My printer says it is offline
- Most offline printers are not broken. The computer lost the link to the printer.
- Restart the printer, clear stuck jobs, and check the printer is on the same network.
Try these steps, in order
- Look at the printer itself. Is it on? Is there a message on the screen, a paper jam or a red light? Fix that first.
- Check the connection. For a cable printer, check the cable at both ends. For a Wi-Fi printer, check its screen shows it is on the same Wi-Fi as your computer.
- Restart both. Turn the printer off, wait 30 seconds, and turn it on. Restart the computer too.
- Clear stuck jobs. On Windows, open Settings, then Bluetooth and devices, then Printers and scanners. Pick your printer and open the print queue. Cancel every job in the list.
- Turn off Use Printer Offline. In the print queue window, open the Printer menu. If Use Printer Offline has a tick, click it to remove the tick.
- Remove and add the printer again. In Printers and scanners, remove the printer and add it again. Windows will search for it.
Why does it keep going offline?
Wi-Fi printers often get a new address each time the router restarts. The computer still looks at the old address. A pro can give the printer a fixed address so it stops moving. That one change ends most repeat problems.
When to call a pro
- The printer goes offline again every few days.
- Only some computers can print and others cannot.
- You share one printer with many people and want it set up once, the right way.
- The printer also scans to email or to a shared folder and that stopped working.
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Common questions
Why does my printer say offline when it is on?
The computer cannot reach it. A new network address, a stuck job or a weak Wi-Fi link are the usual causes.
Will I lose my documents in the print queue?
Cancelling jobs removes them from the list. Print them again after the printer is back.
Is a cable better than Wi-Fi for a printer?
Yes. A cable to the network is more steady than Wi-Fi.
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