Fix Printer Says offline But Is connected.Has it ever happened to you that you want to get a print and therefore select your printer to receive the message “Your printer is offline”? We understand how frustrating it can be for you if you want an urgent print in the middle of work. You don’t need to worry because there are some simple steps to take to get your printer working again!In this article, we will share 12 working methods to fix printer offline error.
What does the printer offline error mean?
This arises due to a communication failure between the computer and the printer. It usually occurs on network printers, but home users can face this problem as well. Before we delve into the solutions to this problem, let’s first discuss why exactly this problem exists. This happens in one of the three cases.The first is when the printer encounters an internal error or when the print queue is quite long and lastly when the connection present between the computer and the user is slow / unresponsive.
How to fix printer offline error;12 working methods to fix printer offline error.
Before we go through all the methods, let’s take a look at some things that can be done before that can easily solve the problem in question:
1. Restart the printer / computer.
The first thing you can do is simply restart the computer. Most errors can be resolved by doing this.
2. Unplug and re-plug the USB cable
The USB cable may not be plugged in properly. Unplug and plug it back in. You can also try another cable if you have one.
3. Make sure the printer’s power cord is plugged into a power outlet
Make sure the power cord is connected to the printer. If you can see light on your printer, then the power is fine. If the printer won’t turn on, then the problem is with the power cord or the electrical outlet.
4. For network printers: restart the router
Restarting the router can fix this problem for network printers.
5. Use diagnostic software
Some manufacturers, for example HP have their own diagnostic software. These help in the efficient detection of problems. HP’s diagnostic software is called HP Print and Scan Doctor.
Windows also comes with a default troubleshooter. Just go to the control panel and type troubleshoot in the search box. Run the printer troubleshooter. If the problem is common, the troubleshooter will let you know the details along with the steps to fix it. If the troubleshooter does not show any problems, you can try the methods listed below.
6. Modify printer settings
This would be for the Windows 10 printer offline error. Follow these steps carefully:
1) Open the control panel.
2) Go to the Devices and Printers window.
3) Check if the printer that is set as the default is the one you want to use.
4) Then right click on your printer and check its queue.
5) If the queue consists of unfinished tasks, remove them from the list.
6) In the queue window, select Printer and then uncheck the Use printer offline option.
7. Restart the spooler service
The spooler service is a service used by the printer to get its work done. For this reason, it is practical to reset this to get the printer working again. That’s how!
1) Press the key with the Windows key printed together with the ‘r’ key together.
2) Enter “services.msc”.
3) Press Enter or click OK.
4) This prompts the Services window to open. After that, locate the «Print Queue» service.
5) Right click on the print queue
6) Select Restart.
This may or may not solve the problem. But, it is important to note that this is by no means a permanent solution. You may have to follow these steps again if the problem occurs again.
8. Change printer properties
If the above methods have not worked for you, you can try changing the printer settings as follows:
1) Go to the Control Panel.
2) Click Devices and Printers.
3) Right click on the desired printer.
4) Click Printer Properties.
5) Go to the ports window.
6) Select your printer’s IP address from the list and select Configure Port.
7) Uncheck the SNMP port status.
8) Select OK to save the changes.
9. Manually configure online status
This is one of the easiest and most efficient steps on the list:
1) Go to the Control Panel.
2) Click Devices and Printers.
3) Right click on the desired printer and select “See what’s printing”.
4) This opens a window. Select the printer from the same menu.
5) This would open a drop down menu. Uncheck the “Use printer offline” option.
10. Reinstall the printer drivers.
Users claim that we can easily fix this problem by reinstalling the printer drivers. Don’t you take his word for it? Go ahead and see for yourself:
1) Go to the Control Panel.
2) Select Devices and Printers.
3) Right click on the printer you are using and click “Remove Device”.
4) You will receive a confirmation dialog. Click ‘yes’.
5) Download the latest driver from the printer manufacturer’s site or use the CD provided with the printer. Drivers can also be updated by clicking “Check for updates” on the Windows update page. You can also install the drivers simply by connecting the printer.
If the drivers are not updated, you can use a driver update software . The software will verify and update the latest printer driver on your device.
11. Install the latest updates
It is possible that the reason you are making so many errors is due to the fact that you have not updated the device regularly. To do this:
1) Click the Windows key and me together.
2) In the Settings app, go to Update & Security.
3) Click Check for Updates.
This enables automatic download of updates if they are available.
12. Remove printer drivers and packages
To continue with this method, it is important that you are using your Windows device as an administrator.
1) Type “CMD” in the search bar. This would open the command prompt.
2) At the command prompt, type “printui / s / t2”. Please note that the spaces are intentional. This opens the Print Server Properties window.
3) Now, you can go ahead and remove the driver and packages for the desired printer.
This may have resolved the problem and returned your printer to “Online” status.
Last words
If none of the steps mentioned above worked for you, there may be an electronic failure in the printer. At a point like this, it is highly recommended to contact the printer manufacturer or a printer technician directly. A very important tip would be to check the cost of correcting this error on the printer. This is because it is sometimes cheaper to just buy a brand new printer. Happy printing!
