In this modern age of technology, wireless printers are the ultimate in convenience. No longer messy cables or fixed installations—just convenient printing from anywhere in your home or office. But nothing is more maddening than hitting the issue: wireless printer connected but not printing. It’s a common issue, and happily, it has several tested-and-proven fixes.
In this blog, we will guide you step by step through why this happens and walk you through fixing it.
Why Is Your Wireless Printer Connected but Not Printing?
When your wireless printer is connected but not printing, it is a sign that your device can see the printer on the network, but the printing process won’t initiate. This could be because of several reasons, including
- The printer is paused or offline
- Corrupted or outdated printer drivers
- Problems with network connectivity
- Trapped print jobs in queue
- Default printer settings are not correctly set
- Hardware issues underlying like paper jam or ink out
- Determine the underlying reason to fix the nagging problem early.
Troubleshooting Steps to Effectively Resolve
- Check Printer Status
Your device might show the wireless printer is online but won’t print.
The printer might be offline even when it shows this message.
To check:
Control Panel > Devices and Printers
Right-click your printer icon
Make sure “Use Printer Offline” is not checked and it’s selected as default printer
- Restart Devices
Most users report that a simple reboot of the devices remedies the wireless printer being connected but not printing.
Steps:
- Power off and remove power cord of printer
- Restart PC and Wi-Fi router
- Plug in and reboot the printer once again
- This flushes out the connection and eliminates tiny hiccups.
- Clear Print Queue
Print jobs may be pending and blocking new ones from being printed.
Steps:
- Proceed to Devices and Printers
- Click on your printer and open the print queue
- Cancel all pending print jobs
- Try printing again to see if it resolves the issue
- Update or Reinstall Printer Drivers
Corrupted drivers may make your wireless printer connected but not printing properly.
What to do:
- Go to your printer company’s official website
- Download and install a newer printer model driver
- Or, uninstall the current driver and re-install from the beginning
- Network Configuration
Even though the connection might seem active, your device and printer might still be on other networks.
- How to check:
Print a network configuration page out of your printer - Verify the IP address and compare it against your system network settings
- Ensure both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network
Bonus Fixes You Shouldn’t Miss
Run Windows Printer Troubleshooter: It will automatically scan and fix issues.
Search for Firmware Updates: Businesses like to release patches that fix printing issues.
Verify Ink and Paper Levels: Inadequate ink or out-of-paper trays can silently stop printing jobs.
Avoid Signal Interference: Position your printer in a good distance from the Wi-Fi router.
Still Experiencing Wireless Printer Connected but Not Printing?
If you’ve exhausted the above solutions and the wireless printer is connected but not printing, it might be a deeper technical issue. Contact your printer’s customer support with detailed information, including your printer model, OS version, and steps you’ve tried so far.
Conclusion
Having a wireless printer that is connected but not printing can stop your work and introduce unnecessary frustration. But in most instances, the issue is relatively simple to resolve with a methodical approach. By following the above steps—printer status check, driver update, and network check—you can be back to hassle-free wireless printing in no time.
Prevention is the best, as they say. Keep your printer’s firmware up to date, your network in solid shape, and your print queue free of cloggages. That way, you won’t be scratching your head when your printer suddenly takes a break.
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