When you want to print a document, you sometimes click "Print"
and choose your preferred printer, but nothing happens.
Follow these easy steps to change the status of your printer
from "offline" to "online."
It's something that happens every day.
When you look at the printer menu,
you see that it says "Printer Offline."
With a few simple checks and steps,
you can quickly and easily get your printer
back online.
When printing, there are times the computer or device
thinks the printer is offline, but the printer is actually
on and ready to print.
This can happen if there is a problem between your computer
or device and the printer.
Sometimes the problem is as simple as a cable that isn't attached
properly or a paper jam.
But if your printer shows "Offline," it could be because
of a problem with your printer driver or software.
This can depend on how old your printer is
or if you've installed updates or not.
This printer offline to online troubleshooting can be used
with HP, Brother, Epson, Canon, and many other
types of printers.
How to get my printer online
Check on the printer and cables
Make sure that both ends of the USB cable
are securely plugged in.
If the printer is connected to a network,
make sure the Ethernet cable is in tightly.
If the printer is wireless, check your internet
connection or make sure it is connected to
your router.
If you're connected by cable, try plugging the other end
of the printer cable into more than one port or socket
on your device.
Try a different cable to make sure that the problem
isn't just with the cable.
If you're on a network or using a wireless device,
you can easily make sure your printer is working
by connecting a cable to your computer or device.
Manually put the printer back online
1. Go to the Start button in the lower left corner of your screen,
then choose Control Panel and then Devices and Printers.
2. Select "See what's printing" by right-clicking the printer in question.
3. From the menu bar at the top of the new window, choose "Printer."
4. From the drop-down menu, choose "Use Printer Online."
Cancel all pending printing tasks
1. From the "See what's printing" menu, which we already talked about,
right-click on any print jobs and click "Cancel."
2. Select "Use Printer Online" again after the print jobs
have been removed.
3. If there are still any unfinished print jobs,
try restarting both your PC and printer.
Take Your Printer Off and Put It Back On
1. In Devices and Printers, right-click the printer
and choose "Remove device."
2. Select Add a Printer from the Devices and Printers menu
to add the printer again.
Remove Printer Packages and Drivers
1. Make sure you use Windows as an administrator
or log in as one.
2. In the search bar, type CMD.
3. Type "printui /s /t2" with the spaces to open
the Print Server Properties window.
The command prompt must be open.
4. Now, get rid of the Driver and Package for the printer in question.
5. You can now add your printer again by going to Devices and Printers
and clicking on "Add a Printer."
Now, your printer should show that it is online and let you keep printing.
If not, there may be a problem with the printer's electronics.
You could also talk to the printer's manufacturer or a printer technician
for more help.
Always find out how much it will cost to fix a printer error.
In some cases, it may be cheaper to buy a new printer
than to fix and maintain the old one.
You can get your printer back online in another way.
Here are the steps to take:
1. To try to connect your printer to the Internet. Click "Settings" and then "Printers."
Select "Use Printer Online" when you right-click on the printer.
2. Check to see if any print jobs are waiting and clear them.
Double-click on the printer you want to use.
3. Select "Cancel All Documents" from the "Printer Menu."
4. If there was a printer jam or job, the printer might give
an error message and stop working.
5. To get the printer back online, try printing again.
Try printing a test page to see if the problem is still there.
6. Find the printer and turn it off by turning the switch to "printer off."
Then turn it back on.
7. Check to see if there is a jam in the printer,
which could cause an error.
8. Check all the wired and wireless network connections
to make sure they all work.
Start up the machine or device again.
If that didn't work, you need to reinstall your printer's drivers
1. Go to "Settings," then "Printers," and choose the printer
to reinstall the drivers.
2. Click "Properties" after right-clicking on the printer.
3. Look for the driver button under "General" or "Details,"
click it, and then choose the driver again.
4. You may also need to get the driver from the website
of the printer's maker.
5. Set up the printer again. Go back and choose the printer
under "Printers" in the "Settings" menu.
6. Delete the printer from the menu and reinstall it
using the "Add printer" wizard.
7. Use the most recent printer driver from the website
of the printer's maker.
If that STILL didn't work, you can try these simple steps:
1. Click "Start," then choose "Devices and Printers" from the list of folders.
Or, in the search bar, type "Devices and Printers."
Or, you can type "Printers" to get to the menu of settings.
2. Right-click on the printer icon. It may be part of the name of the device
or the name of the printer. Check your device if you're unsure.
Click the option that says "See What's Printing."
3. Or, click the printer's icon on the left and choose "Manage Device."
4. In the window that opens, click the "Printer" menu and uncheck "Use Printer Offline." Then, your printer will print whatever is in the print queue.
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