I have a Windows Server 2022 machine providing network print services. Several older HP LaserJet P3015 printers are using HP Universal Printing PCL 6 driver version 61.360.1.26819. With this driver, every print job comes out in reverse order, with the last page printed first, regardless of the page-order setting selected in the printer preferences. The behavior also occurs when printing directly from the server. Disabling "Enable Advanced Printing Features" appears to correct it locally, but remote clients still print in reverse order. The same printers work normally with the PCL 5 driver, and the issue can be reproduced from multiple computers. Could this be a compatibility problem between the newer Universal PCL 6 driver and the older printer firmware?
3 Answers
Check the printer’s embedded web interface as well as the Windows driver settings. Some older HP models have a print-order preference such as first page first, last page first, or automatic, and the device-level setting can override what the client sends. Set it explicitly and test again.
The page-order option is usually under Printing Defaults, then Advanced, Layout Options, and Page Order. It is worth checking both the shared queue defaults and the client’s local printer preferences, since they can differ.
I tried changing that setting directly on the server and on the client computers, but the jobs still came out in reverse order.
The P3015 is an older model, and the current Universal PCL 6 driver may not behave well with its older firmware. Since PCL 5 prints correctly, using the PCL 5 driver is probably the most practical workaround. You should not lose anything important for normal office printing.
That is what I am leaning toward. Some of the printers had outdated firmware, but the issue remains even after updating them, and the newest firmware is several years old.
I checked the printer settings and also tried changing the page order from both the server and a client, but it did not make a difference.