Printer problems can be frustrating. The Printer status will show Offline if it has trouble communicating with your computer. The problem could be due to connectivity issues or a printer fault. However, most likely the issue is caused by a missing driver. We have the solution you need to make your printer work online, regardless of the reason.
How to switch from an offline printer to an online one
The Printer status is offline means it’s not communicating with your device. Let’s start by checking the connectivity between your computer & printer. hp printer showing offline You should inspect the USB cable linking your printer and your laptop. If your network printer is connected, then you need to inspect the network cable connecting your printer and your router.
Check your PC again on the same network. You can confirm this using the Ping command. You can disconnect from VPN to check the status of your printer. To fix the temporary glitch, restart your computer and printer. This will allow you to turn off active printers even if they’re connected. You can clear all print jobs by pressing the “cancel all files on your printer” button. This will clear your printing queue and allow you to restart your model.
Modify the status of your printer online
- Open control panel for Devices and Printers
- This will show the installed printers list. Find the printer you want online.
- Right-click the item and make sure you set it to default
- Click again on the printer to open “see what’s printed”
Click Printer to open a new tab. To change the status of your printer from offline to online, you will see a tick beside the options Pause printing and Print Offline.
Make sure to check the print port
Also, ensure that your printer is correctly configured and that it uses the correct USB port.
- Open the control panel and then the Devices and Printers section.
- Locate your printer by right-clicking it. Click Printer properties
- Go to the Ports tab. Select the appropriate port (USB01).
- Make sure to check that the printer works properly after you have made this small adjustment.
Check the status of the Print Spooler Service
The print spooler software interface is the most crucial utility. printer is showing offline It controls how documents are printed. The print spooler service needs to be running to finish print jobs and allow the printer to function properly.
- Click Windows key + R to type services. Click OK to activate MSc
- The windows services console will now open. Scroll down and find Print Spooler. You will see if it’s running.
- If it’s running right, click print spooler services and choose restart
- If you don’t see the status, it means that the print spooler has not started.
- Double-click the print spooler services to open their properties
- Set the service status to start next to it and change its start-up mode automatic.
- Click on Apply to verify that your printer is available online.
Run Printer Troubleshooter
Run the built-in printer troubleshooter. This will automatically detect and solve driver problems, and connectivity issues, and help restart printer-related services.
- Select Troubleshooting from the start menu.
- Click on the Additional Troubleshooting link (refer image below).
- Find the printer, select it, and then click Run Troubleshooter.
- This will help you identify and correct any issues that may be preventing your printer from functioning properly.
- Once the diagnosis is complete, you can restart your computer and printer. It will help you to fix the offline status.
Reinstall Printer Driver
For printers to communicate and function properly, you must have a printer driver installed on your system. Faulty, outdated printer drivers can also lead to Printer offline errors. Let’s first remove the outdated printer driver and then install the newer printer driver from the manufacturer’s website.
First, remove your printer driver:
- Open the devices & printers section of your control panel.
- Locate and right-click the printer you want to delete. Select’remove’.
- When the confirmation dialogue appears, click Yes
- Now press Windows Key + R, and type appwiz.CPL, and click OK
- This will open the Programs and Features window. See if your printer is listed there.
- Right-click on the printer driver to uninstall it. Follow on-screen instructions to completely delete it from your computer. Once done reboot your PC.
Reinstall printer driver
Download and install the latest printer drivers manually by going directly to the manufacturer’s website and searching for the correct driver. hp printer offline windows 10