Check That The Printer Is On And Connected To Your Computer
Before you do anything, the first step to resolve printer offline issue is to perform some physical inspections:
Once you complete physical inspection and are happy it is properly connected, check the printer status. If Printer offline issue is not resolved, proceed to the next fix below.
Troubleshoot Printer Spooler Settings
HP printer shows offline message when printer spooler is stopped. To fix this, follow these steps-
- First of all, open Run dialog box and type Services.mscand Click on OK
- Now from the listed items, locate the option of Print Spooler
- Right click on it and slect Stop option to pause the print spooler services.
- Next click on the address bar from the Windows File Explorer and type C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Printer and click on OK.
- Now delete all the files from printer folder to clear the printing queue.
- Thereafter, go back to Print Spooler and right click on it and select Start option to resume the spooler service again.
- Lastly, restart your computer and printer and your complain of HP printer Says offline will be gone.
These steps will help the user to bring back the HP printer from offline to online in Windows 10 or in any other operating system.
Check The Cartridges And Paper Tray
One of the persistent causes of offline printer problems is paper jams. So, open your printer and look if theres any paper stuck inside. Also, put sufficient sheets in the paper tray before beginning any operation.
Low ink levels on the cartridges can cause this problem too. In that case, check the ink level and dismiss the software-generated warnings.
And if you are facing frequent cartridge problems, you can look for a quality product among the 10 best printers with long-lasting ink cartridges.
Also Check: How To Connect My Printer To My Ipad
Printer Offline 10 Fixes To Get It Back Online In Windows 10
You might get an error that says that your printer is offline in Windows 10. Solve the error with this troubleshooting guide.
Printers are certainly not a new technology, so you’d think they’d be problem-free by now. Sadly, that’s not the case. One issue you might encounter is when your printer says it’s offline in Windows 10.
Any good modern printer has the ability to connect to your computer via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. However, what can you do when you get the dreaded “printer offline” status error? How do you turn your printer back online? Or perhaps it just displays the generic Code 10 error?
We’re going to provide troubleshooting steps to help solve the printer offline error.
Step E : Check The Printer Status In The Devices And Printers Window

If the printer status is Offline
Right-click the icon for your Brother machine > See what’s printing > Printer> Use Printer Offline .
If Use Printer Offline is greyed out, click Open As Administrator. Enter your administrator password, and then click Yes.
If the printer status is Paused
Right-click the icon for your Brother machine > See what’s printing> Printer> Pause Printing .
If Pause Printing is greyed out, click Open As Administrator. Enter the password for an administrator and click Yes.
Read Also: How Do I Connect My Hp Printer To My Iphone
Change Epson Printer Offline To Online:
- Users will have to begin the method by restarting their printer device.
- Then press the Windows + I button and go to the windows settings of your device.
- Now double click on the devices option that is on your screen.
- After that, you will have to click on the option printer & scanner.
- Within a few seconds, in the printer list, you will be able to see the Epson printers.
- Right-click on the Epson printer icon and choose the option see whats printing.
- Then you will have to uncheck the box, stop printing & printer from another printer.
- After that from the drop-down menu, you will have to select the use printer online option.
Check if the printer is set as default:
For this, you will have to right-click on the Epson printer from the printer list and select the option, see whats printing. Then choose the option to set Epson as the default printer.
How To Fix Printer Offline Problem In Windows 10
Sometimes you will get printer is offline message on your Windows 10. Although both your PC and Printer are in the online state, due to some communication error, the printer will appear as it is still in the offline state. If you are faced printer offline problem in Windows and looking for a fix, this article is must read for you.
How to change printer status from offline to online? To fix printer offline problem in Windows 10, you need to adjust some settings in Control Panel. Follow the below steps to fix printer offline issue.
Don’t Miss: Epson Air Printer
Disable Use Printer Offline Mode
You should check that the “Use Printer Offline” mode isn’t enabled. You may have done this accidentally or your printer or some software may have turned it on.
Press Windows key + I to open Settings. Go to Devices > Printers & scanners. Select your printer and click Open queue. Click Printer on the toolbar and ensure Use Printer Offline doesn’t have a tick next to it. If it does, click it to disable this.
Make Sure Your Printer Is Properly Connected
Make sure that the printers USB or Ethernet cord is securely attached at both ends. Use another USB or Ethernet cord to find out if your existing cord is at fault. If the other cord works, then it means youve been using a faulty cord.
For wireless printers, make sure they are connected to your Wi-Fi network. Suppose your printer can work with your computer or PC via cable connection without any issue. In that case, it means your network connection is faulty. If you dont know how to set up a wireless printer, check out our guide on How to Set Up a Wireless Printer on Windows & Mac.
Recommended Reading: Epson 220i Ink
How To Troubleshoot Paper Jams In The Lexmark Printer
A paper jam can be cleared in Lexmark E230, E232, E234, E330, and E332n printers. The problem with paper jams includes damage to the paper and the printer does not feed the papers. The paper jam solution involves the following steps: –
First, remove the tray, find and remove any jammed or damaged paper from the printer.
Open the front cover and remove the print cartridge assembly. It is important not to leave the mounted cartridge exposed to direct light, such as sunlight, for a long period of time. Long exposures to light damage the green photoconductor roller and cause more print quality problems.
