Printer Offline? 9 Fixes to Get It Printing Again
You hit print and nothing happens. The printer list says “Offline”, even though the printer is plugged in and its lights are on.
An offline printer usually has a connection or software problem, and the printer itself is fine. Work through these fixes in order, starting with the quickest.
Before you start: two quick checks
- Is the printer awake? Many printers go to sleep. Press a button on the printer’s screen or panel and check for error lights, paper jams or a blank display.
- Is it just one computer? Try printing from a phone or another computer. If that works, the printer is fine and the problem is on your computer. If nothing can print, the problem is the printer or your network.
1. Restart everything, in the right order
Restarting clears a lot of connection problems, as long as you do it in this order:
- Turn off the printer.
- Shut down your computer.
- Unplug your router for 30 seconds, then plug it back in and wait a few minutes.
- Turn the printer on and wait until it finishes starting up.
- Start the computer and try printing.
2. Check the printer’s connection
USB printers: try a different USB port and, if you have one, a different cable. Avoid USB hubs, which can cut power to the printer.
Wi-Fi printers: look at the printer’s screen or network settings page. Does it show it’s connected to your Wi-Fi network? If it dropped off, reconnect it. If your Wi-Fi itself is unreliable, see our guide to fixing Wi-Fi that keeps disconnecting, because an unstable network is a very common reason printers go offline.
Cabled (Ethernet) printers: check the cable is firmly seated at both ends and that the port lights are blinking.
3. Make sure “Use Printer Offline” isn’t ticked
Windows can mark a printer offline as a setting.
- Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
- Click your printer, then Open print queue.
- Click Printer in the menu bar.
- If Use Printer Offline has a tick, click it to remove it.
4. Clear the print queue
One stuck document can block everything behind it and make the printer look offline.
- In the print queue window, click Printer > Cancel All Documents.
- If documents refuse to disappear, press the Windows key, type services, and open it.
- Find Print Spooler, right-click it and choose Restart.
- Try printing a single page.
5. Set the printer as the default and re-check it
Sometimes Windows is sending jobs to a different or duplicate printer entry (look for names ending in “Copy 1” or a different model name).
- Go to Printers & scanners.
- Turn off Let Windows manage my default printer.
- Select the correct printer and choose Set as default.
6. Check the printer’s port or IP address (Wi-Fi and network printers)
A Wi-Fi printer is given an address by your router, and that address can change after a power cut or router restart. Your computer is still trying to reach the old address.
- Print a network configuration page from the printer’s menu and note its IP address.
- In Windows, open Printers & scanners, choose your printer, then Printer properties > Ports.
- Check that the port listed matches the printer’s current address. If not, add a new port with the correct address.
If this keeps happening, the lasting fix is to give the printer a reserved (fixed) address in the router. That is a quick job for a technician and is common for office printers shared by several people.
7. Update or reinstall the printer driver
A bad or outdated driver can leave a printer showing as offline.
- Remove the printer under Printers & scanners.
- Download the latest driver from the printer manufacturer’s support site, using your exact model number.
- Install it and add the printer again.
Download drivers only from the manufacturer’s website. Search results for “printer driver download” often include sketchy third-party sites that bundle unwanted software.
8. Check your firewall, VPN and network type
- If you recently installed new security software, it may be blocking printer traffic. Temporarily check its settings or allow the printer.
- A VPN can make your computer unable to see devices on your home network. Disconnect it and try again.
- In Windows, your Wi-Fi network should be set to Private rather than Public so devices can see each other.
9. Remove and re-add the printer
If nothing else has worked, remove the printer from Windows, restart the computer, then use Add device to add it again. Choose the printer by its address if it isn’t found automatically.
Extra tips for offices
If you share one printer between several staff in Victoria, Saanich or Langford, offline problems usually point to one of three things: the printer’s address changing, a Wi-Fi network that is overloaded or drops out, or print jobs stuck in a shared queue on the computer the printer is attached to. Setting a fixed address, putting the printer on a stable connection and installing a consistent driver on every machine prevents most repeat problems. Our small business IT support covers printers, scanners and office networks by the hour, with no contract.
When to call a technician
It’s time to get help if:
- The printer goes offline again every few days or after every restart.
- Several computers in your home or office have lost the printer at once.
- The printer shows error codes or lights that the manual can’t explain.
- You’ve reinstalled the driver and re-added the printer and it still won’t print.
- You’re not comfortable changing network settings or ports.
A technician can often sort this out quickly over a secure connection with remote tech support, and we can visit on-site across Victoria, Saanich and Langford if the problem is the printer hardware or the network cabling. Our rate is $150/hour, and you approve the work before we start.
Keep it from happening again
- Give the printer a fixed (reserved) address in your router.
- Keep the printer close enough to the router for a strong Wi-Fi signal.
- Install the manufacturer’s full driver rather than a generic one.
- Restart the printer now and then, and keep its firmware up to date.