Jump to content
HP Customer Support

HP Officejet J6480 All-in-One Printer Troubleshooting

An 'Unsupported Operating System' or 'Software not compatible' Message Displays on a Mac Running OS X v10.8 Mountain Lion

  • PrintPrint
  • Share

Issue

If you attempt to install or update the HP software on Mountain Lion using the software CD that came with your printer, or using a previously downloaded driver, an 'Unsupported Operating System: This installer is not compatible... ' or 'This HP software may not be compatible with your version of Mac OS X ' message displays on the computer.
Figure 1: Unsupported Operating System message
Image: Unsupported Operating System message
Figure 2: Software not compatible message
Image: Software not compatible message
If you receive one of these messages during installation, do not worry. This is expected behavior. The message merely notifies you that you must obtain the HP software for OS X v10.8 Mountain Lion in another way.
To resolve the message , continue with the instructions in this document to install the HP driver using Apple Software Update.

Solution

Choose your connection type for installing the HP software for OS X v10.8 Mountain Lion using Apple Software Update.
Click the plus sign () for more information.
Show all | Hide all
Before you install new software, first remove the existing software to make sure that you have only the latest software and driver installed on your computer. Follow these steps to uninstall the existing software, and then install the latest HP software and driver for a USB connection.

Step one: Uninstall the software

Follow these steps to uninstall the exisiting sorftware.
Use the following steps to remove the HP print driver and software from a Mac OS X computer.
  1. Double-click the Macintosh HD icon ( ) from the desktop.
  2. Click Applications , and then click the Hewlett-Packard folder.
  3. Double-click the HP Uninstaller . The HP Uninstaller opens.
  4. Click Continue .
  5. Select the HP product to remove, and then click Uninstall .
  6. When prompted, type the Administrator name and Password, and then click OK .
  7. When the Uninstaller finishes, drag any icons for the product to the Trash .
  8. Return to Applications , and then click the Utilities folder.
  9. Double-click Activity Monitor . The Activity Monitor opens.
  10. Under Process Name , click any process that begins with HP , and then click Quit Process ( ).
  11. Click Quit again.
  12. Close the Activity Monitor .
  13. Empty the Trash .
    NOTE:If you cannot delete some items, return to the Activity Monitor and end the process, and then try to empty the Trash again.
  14. Disconnect the product, and then restart your computer.

Step two: Install the software using Apple Software Update

Follow these steps to install the software using Apple Software Update.
  1. Click the Apple menu ( ), and then click Software Update . Software Update checks for available updates and updates the database that your Mac uses to determine available printer software.
  2. Click Show Details , select any available software updates, and then click Install .
    NOTE: Install all available updates for best printer performance and functionality.
  3. Turn on your printer, and then make sure that it has paper in the tray and that it is in a ready state.
  4. Connect the USB cable to the printer and to the Mac. A print queue is automatically created for your printer. If the Mac already has current software for your printer, the print queue is created in the background.
    NOTE:If you are prompted to install any additional software for your printer, click Install , and then follow the instructions to complete the installation.
  5. Click the Apple menu, and then click System Preferences .
  6. Click Print & Scan , and then make sure that your printer is in the list of available devices.
    If your printer is not listed, click the plus sign ( ) at the bottom of the left pane, click the name of your USB printer, and then click Add .
    NOTE: Quit and restart any applications that were open before adding the printer to use the updated HP software features.
Before you install new software, first remove the existing printer software to make sure that you have only the latest software installed on your computer. Follow these steps to uninstall the existing software, and then install the printer software using the Apple Software Update.

Step one: Uninstall the software

Follow these steps to uninstall the exisiting sorftware.
Use the following steps to remove the HP print driver and software from a Mac OS X computer.
  1. Double-click the Macintosh HD icon ( ) from the desktop.
  2. Click Applications , and then click the Hewlett-Packard folder.
  3. Double-click the HP Uninstaller . The HP Uninstaller opens.
  4. Click Continue .
  5. Select the HP product to remove, and then click Uninstall .
  6. When prompted, type the Administrator name and Password, and then click OK .
  7. When the Uninstaller finishes, drag any icons for the product to the Trash .
  8. Return to Applications , and then click the Utilities folder.
  9. Double-click Activity Monitor . The Activity Monitor opens.
  10. Under Process Name , click any process that begins with HP , and then click Quit Process ( ).
  11. Click Quit again.
  12. Close the Activity Monitor .
  13. Empty the Trash .
    NOTE:If you cannot delete some items, return to the Activity Monitor and end the process, and then try to empty the Trash again.
  14. Disconnect the product, and then restart your computer.

Step two: Install the software using Apple Software Update

Follow these steps to install the software using Apple Software Update.
  1. Click the Apple menu ( ), and then click Software Update . Software Update checks for available updates and updates the database that your computer uses to determine available printer software.
  2. Click Show Details , select any available software updates, and then click Install .
    NOTE: Install all available software updates for best printer performance and functionality.
  3. Turn on the printer, and then make sure that it has paper in the tray and that it is in a ready state.
  4. Make sure that the printer is connected to the wired or wireless network, or is connected to the USB port of a Time Capsule or AirPort Base Station.
  5. Click the Apple menu, and then click System Preferences .
  6. Click Print & Scan , and then click the plus sign ( ) in the lower left corner of the window.
  7. Under Nearby Printers , click the name of your printer.
    NOTE:If your printer is not listed, click Add Printer or Scanner for a full list of printers.
  8. Under Name , click the name of your printer.
    NOTE:Make sure that the printer kind is Bonjour or Bonjour Multifunction .
  9. Click the Use box, and then select the name of your printer in the pop-up menu.
  10. Click Add to add the printer to the queue.
  11. If you are prompted to install any additional software for your printer, click Install , and then follow the instructions to complete the installation.
    NOTE: Quit and restart any applications that were open before adding the printer to use the updated HP software features.
Search your printer's home page to help resolve issues associated with the error message you encountered.
  2. Search your printer's home page for "Printer not Found" or "Unable to Find Printer" topics to help resolve the issue.