Fix HP Printer Error 49.4c02 on Windows PC

The primary cause of the error 49.4c02 on your HP printer is miscommunication between your computer and the printer or due to outdated printer firmware. It also shows up when you attempt to print a PDF that has complex fonts.

If the 49.4c02 error you encounter is due to miscommunication between your PC and printer or outdated firmware, you may experience the issue all the time. But for the latter reason, the error only shows up when you want to print specific PDFs.

How do I fix HP Printer Error 49.4c02 on Windows PC?

The very first thing to do before attempting other solutions is to power OFF the printer and disconnect it from the network and power outlet. Then, reconnect the printer, power it back ON and check. If the error doesn’t go away, try the following troubleshooting steps:

Update the HP printer’s firmware.
Print your PDF as an image.
Install and use PCL6 drivers.
Disable Advanced Printing Features.

Below, I will go into these solutions in detail.

1] Update the HP printer’s firmware

Similar to updating your computer or smartphone, your printer’s firmware should be up to date to function optimally. HP rolls out these upgrades periodically to fix bugs, such as the error 49.4c02.

However, the first thing you must do before proceeding with the firmware update is to return the printer to its Ready state. A printer being in Ready State does not have any pending print jobs.

How to put HP printer in Ready State

Press the Windows key and type Printers & Scanners. Click on Printers & scanners from the suggestions.
Next, click on your HP printer from the list on the Printers & Scanners window and then select the See what’s printing option.
Finally, right-click on an empty space on this window and choose Cancel All Documents.
The above steps work when you are the only one using the printer. If the printer is on a network and shared with the devices on this network, you can’t do the above on every device on the network. In this case, simply unplug the network cable from behind the printer and restart the printer with the network cable unplugged.
With your printer now in Ready State mode, you can now update the firmware.

You can either upgrade the firmware of your HP printer using the Firmware Update Utility or over the internet using an FTP connection. I’ll show you how to upgrade the firmware of your printer in these two ways.

How do I update HP printer firmware using the Firmware Update Utility?

First, you have to print a configuration page from the HP printer giving the error to find out its current firmware version. To check this, navigate to the Configuration section of the printer menu and select Administration (or Information, depending on the printer).
Knowing your current firmware, head over to the HP driver support page and type in the model of your printer in the Enter my HP model number field. This takes you to the model-specific page.
Next, choose your current Windows version from the Operating system options, and you will see all the firmware downloads available for your printer and compatible with your Windows version.
This page lists the most recent firmware version at the top. Download this firmware if it’s a later version than what you have currently.

On completion of the firmware download, double-click on the Firmware Update Utility file to run it. Select your printer from the dropdown menu. If your printer is on a network, you have to connect the printer to your computer directly using a USB cable. Finally, hit the Send Firmware button and wait for the firmware update to complete.

How do I update my printer using FTP?

First, confirm the IP address of your printer from the Configuration page as stated earlier. Read this post for Wi-Fi printers.
Next, go to the HP driver support page, and in the Enter my HP model number field, type in the model number of your printer. Hit ENTER, and you will go to the specific download page for your printer.
Now click on the dropdown below Operating Systems and choose one from OS independent and Cross-Platform.
Click on the Firmware section to expand it and see the firmware downloads for your HP printer. Next, hit the download button next to the most recent firmware listed at the top to begin the download.

When the download is complete, double-click on the file to start the installation. Next, select your Desktop as the location on your computer to which you want to extract the .RTU file.

When the extraction completes, go to your Desktop, click on the .RTU file and press CTRL + C to copy the file.

Next, press the Windows key + E combination to open Windows Explorer. Here, click on the address bar and type in ftp://[123.123.123.123] and hit ENTER. Replace “123.123.123.123” with the correct IP address of your printer.

Now, navigate to the PORT folder and press CTRL + V to paste the .RTU file you copied from your Desktop. If you don’t have the PORT folder, right-click on an empty area and go to New > Folder. Rename this new folder as PORT and paste the .RTU file in the folder.

2] Print your PDF as an image

Most users get the 49.4c02 error on their HP printers mainly when attempting to print a PDF with unusual font styles. If updating your printer’s firmware doesn’t solve the problem, you can bypass the error by printing your PDF as an image instead.

Before going further, ensure that there is no PDF on the print queue and restart the printer.

Open the PDF you want to print and press the Windows key + P combination. On the Print window, click on Advanced.

Next, mark the checkbox next to Print As Image.

NOTE: The exact location of the Print As Image option will vary according to your printer model.

Finally, click on the OK button and then hit Print. You should now see your PDF printed out with no issues. If you still get the 49.4c02 error when you print your PDF as an image, it means that the PDF itself is corrupt.

Read: How to fix PCL XL Error in HP printers

3] Install and use PCL6 drivers

Your printer’s drivers make use of scripting languages, such as PCL6, PCL5, and PCL5e. Users who encountered the 49.4c02 error solved the problem by using the PCL6 drivers.

You can download the PCL6 drivers also from the HP driver support website. Here, type your printer’s model number into the Enter my HP model number field and choose your version of Windows from the Operating system dropdown.

On this page, click to expand Driver – Universal Print Driver. Locate HP Universal Print Driver for Windows PCL6 and hit the Download button beside this option.

When the download finishes, double-click on the downloaded file to run it. Choose your preferred location and Unzip the file. Next, follow the given instructions to complete the installation.

Finally, restart your computer to get rid of the error.

4] Disable Advanced Printing Features

Your printer may have some features enabled that are incompatible with your setup. You should disable these features and test to see if these were causing the 49.4c02 error.

Press the Windows key and search for Printers. Select Printers & Scanners from the suggestions.

On the next screen, click on your HP printer. Next, select the Advanced option. Go to Advanced Printing Features and change this option to Disabled.

What does the error 49.4c02 mean?

The error 49.4c02 means that your HP printer has encountered a problem fulfilling a print job. You have to cancel all the tasks on the print queue before fixing the problem or in some cases, bypass the error by printing a different document.

What causes error 49.4c02?

The main cause of the 49.4c02 error is a failure in communication between the printer and your device sending the print job. It’s also caused by outdated firmware and PDFs with complex content.

Why is my wireless printer giving me an error?

The most likely reason printers give errors is when there is a problem with the printer or its configuration. Printer errors have designated error codes that enable you to identify the specific cause of the issue.