When you want to print a document, you select
"Print" and your preferred printer, but nothing happens. Follow these
simple steps to change your printer status from offline to online.
You check the printer menu and notice a "Printer
Offline" message. With a few simple checks and steps, you can easily and
quickly get your printer back online.
Occasionally when printing. The device or computer believes
the printer is turned off when, in fact, it is turned on and ready to print.
This could be due to a communication failure between your
device or computer and the printer.
It could be as simple as your cable not being properly
connected or a simple error caused by a paper jam.
However, a "Offline" printer error can also be
caused by issues with your printer driver or software. This can vary depending
on the age of your printer and whether or not you have installed updates.
This printer offline to online troubleshooting tool is
compatible with a wide range of printers, including Brother, Canon, Epson, HP,
and many others.
How do I get my offline printer to show up as online again?
Follow each step to ensure you haven't overlooked anything
when converting your printer from offline to online.
Checks for Physical Printers and Cables
Ensure that both ends of the USB cable are securely
inserted. If the printer is networked, ensure that the Ethernet cable is
properly inserted. Check your internet connection or make sure the printer is
connected to your router if it is wireless.
If you're connected via cable, try plugging the printer
cable end into multiple ports or sockets on your device.
To ensure that the problem is not with the cable alone, try
using a different cable. If you're on a network or using a wireless device, a
simple test would be to connect a cable to your computer/device to ensure your
printer is operational. As a result, the problem could be with your network
connection.
How to Make the Printer "Online" Manually
Select Control Panel, then Devices and Printers from the
Start menu at the bottom left of your screen.
Select "See what's printing" by right-clicking the
printer in question.
Choose "Printer" from the menu bar at the top of
the window that appears.
From the drop down menu, choose "Use Printer
Online."
Remove All Pending Print Jobs From the previously mentioned
"See What's Printing" menu, right click and "Cancel" any
print jobs that are present.
Select "Use Printer Online" once more after the
print jobs have been removed.
If any suborn print jobs remain, restart both your computer
and printer.
Taking Out and Reinstalling Your Printer
Select "Remove device" by right-clicking the
printer in Devices and Printers.
Add the printer again by selecting Add a Printer from the
Devices and Printers menu.
How to Uninstall Printer Drivers and Software
Check that you are running Windows as an administrator or
that you have signed in as one.
In the search bar, type CMD.
To open the Print Server Properties window, open a command
prompt and type "printui /s /t2" including the spaces.
Now, uninstall the Driver and Package for the printer in
question.
You can now re-add your printer by going to Devices and
Printers and selecting Add a Printer.
Your printer should now be online, allowing you to continue
printing.
If not, there is likely an electronic problem with the
printer; further advice would be to contact the printer's manufacturer or a
printer technician.
Check the cost of repairing a printer error; in some cases,
purchasing a new printer may be less expensive than paying for repairs and
maintenance.
Another option for getting your printer back online. Take the following steps:
To attempt to connect your printer to the internet. Navigate
to "Settings," then "Printers." Select "Use Printer
Online" from the printer's context menu.
Check for any open print jobs and clear them. Double-click
on the printer you want to use.
Select "Cancel All Documents" from the
"Printer Menu."
If there was a printer jam or job, the printer may display
an error and go offline.
To bring the printer back online, try printing again. To see
if the error has been resolved, print a test page.
Locate the printer and turn it off before turning it back
on.
Examine the printer to see if there is a jam that could
cause an error.
Check all network and wireless connections to ensure that
they are all operational. Start the device or computer again.
If this does not work, you must reinstall the drivers.
Go to "Settings," then "Printers," and
select the printer to reinstall the drivers.
Right-click the printer and select "Properties."
Look for the driver button under "General" or
"Details," select it, and then select the driver again.
You may need to download the driver from the printer
manufacturer's website as well.
Install the printer again. Return to the
"Settings" menu and select the printer under "Printers."
Remove the printer from the list and reinstall it using the
"Add printer" wizard.
Use the most recent printer driver available from the
printer manufacturer's website.
If this does not work, try the following simple steps:
Select the "Devices and Printers" folder after
clicking "Start." Alternatively, in the open search bar, type
"Devices and Printers." Alternatively, type "Printers" to
access the printer settings menu.
Right-click on the printer icon. It could be labelled as a
part of the device or printer name. If you're not sure, check your device.
Select "See What's Printing" from the drop-down menu.
Alternatively, left-click the printer and select
"Manage Device."
