What To Do When Your Printer is Offline

It’s frustrating when you go to print a document and then it looks like it’s queuing up but instead a pop up window says that your printer is ‘offline’. Huh, now what? There a number of reasons why your printer can go offline from connectivity issues to a powered down printer but fortunately, with a couple clicks in Windows you can usually get it back online. Other times, a few more troubleshooting steps are required to get you there. Here they are:

Step 1

Reboot your printer but turning it off and then turning it back on again. Give it the time it needs to finish booting, usually a minute or two.

Step 2

Ensure that your printer is actually plugged into your computer (for local printers) or that it has network connectivity. If the printer is on a network, make sure the link light located on the back of the printer is flashing green.

Step 3

Log in to your computer. Click the “Start” button and then click on “Devices and Printers”

Step 4

Right click the printer and select “See What’s Printing” to view what print jobs are in the queue.

Step 5

Click “Printer” and select “Use Printer Offline” to remove the check mark. At this point the printer should come online. However, if this option is grayed out or if the printer fails to come online, you’ll want to continue on with the following steps.

Step 6

Close the print queue window and return to “Devices and Printers”.

Step 7

Open up your web browser of choice and download the most current driver for your printer from its manufacturer’s website.

Step 8

Proceed with following the instructions that come with the driver to install it. If you’re still unable to get the printer ‘online’, continue following the steps below.

Step 9

Go back to the “Start” button on your computer and click “Control Panel”

Step 10

Type ‘troubleshooter’ into the Search box located at the upper-righter corner of the window. Click on the “Troubleshooting” link when it appears in the main window.

Step 11

Click “Use a Printer” in the Hardware and Sound section.

Step 12

Follow the on-screen instructions. The troubleshooter will attempt to identify and rectify the issue. If it is unable to, it will provide you with further instructions on how to address the problem.