You’re right in the middle of the task when, suddenly, it happens: your printer says offline, and you have a pending print job waiting to be processed. From printing an important work document to just printing something for personal use, this kind of issue can surely cause a workflow interruption. But on the bright side, when a printer says it is offline, the cause of the problem is often an easy fix. In this blog, we’ll dive into why your printer says offline and how to fix it quickly.
1. Check Your Printer’s Connection
One of the most common reasons your printer says offline is because of connectivity issues. If your printer is not properly connected to the network or your computer, it can show up as offline.
For Wireless Printers: Make sure that your printer is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your computer. If your printer says offline, it may have disconnected from the network. Reconnect it to make sure it is back online.
For Wired Printers: If you are using a USB or Ethernet connection, ensure that the cables are properly plugged in. A loose or damaged cable can cause the printer to go offline.
2. Set Your Printer As Default
Another common reason your printer says offline is that it might not be set as the default printer. If another printer is set as the default on your computer, it might not communicate with the proper one.
- Open the Control Panel and go to Devices and Printers.
- Right-click your printer and select Set as Default Printer.
This will ensure that your printer is always available to receive print jobs, and it will not be shown as offline.
3. Restart Your Printer and Computer
Sometimes, a simple restarting of your printer and computer will solve the problem causing your printer to go offline. Unplug both the printer and computer for a minute and then power them on again. This will restart the connection between the devices and might clear up an offline issue.
4. Update or Reinstall Printer Drivers
If your printer says that it is offline and does not print, this might be the case because of outdated drivers or corrupted ones. The printers allow your computer to communicate to the printer; therefore, they should always be the latest.
- Open Device Manager on your computer.
- Locate your printer under Printers.
- Right-click and choose Update Driver or Uninstall Device. Then, reinstall the drivers from the manufacturer’s website.
Having the latest drivers prevents issues where your printer keeps on saying offline.
5. Status of the Printer from Printer Queue
Sometimes, pending jobs stuck in the queue that keep your printer from doing things properly might be shown if your printer is still set to offline. To address the problem:
Open up the Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
Right-click the printer and select See What’s Printing.
If there is a pending print job, cancel it or clear the queue. This will often solve the “printer says offline” issue.
6. Check for Paper Jams or Low Ink
When your printer is physically clogged due to a paper jam or low ink levels, it may seem offline. Physical problems can limit the printer from printing, and hence, an error of being offline.
Scan for paper jams in your printer.
First off, check the ink level to see whether there is enough for printing.
Once you overcome this problem, your printer might come back online, hence.
7. Configuring Your Wireless Printer
Now sometimes, if you own a wireless printer, its condition about being offline might simply stem from a network failure because if the printer remains separated from its internet connection, it turns itself to be offline.
Therefore, here is the first thing you can try with your printer:
Proceed to the network settings of your printer and check if it is connected to the proper Wi-Fi network.
You may even reset the network setting of your printer and get reconnected with the router if you want to do so.
By ensuring your wireless printer connects to your network appropriately, you won’t ever be bothered with the “printer says offline” error message again.
8. Disable “Use Printer Offline” Mode
If your printer declares it is offline when everything around it seems to be in check, then the “Use Printer Offline” mode may inadvertently have been turned on.
Click on Devices and Printers on your computer.
Now right-click on your printer and click See What’s Printing.
Click on Printer up at the top of the window and uncheck Use Printer Offline.
This will disable the offline mode and allow the printer to return to online status.
9. Restart Your Router
Sometimes, the connectivity issues are not only with your printer but also with your network. If your wireless printer keeps going offline, try restarting your router. This will refresh the connection between your printer and your Wi-Fi network.