In this short video I show you how to scan documents on an HP printer without making a (stupid) HP account that nobody wants. I grabbed a free HP printer off Facebook Marketplace after my old Canon started failing—one side of the rollers just stopped pulling paper properly—so I figured I’d at least see if the scanner worked. Naturally, my first thought was to use the HP Smart app on Windows/phone… and of course the Scan button immediately tries to force you into creating an account, with no real “no thanks” option. The workaround is dead simple: I just use the built-in Windows Fax and Scan app (yes, the ancient one that feels like it’s from the Vista days). Open it from the Start menu, hit “New Scan,” pick your scan settings (I do Document and Color), and scan like a normal person—no login, no handing over your info just to do the bare minimum. It’s not the fanciest touch-friendly app and you might need to rotate the scan afterward, but it gets the job done fast and clean.