Printers are the most common source of our daily work and housework problems. However, they become problematic over time. With some minor glitches and some major malfunctions, learning how to reset a printer will solve most of the problems one faces with printers. Whether error messages, connectivity issues, or print quality, a printer reset can make it perform well and solve the issue that persists in the printer. In this blog post, we discuss when to reset your printer and exactly how to reset a printer to provide you with good performance.
When to Reset Your Printer?
Usually very important, before a printer reset, is to know when you may reset your printer. The printing problem solved through printer reset sometimes appears simple, because that’s its beauty; they solve it quickly and nicely. Other scenarios to decide whether or not to reset include the following:
1. Printer Won’t Connect to Your Computer or Network
If your printer is not connecting to your computer or is having trouble with wireless connectivity, a reset can be helpful in resolving the problem. This is particularly useful for Wi-Fi printers that might be struggling to communicate with your network. A reset can clear out any network errors or configuration issues, allowing the printer to reconnect seamlessly.
2. Frequent Printer Errors
Does your printer keep flashing the error messages “Printer not responding,” “Paper jam,” or “Low ink” due to no apparent reason? Troubleshooting a printer with a reset can help eliminate all such problems. Resetting your printer removes temporary errors, refreshes the internal system, and returns things to normal.
3. Slow Printing or Poor Quality Print
If your printer slows down or shows signs of bad print quality—faded prints, misaligned texts, or streaks there is hope that a reset may help regain optimal print performance. A reset may help re-establish a better relationship between your computer and your printer and solve your print quality problem.
4. Non-responsive Controls or Touch Screen
At times, controls or the touchscreen on a printer become non-responsive and thus are impossible to operate. If turning off and on does not solve the problem, the system reset would reboot it so that the controls work again.
5. After Installation of New Printer Driver or Firmware Update
It means installing a new printer driver or even upgrading the firmware has compatibility risks, which could hinder your properly functioning printer’s ability.
Temporary errors resulting from new updates would be cleared in the case of resetting your printer.
How to Reset a Printer
If you want to reset a printer, the methods you will use mainly depend on what type of model you have in your printer. Below, I will walk you through the majority of the usual reset options when it comes to printers.
1. Power Cycling the Printer
The easiest option for resetting any printer is its simple power cycling. This might be the appropriate solution for more general issues such as slow printing speed, poor overall performance, and connectivity issues.
- Turn off your printer using the power button.
- Remove it from the source of power.
- Wait for 10 to 15 minutes and let its internal system reset.
- Plug it back in and then turn it on.
Sometimes, this can fix even the smallest problems, and the printer should work well once more, having reset its system.
Step 2: Hard Reset (Factory Reset)
A hard reset, or factory reset, is a complete reset that returns the printer to its factory settings. This is especially useful when the printer is not responding to simple troubleshooting steps. Note, however, that a factory reset will erase all of your saved settings, including Wi-Fi configurations and custom preferences. Here’s how to do a hard reset:
- Navigate to the Settings Menu: On your printer’s control panel, go to the “Settings” or “Setup” menu.
- Locate the Reset Option: Look for an option that says “Restore Factory Settings,” “Reset Printer,” or something similar.
- Confirm the Reset: You’ll be prompted to confirm the reset. Once confirmed, the printer will return to its factory settings.
- Re-establish your printer to the network after resetting, then reinstall any preferences that may have been configured before.
Step 3: Reset the Network Settings on Your Printer
If you realize that there’s a connectivity problem with your printer, mainly when it concerns the Wi-Fi connection, then it might be important to reset your printer’s network settings. The resetting process removes the saved configurations and lets you start fresh with your network.
- Open your printer’s “Network Settings.”
- Select “Restore Network Settings” or “Network Reset.”
- You will be prompted to confirm the reset. Once you do so, your printer will disconnect from the old network settings.
- Reconnect your printer to your WiFi network using the new settings.
Step 4: Reset Printer to Default Settings (Soft Reset)
You may need a soft reset to set the printer to default without getting rid of your entire configuration. This is specifically great for clearing errors that pop up when connecting over a network or issues pertaining to connectivity. The steps in reaching the reset menu are exactly the same, but you’ll need to select this option for the soft reset instead of that for a factory reset.
Resetting the Printer to Troubleshoot
Printer troubleshooting with a reset is one of the best solutions to unending printer issues. Resetting your printer may clear up temporary glitches of software, resolve connections, and even enhance performance. But resetting usually has to be considered a last option after checking other common troubleshooting methods such as checking cables, replacing inks, or updating drivers.
If resetting doesn’t solve the problem, then probably it is time to look for hardware problems or call professional support. Moreover, don’t forget that some problems, like ink or paper jams, might require more specific fixes before you reset your printer.
For further details on how to reset a printer or troubleshoot your printer, check our website.