Printer errors can be infuriating and they can cause a serious downtime during your productivity hours. Among all the inconveniences, change a printer from offline to online error is a tactical one. You might be wondering why your latest Wi-Fi printer says offline even though it is connected to your Windows computer through the existing Wi-Fi network.
Well, you are not the only one suffering from such a disaster. However, a few preventive measures and tweaks can turn your printer into an online device and disable the offline status. The printer is offline how to fix it – the guide has all the answers you’re looking for.
Let’s get started.
Troubleshoot Printer’s Offline Status on Windows 10 Computer
Many printer users have complained about the printer offline Windows 10 error regardless of the printer manufacturer. Your printer says offline but is connected to the network. Fortunately, multiple solutions are available to fix the offline error and make your printer online again.
As supervised by experts, the following troubleshooting steps might help you eradicate the problem. Let’s start with simpler fixes first:
1. Verify the Connection between Your Printer and Your Computer
Perhaps, the offline status is not a false wrong and the connection between the printer and computer might really have been lost. So, you must inspect all your printer cables if you have connected the printer to the computer using cables.
Don’t forget to tighten the cable connections between these devices. If it’s a network printer then verify that both your machines are connected to the same Wi-Fi router. Additionally, examine the network status of your Wi-Fi router. Chances are that the Wi-Fi router has problems connecting to the ISP.
If possible, you can switch to an Ethernet connection if you’re using Wi-Fi and vice versa. Now, check if this trick restores the online status of your printer.
2. Restart Your Printer
An idle state can be misunderstood as an offline one. When the printer is offline how to fix it – try restarting your printer. Turn your printer off and wait for a couple of minutes. After that, power on your printer and check if it solves the existing issue. Repeat the same with your computer and see if it works wonders.
To continue, conduct another round of inspecting all the connecting cables to your printer including the power one. Ensure that the connecting USB cable is tight enough and the cord has no damage. You can replace the connecting cable between your printer and computer with a new one if the present one has a tear.
Execute all these hacks and check if the printer offline Windows 10 error persists.
3. Trust Printer Troubleshooter Program on Windows 10
The best part of the Windows 10 operating system is that it comes with a handful of efficient troubleshooters to solve software issues on its own. Luckily, you can run the printer troubleshooter of Windows 10 and try mitigating the problem.
Here’s how you can run the printer troubleshooter:
- On your Windows 10 PC, open up the Settings application. Press the shortcut key combination of Windows+I to open up the Settings application.
- Next, choose Devices followed by Printers & Scanners.
- Look out for the ‘Run the troubleshooter’ option just below Related Settings. The option should be on the right pane of the window.
Immediately, the printer troubleshooter will start all the checks required to diagnose the problem and solve the underlying cause. As a matter of fact, you can see what problems the troubleshooter faces and how it overcomes them. Just click on the View Detailed Information to access all the data.
On a related note, the same troubleshooter is available on Windows 11 devices as well. Does the printer troubleshooter resolve the issue regarding printer says offline but is connected to the computer? If not, proceed with the remaining ones.
4. Modify Your Printer’s Status
Software glitches or accidental instances might have turned on the ‘Use Printer Offline’ mode for your connected printing device. So, you should check whether the concerned status is enabled anyhow. Before doing so and changing the status, you might have to clear the print queue.
Here’s how you can clear the print queue on a Windows 10 device:
- Explore the Settings application on your computer.
- Navigate to Devices.
- After that, select Printers & Scanners.
- Click on your troublesome printer and select the Open Queue option.
Once you clear the clogged print queue, you can proceed with the steps below:
- Begin by exploring Settings on the Windows 10 computer. Use the Windows+I shortcut or the Start menu to reach Settings.
- Then, click on Devices and land on Printers & Scanners.
- Now, choose your printer from the available or connected devices to your computer.
- Check the toolbar and click on the Printer option.
- Make sure that the ‘Use Printer Offline’ option remains unchecked. So, remove the tick by clicking it if you see the option checked.
Now, check your printer’s status and see if it says offline.
5. Remove and Add your Printer
Are you still stuck with the printer offline error? Probably, the connection between your computer and printer has become glitchy. The only solution that might work is to remove your printer from the Windows 10 system and add it again. However, keep in mind that you might have to re-download the printer driver and OEM application.
Here’s how you can proceed with the hack:
- First, unplug your printer from the printer if it’s connected using a USB cable.
- Furthermore, open up Settings and choose Devices.
- Select the option called Printers & Scanners.
- Then, discover the printer you wish to remove and click on it.
- Click the Remove Device option.
- Now, connect your printer tothe windows 10 PC using a USB cable.
The Windows system must add the connected printer back again. Additionally, your computer should install the required driver too. The overall reinstallation procedure should restore your printer’s online status.
