Three hours of forum-diving later, she found a cryptic post from 2022: "The HP Smart app lies. Use the manual Windows add-printer wizard. Select 'HP' as manufacturer, then 'HP LaserJet 1020 (Windows Update version)'. Let it download overnight if needed."
She followed the steps, her finger hovering over the mouse. At 11:47 PM, the little printer coughed, whirred, and spat out a test page—crooked but triumphant.
"I will not buy a new printer," she told her reflection.
From then on, she never doubted Windows 11 again. She just doubted HP's installer.