When your printer is not working, what does that mean?

It can be frustrating if you’ve seen this error notice. However, it does not imply that your printer is damaged. When a printer is offline, it is unable to communicate with the source of the print job.

It is wise to pause all print jobs until the problem is fixed because a printer that is offline cannot accept new print jobs and process them. Before reading our troubleshooting advice, stop sending print requests to your offline printer. You might have to postpone any print tasks you have waiting in the printer queue until you can connect again. Simply keep in mind to save your work so you can print your items at a later time.

Among the causes could be:

• Ineffective drivers
• Faulty connections
• A settings mistake
• There are various ways to address each of these causes. Let’s examine the issue and how to resolve it so that you can print and go online once more.

How to switch the printer’s state from offline to online

These guidelines will cover a number of topics. Do not feel pressured to complete all the procedures if your issue has been handled. However, as the simplest fixes are listed first and demand the least work and technical expertise, it is better to complete them in this sequence.

Run HP Print and Scan Doctor as Option 1

To find and fix issues, use the HP Print and Scan Doctor programme. By clicking this link, you can access a special version created to address offline problems.

Click the HPPSdr.exe file at the download location to launch it, then permit it to start. To achieve this, you might need to be in administrator mode

If prompted, select Yes to accept the file’s source because it was uploaded by the HP technical support team.

Then select your printer by clicking Start.

Restart your printer if it isn’t listed, then select Retry in the Print and Scan Doctor programme.

Potential connectivity problems will be identified by the application. obey the directions, then click If asked to enable printer updates, yes

Follow the instructions and select Yes when prompted to set this printer as the default printer.

Did these guidelines assist you? If the status of your printer changed from “offline” to “online,” it was successful. If not, move on to the subsequent section.

Set the default printer as Option 2.

You might need to manually specify your preferred default printer. To fix this issue with Windows 10, adhere to following procedures. Ensure that you have downloaded and installed every update for the Windows 10 operating system before you start.

For users of Windows 10

Open Devices using the search bar or by telling Cortana to.

choosing printers and scanners

Check to see if “Let Windows manage my default printer” is checked in the box. If necessary, click the box to deselect it.

Select your printer from the provided list.

If your printer appears more than once, pick the instance that displays an online or idle status.

Select Manage.

Click make default

For users of Windows 8

Choose your printer from the available options. Choose the version that is not greyed out if there are multiple versions available. “Set as default printer” can be chosen by right-clicking.

Retry printing now. Continue to the following section if your device is still showing an offline state.

Options 3: Verify the health of Windows services and your printer port The third stage in troubleshooting offline printer issues is to determine whether your printer makes use of a WSD port.

Click “View devices and printers” in the Control Panel by searching Windows for it or by asking Cortana to do so.

Next, choose Printer Properties by right-clicking your printer.

Check the Ports tab to determine if your printer utilises a WSD port by clicking it.

If so, proceed as directed (but omit this part if it doesn’t).

Cortana can be used to search Windows for services.

Browse the list to locate it by Function Discovery Resource Publication and Function Discovery Provider Hosting

Examine the Startup type and Status columns.

Go to the following step if they are running and the startup type is automated.

When using the manual startup type, if they come up blank, right-click the name and choose Properties.

Make automatic the startup type.

After that, click OK after clicking Start under the service status.

Press F5 to return to the Device and Printers pane.

Check the status by clicking the name of your printer.

Your problem is resolved if it is online. Print a report on the network setup if the printer is still unavailable. This can be done in your printer’s Settings or Wireless menu.

Place a right-click on the name of your printer, select Printer Properties, and then select the Ports tab.

Choose Add Port

Click New Port and choose Standard TCP/IP Port.

To add a new port, use the network configuration report you previously conducted. A hostname is preferred.

Press F5 to return to the Devices and Printers pane.

To return to the Device and Printers pane, press F5.

By selecting the name of your printer, you may check its status.

If the issue was online, it was solved. If the printer is still not working, print a report on the network configuration. You may do this in the Wireless or Settings menu of your printer.

Select Printer Properties from the context menu when you right-click on the name of your printer, and then click the Ports tab.

Select Add Port

Select Standard TCP/IP Port by clicking New Port.

Use the network configuration report you previously generated to add a new port. It’s best to use a hostname.

To return to the Devices and Printers pane, press F5.

To connect to your printer over a wireless network, take the following actions:

After shutting off your printer, wait ten seconds, then unplug the power cord to restart it.

Next, shut off your computer.

Restart the printer by connecting the printer’s power wire to it.

Your wireless router’s power cord should be disconnected.

Ten seconds must pass before reconnecting it.

Your internet might not turn back on for a while.

When that happens, start your computer.

Connect your printer to your network by using either the HP Smart software or the HP wireless setup wizard.

To check for any potential connectivity issues, print a wireless report.

Locate this report in your printer’s network settings or wireless menu.

If problems continue, your router’s manufacturer or the network administrator may need to be contacted. If you still can’t get your printer online after trying these procedures, consult a tech expert. Connection problems can be challenging to pinpoint after doing these methods.

Try printing with a different device.

Additionally, you might want to try printing from a different gadget, like a laptop or smartphone. While you may guess that printer failures are to blame for offline problems, a bad connection can also be device-specific. Check to see if your problems disappear by connecting to a different computer. You may be sure that the printer is not the issue if you can print from another device.

Quickly setting up your printer online

Know that you are not the only one inquiring “why is my HP printer offline?” Nearly all printer owners will run into this problem occasionally. It might be more frequent for people who have an older printer, a wireless connection, or who haven’t updated their operating system or printer drivers in a while.

Follow the preceding instructions until you find a solution every time you encounter this problem. Hopefully, you won’t have to worry about printer repairs or their associated hassles before you can resume printing.