How frustrating it is when your HP printer not working for printing an important document or an urgent report. Still, there are a few solutions that can be applied on a Windows as well as on a Mac device. Thus, although you have an HP printer on Windows 11 or merely some edition of Windows, and you may even be troubleshooting on a Mac, this tutorial shall guide you step by step in solving the problem about your printer so that it shall work again.
Common Reasons Your HP Printer Will Not Work
It’s necessary to first try to figure out what could be the reasons for your HP printer not working. Here are some of the common reasons:
1. Your printer is not correctly connected to your computer or Wi-Fi.
2. Printer driver: It might be missing, or it might be so outdated on your system.
3. There’s an issue with the spooler in your printer; hence, it cannot process your print jobs.
4. Software Conflicts: Maybe there is something else running on your computer that’s causing the problem.
5. Hardware Problems: There could be something wrong with your printer physically, such as paper jams, lack of ink, or not properly plugged in.
Step-by-Step Solutions to Troubleshoot an HP Printer Not Working
Here are a few top fixes for when your HP printer stops working on Windows and Mac. First glance
1. Printer Connection check.
Check for connection of both Windows and Mac by first starting with checking the connection of the printer. If using a wireless HP printer, then one is sure the printer is correctly connected to the right Wi-Fi. If using a USB printer, ensure that its cable is firmly connected to your computer and also to the printer.
Windows: Open your Settings, then click on Devices followed by Printers & Scanners to see if it is the default.
Mac: Click the small Apple logo. Under System Preferences, then under Printers & Scanners, look for it
2. Restart Printer Spooler Service (Only for Windows)
If your HP printer doesn’t print on Windows 11, the most likely offender is the spooler print service. Here are the steps for how to reset the spooler
Win + R → type services. msc and press enter.
– Search for the print spooler service, left-click it then right-click and click restart
Now try printing and see if that bug is gone.
3. Update or Reinstall Printer Drivers
Outdated printer drivers are yet another of the most common reasons why your HP printer is not working. Be it the case of an HP printer on Windows 11 or on macOS, in both cases, updating is very crucial.
For Windows: Open the keyboard. Hold the Windows + X keys, then press on Device Manager. Right-click your HP printer located in the category of Printers and then select Update driver.
For Mac: On Apple Menu> go to System Preferences > printers & scanners, then click on your printer. Click on the menu on the right side select Options & Supplies and check whether there are updates available or reinstall the drivers for the printer.
4. Clear Queue in Your Printer
Sometimes, your HP printer may accept the print job, but it won’t print. One cause of this may be a stuck print job; therefore, follow these steps on how to get rid of a stuck print job from the queue.
Windows: Under Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners, select a printer and tap the menu, and then select Open queue; you will see stuck print jobs to cancel there, then you can print again.
Mac. Under System Preferences > Printers & Scanners, select your printer and click the Print Queue; it lets you cancel print jobs queued up for printing.
5. Printer Reset
If nothing of that helps, perhaps it is time to look at resetting your HP printer. A reset flushes the software bugs from your device, which you could have acquired, or just simply resets your device back to its factory default state. Reset your printer as if you are being instructed on how to do so with the following steps provided below.
Power off your printer and unplug it for around 30 seconds.
Replug the printer, turn the printer on again, and observe whether the problem continues or not.
6. Printer Error Message and Paper Jam of the Printer
Sometimes, it is due to a very simple, physical problem: the paper is jammed or the ink is empty. Please check for an error message that might be flashed on the printer display. Besides, ensure your paper tray is not jammed. Next, check whether your ink or toner is running low and replace it if necessary.
7. Set Printer Default
Sometimes, it simply doesn’t work because of the reason—the default configurations—with your HP printer. First, make sure that your HP printer has to be set as a default
For Windows: In Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners, click on the name of the printer and click Set as Default
– To Mac, System Preference > Printers & Scanners; right-click the HP printer and select Set as Default Printer.
Final Words
It’s just so frustrating when your HP printer not working, but there are so many different solutions you could look into. Using your HP printer on Windows 11 or a Mac, the following common troubleshooting steps should be able to sort out issues that you run across repeatedly, from connecting in the first place to clearing out the printer queue and resetting.