In case the printer doesn’t show up even though it’s plugged in, you can select the ‘Add a printer or scanner’. Next, choose the option that says, ‘The printer that I want isn’t listed’. After that, your system will let you add the printer manually. So, execute the on-screen instructions and see if it resolves the printer offline Windows 10 error.
6. Reinstate the Print Spooler Service
The printer is offline how to fix it – are you still dealing with it? The following simple yet effective steps can help you get out of the loophole. Restart the print spooler service using your Windows 10 computer. As a matter of fact, the service called print spooler controls the computer’s interaction with the printer.
So, you can give restarting the print spooler a try. Who knows this might bring your printer back online. Here’s how you can restart the print spooler service on your Windows 10 system:
- Click the Windows icon to explore the Start menu.
- Next, type Services inside the Windows Search box.
- Open up the relevant application from all appearing results.
- Then, keep scrolling down until you notice the Print Spooler service under the Name column.
- Next, right-click on the Print Spooler option and select Restart.
7. Label your Printer as Default
Reportedly, windows can mark the last-used printer as the default one. Then, you may face problems or even the printer offline error whenever you want to connect to another printer. Therefore, you can set the troubling printer as default to avoid the problem – the printer says offline but is connected to the computer or network.
Let’s check out how you can label a printer as default:
- To begin with, open Settings.
- Go to Devices followed by Printers & Scanners.
- Next, click on the printer that you want to fix. Choose the Open Queue option.
- From the toolbar at the top, select Printer and click on ‘Set As Default Printer’.
Now, a message may pop up to warn you about Windows not handling default printers anymore. Click on OK to agree with it. However, you can return to the feature again just by following the steps above and clicking on ‘Allow Windows to manage my default printer’.
8. Troubleshooting Hacks for Network Printers
Is it a network printer stuck at printer offline Windows 10 error? Typically, a network printer exhibits an offline status when the computer can’t reach it. Check out if your printer is connected to another computer rather than the intended one.
If yes, do the needful to restore the connection between your network printer and computer. On the other hand, a firewall issue can lead to similar consequences. Examine if your printer is blocked somehow. Otherwise, you can seek expert intervention to restore the connectivity.
9. Update Your Printer Driver
Outdated printer drivers can lead to printer offline errors and the connected computer has nothing to do with it. Hence, you can spot outdated drivers and update them. However, you should keep your printer connected to your Windows 10 computer with a USB cable. Then, go through the following guidelines to update printer drivers:
- Navigate to the Device Manager window via the Start menu or Windows Search option. Otherwise, you can use the Windows+X key shortcut to open up the Device Manager window directly.
- Now, locate the category called Printers.
- Double-click on Printers.
- Next, find your offline printer and right-click on it.
- Finally, select the Update Driver option.
The overall update may take a while to complete. After that, you can check your printer’s status. In case you don’t find any update under the Device Manager utility, you can visit the official website of the printer manufacturer. Depending on your printer’s brand, it can be Brother, Canon, Epson, HP, Xerox, or anything else.
10. Deactivate the SNMP Port for the Printer
Many users have found this particular hack quite useful while dealing with printer says offline but is connected to the computer. The active SNMP port can cause trouble for your printer and label the device as offline. By the way, SNMP is the abbreviation for Simple Network Management Protocol.
The protocol assists network administrators in retrieving details about all devices connected to their networks. Additionally, a handful of printer servers utilise the same protocol to verify the status of a printer.
So, you can disable the SNMP port for your printer to eradicate the printer offline Windows 10 error. Here’s how you do it:
- Go to your Windows 10 Settings with the Windows+I shortcut.
- Next, click on Bluetooth & Devices or Devices.
- Select Printers & Scanners from the next window.
- Then, choose the offline printer and click on Printer Properties.
- Choose the Ports tab and look out for the SNMP checkbox.
- Uncheck the SNMP checkbox if you find it active.
- Now, apply your changes and choose OK.
Check if the printer offline error still exists.
11. Use the Dedicated Printer Software for Troubleshooting
Does your printer have a particular software for print management, troubleshooting, and more? Many printer manufacturers release software to help you control and troubleshoot the printing device. You must use the printer software if your printer still says offline and you don’t know how to fix it.
Hopefully, you have installed the software on your Windows 10 device. Otherwise, you can install the software through the CD that comes with the printer or from the official website. Here’s how you can check whether you have already installed the dedicated printer software on your PC:
- Go to your system Settings using the Windows+I shortcut.
- Next, click on Devices followed by Printers & Scanners.
- Choose your Printer and click the Manage option.
- A button called ‘Open printer app’ will pop up if your PC already has the software.
So, explore the printer software and look for any help you can get when your printer says offline but is connected to the Windows 10 PC.
In Conclusion…
Hopefully, the guide helped you mitigate the printer offline Windows 10 error. Don’t hesitate to seek an expert opinion from Printer Repair Dubai if you can’t restore your printer’s functionality. However, you might have to opt for a new printer if the existing offline printer stops responding to your commands.