HP Printer Error 49 — What It Means & Fix

What Does This Error Mean?

HP error 49 means a corrupt print job or data error has crashed the printer's internal processor. Power off the printer, clear all print jobs from the queue on your computer, then power the printer back on.

Affected Models

HP LaserJet
HP Color LaserJet
HP LaserJet Pro
HP Enterprise LaserJet

Common Causes

Corrupt or malformed print job sent to the printer
Incompatible or outdated printer driver on the computer
Network firmware issue causing bad data packets
Third-party font or document with unsupported format
Outdated printer firmware

How to Fix It

Power off the printer and clear the print queue.

Switch the printer off at the power button. On your computer go to Settings → Printers and scanners → your HP printer → Open print queue. Delete every job in the queue. Power the printer back on.
Identify the problem document.

If error 49 appears only with a specific document, that file contains corrupt or unsupported data. Try printing from a different application or exporting the document to PDF first, then printing the PDF.
Update the printer driver.

Download and install the latest HP driver for your printer model from HP's official website. An outdated driver can generate malformed data that triggers error 49.
Update the printer firmware.

Open the HP printer's built-in web page (type the printer's IP address into a browser). Navigate to the Firmware Update section and install any available updates. Outdated firmware can cause error 49 when processing certain document types.

When to Call a Professional

If error 49 recurs after every print job regardless of the document, the printer's formatter board may have developed a hardware fault — contact HP support or an authorised service centre.