My printer is offline

You need to print that boarding pass or a an important document.

And your printer won’t print. Or its says its OFFLINE! Nooo!

Ok lets look at the most common reason it wont print.

Like most technology there can be a most unlikely reason for this happening.

Moved house recently?

Had a power outage?

Disconnected from the internet?

Maybe none of the above.

We have all screamed or growled at that moment, frustrated by the device we rely on. When things stops responding or it simply won’t work.

Don’t despair, printer problems can be easier to solve than we imagine.

First of all think carefully if there may have been any changes to the printers environment.

This is important to think carefully, because when we change our physical address we notify the post office so mail will be forwarded. We tell our family and friends etc etc. In the case of out technology it may well be an afterthought.

Try this first:

My printer is offline

Check the printer, cables, and connections

Start by checking the basics.

Is your printer turned on?
Paper in the input tray?
Check the ink or toner levels
Any error messages or blinking lights on the control panel?

Next a check list….

Are all the cables in good order, no physical damage on the connections?
Printer is connected to a power source and all wires are plugged in firmly.
If connected by a cable (USB or Ethernet) test the cable other ports on your PC.
Try a different one to be sure.
Or if connected by Wi-Fi, run a cable between your printer and computer to see if your printer is working.

Check the internet

Make sure your internet connection is working.
Check your printer is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your computer. The menu (network) on your printer will show you which network is current.

Still offline?

If your connection is working and your printer is still offline, there are some steps to try from your computer if you’re running Windows 10 or 11.

Make your Printer the Default

Ensure your computer uses the correct printer for print and scan jobs. Here’s how:

1. Select the Windows Start button, then Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Look at the list of printers
   • Are all your printers listed?
   • Is there a copy of your printer (eg Copy 1)
3. Choose your printer, then select Open queue.
   • Delete all the print jobs that are listed
4. Under Printer, select Set As Default Printer
5. If a message pops up saying “Setting this printer as default means Windows will stop managing your default printer,” select OK.

Remove all pending print jobs

To clear the print queue, try the following:

1. Select the Start button, then choose Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Choose your printer, then select Open queue.
3. Under Document Name, choose any documents listed, then select Document > Cancel. This will remove all pending print jobs.

Run the printer troubleshooter

1. Select the Start button, then choose Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Choose your printer, then click Manage.
3. Click Run the troubleshooter and follow the prompts to see if Windows can locate any issues.

Disable Use Printer Offline mode

If your printer is in Use Printer Offline mode, it definitely won’t work.

To turn it off, select Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
Choose your printer and click Open queue. 
Under Printer, make sure Use Printer Offline is not selected.

Remove and reinstall the printer

If nothing has worked so far, you may need to start from scratch.
Now remove your printer from the list in the Windows printers
Start by unplugging your printer from the computer
Navigate to Start > Settings > Devices > Printers and scanners.
Select the printer you want to remove, and select Remove device.

To reinstall your printer, plug it back into your computer, then turn it on.
For wireless printers (if your printer doesn’t automatically appear), choose the Add a Printer or scanner option, and select your printer.
You can do this manually by clicking “the printer that I want isn’t listed”, then adding it yourself.

Reinstall the drivers

This may sound complicated, but it just takes a few steps:

1. Go to Start > Settings > Devices > Printers and scanners.
2. Under Related Settings, click Print Properties.
3. Under Drivers, select your printer’s driver and click Remove > Remove driver and driver package > OK.
4. Navigate back to the Printer Properties window, then select Drivers > Add. Use the Add Printer Driver Wizard to reinstall your printer driver.