fuser sleeve had been replaced, so the first suspicion was that the fuser repair caused the defect.

What was tried: Users replaced the toner cartridge even though the cartridge appeared original and did not look visibly refilled.

How this played out: The defect cleared immediately after the toner cartridge was replaced. That shifted the issue away from the fuser sleeve and toward cartridge condition. The case showed that repeated smearing can look fuser-related but still be caused by toner.

Problem: HP LaserJet 2420 prints blank pages after long storage

What users observed: Two HP LaserJet 2420 units that had been unused for about two years powered on but printed completely blank pages. Known-good fusers and toner cartridges were swapped in, but the printers still produced blank output.

What was tried: Users cleaned the laser/scanner assembly, including glass and mirrors. Dust in the laser beam path was suggested as a possible reason the printer could not form the image even with working toner and fuser parts.

How this played out: The blank-page behavior did not follow the toner or fuser. After long storage, the issue pointed toward optical path contamination in the laser/scanner assembly. Cleaning the laser beam path became the relevant direction when consumable swaps did not restore image formation.

Problem: HP LaserJet 2420 prints very lightly even at maximum density

What users observed: Output became progressively lighter over time. Cleaning routines and maximum density settings did not make the print darker. Toner cartridges had already been replaced, including one that had been stored unopened for several years.

What was tried: Users checked the density settings and replaced toner cartridges. Toner shelf life was discussed, with the note that dry toner generally stores for a long time compared with liquid ink.

How this played out: When density adjustments and toner changes did not restore normal darkness, the issue moved beyond software settings. Hardware-level imaging causes, including corona or related print-engine components, became more likely than a basic driver or toner-level problem.

Problem: HP LaserJet 2420 shows PCL XL MissingData error over USB on Windows 10

What users observed: Users reported intermittent USB printing on Windows 10 Pro. The HP LaserJet 2420 sometimes printed successfully, then began producing a PCL XL error with Subsystem: USERSTREAM, Error: MissingData, and Operator: Read Image. The same printer worked normally on another Windows 10 Home machine through USB.

What was tried: Users looked at USB-capable versions of the HP Universal Print Driver designed for Windows 10 USB installations. The issue was treated as a driver and USB print-stream handling problem rather than an OS-edition problem by itself.

How this played out: The error pointed toward how the driver was sending PCL data over USB. The printer engine was not the main suspect because the device could print from another Windows 10 system. The useful path was changing the driver path, especially to a USB-focused HP UPD, rather than replacing printer hardware.

Problem: HP LaserJet 2420 network model shows Ready but will not print until restarted

What users observed: Users reported that the printer displayed Ready, but print jobs did not process until the printer was power-cycled. After restarting, it would print normally for a while, then fail again later.

What was tried: Users suspected the internal JetDirect 620n network card. Power-cycling with the network cable unplugged was suggested to clear corrupt jobs from the network card. Adding the printer through a local TCP/IP port instead of relying on a print server was also discussed.

How this played out: The failure pattern centered on the network interface rather than the print engine. Aging JetDirect cards were treated as common failure points. Replacement was considered a realistic fix when the printer worked after reboot but repeatedly stalled on the network path.

Problem: HP LaserJet 2420 web interface password is unknown

What users observed: Users tried to access the HP LaserJet 2420 embedded web interface, but it required credentials they did not know. The default blank-password login no longer worked because credentials had already been set.

What was tried: Users reset the printer to factory defaults and rebuilt the network settings afterward.

How this played out: The factory reset cleared the custom credentials. After reset, users could access the web interface again and reconfigure the network settings from scratch.

Problem: HP LaserJet 2420 Tray 2 reports jam but does not pull paper

What users observed: The printer tried to pull paper from Tray 2, then displayed a jam message even though no visible jam was found. Cleaning the pickup roller had helped in the past, but this time the paper still would not feed correctly.

What was tried: Users removed and cleaned the pickup rollers with a damp lint-free cloth, inspected the roller surface, and considered whether the rollers had lost grip. Maintenance kit replacement was also considered because pickup rollers are wear parts.

How this played out: Once pickup rollers become smooth, cleaning alone may no longer restore grip. Persistent Tray 2 feed failures pointed toward replacing the pickup rollers or installing the maintenance kit rather than continuing to clear non-existent jams.

Problem: HP LaserJet 2420 feed failure returns after roller cleaning

What users observed: Users had previously fixed Tray 2 feed problems by cleaning the pickup roller, but the same jam-style behavior returned later. The printer still attempted to feed, then stopped with a jam message.

What was tried: Users cleaned the roller again and inspected whether the roller surface had become smooth. They also considered the printer’s age and maintenance-kit status.

How this played out: Cleaning helped only while the roller still had enough texture to grip paper. Once the rubber was worn, the problem returned because the roller could no longer pick up the sheet consistently. Replacement became the practical fix path.

Problem: HP LaserJet 2420 behaves differently over USB and network

What users observed: Some HP LaserJet 2420 problems appeared only through one connection type. USB printing could produce PCL XL errors on one Windows system, while network models could show Ready but fail to process jobs until rebooted.

What was tried: Users compared behavior between different Windows machines, USB driver paths, print servers, local TCP/IP ports, and JetDirect network cards.

How this played out: The printer engine could still be usable while the connection path failed. USB problems pointed toward driver-stream handling, while network stalls pointed toward JetDirect or print-server routing. The fix depended on whether the failure followed USB, network, the Windows driver, or the printer hardware.