Repairing the Lexmark printer head error can be done by following two troubleshooting guides: –
Restart Your Printer & Device
If the connections are okay upon initial investigation and the network settings are fine try turning it off and on again. This reboot will restart the connection between the printer and the computer / mobile again that will further help you to conclude your investigation. Before pressing the restart button do not forget to clear all the active print jobs that were sent to the printer.
Read Also: What Is A Wps Pin Number On A Printer
What To Do When Printer Showing Offline
Printer showing offline is a common problem that you may face frequently. There are several different reasons for , how to get printer online etc. Problem can be fixed easily at same time whereas the other times the fixing process a bit frustrating & might need professional help. Few of why does my printer say offline issues is mentioned below:
1) Restart the System
- A reboot can fix many issues with a printer that may cause it to suddenly show up as offline.
- Hold power button on your printer till it shut off, or remove power cable from printer.
- Plug-in back and press Power button.
- At this point you need to wait for some time to allow printer to fully reboot
- Try to print your document again. If, it works then your printer offline issue is fixed.
2) Check Connection Issues:
- A printer may also go offline if it has become disconnected from your computer.
- Printer is connected via a USB cable to your computer.
- Fix the offline problem by unplugging it and plugging it again into a different USB port.
3) Fix Paper Jam Issue
- Paper jam inside the printer can be one of the reasons of raising question how to get printer online.
- Remove jam papers safely and place it properly
- Go offline if the ink & toner is empty.
- Replace toner cartridges that are empty to resolve the offline printer issue.
4) Set Default Printer
How To Remove Printer Drivers And Packages

Make sure you are using Windows as an Admin or sign-in as one.
Type CMD in the search bar.
With command prompt open type printui /s /t2 including the spaces to open the Print Server Properties window.
Now remove the Driver and Package for the printer in question.
You can now add your printer again by selecting Add a Printer from Devices and Printers.
Your printer should now be showing as online and allow you to continue printing.
If not there is likely to be an issue with the printer electronically, further advice would be to contact the printers manufacturer or a printer technician.
Always check the cost of a printer fixing error in some cases it may be cheaper to purchase a new printer rather than pay the fixing and maintenance cost.
You May Like: Where Can I Recycle Printer Ink Cartridges
Fix 4 Fix It Via Services
This method is only available when your printer uses a WSD port. If it’s not using such a port, you should skip this method.
Here is the tutorial on checking if your printer is using a WSD port:
Step 1: Open Printers & scanners setting again. Click the printer device and choose Open queue.
Step 2: Click Printer to expand it. Then, choose Properties.
Step 3: In the Properties window, skip to the Ports tab. Then, check if your printer uses a WSD port.
If your printer uses a WSD port, you can then follow the steps below to change Service settings:
Step 1: Search “Services” in the Start menu and then click the best-matched result to open it.
Step 2: Scroll down the list to locate Function Discovery Provider Host and Function Discovery Resource Publication. Then, check the Status and Startup Type columns. If the Status is not Running, you can right click them and choose Start. If the Startup Type is not Automatic, you can right click them and choose Properties to set them as Automatic.
Then, you can check whether the problem is solved. If not, you can follow the steps below to add a new port:
Step 1: Print a Network Configuration Report from the printer Settings or Wireless menu.
Step 2: Return to the printer’s Ports tab, and then click Add Port. Select Standard TCP/IP Port and click New Port. Then, use the information listed on the Network Configuration Report to add a new port.
Why Does The Printer Offline Error Occur
The error appears when Windows 10 sees that the printer is unavailable.
Unfortunately, most of the time, it cant tell if the printer is really offline or if it has connectivity problems or printing errors. They might occur when:
- The connection between the computer and the printer is slow/unresponsive
- The printer has encountered an internal error
- There are multiple unfinished print jobs in the queue
You May Like: Why Does My Brother Printer Say Offline
Make Printer Online Using Device Manager
If you prefer using Device manager, you can follow the steps below to make printer online on your Windows computer.
1. Right-click on the Start button and click on Device Manager option in the WinX menu.
2. On Device Manager Screen, click on the Action tab and select Devices and Printers option in the drop-down menu.
Note: If Devices and Printers option does not appear, retry again after sometime.
3. On Devices and Printers screen, right-click on the Offline Printer and select See whats printing option in the contextual menu.
4. On the next screen, select the Printer Tab and click on Use Printer Offline option to remove the check mark on this item.
5. Wait for the printer to come back online.
Once the printer comes back online, it should start printing whatever was in the print queue.
Make Sure The Printer Is Ready To Print
Your printer should be on, have paper in the input tray, have sufficient ink or toner, and display no errors or blinking lights.
Make sure the printer is not off or in sleep mode. Press the Power button to wake it or turn it on.
Make sure paper is loaded into the input tray, and that the paper width guides rest gently against the sides of the paper stack.
Make sure the correct ink or toner cartridges are installed, and that the printer has sufficient ink or toner for your print job.
Make sure no error messages or blinking lights display on the printer control panel. Resolve any errors before you use the printer.
Restart the printer to clear any error states. Turn the printer off, wait 30 seconds, and then turn it on.
You May Like: How To Install Canon Printer Without Cd On Windows 10
How To Switch My Printer From Offline To Online In Windows 10
Your printer is offline apparently due to no communication with the attached computer. The reason behind this error may be related to the software or hardware. To further narrow down the issue, we are sharing few list of steps to get your printer back online.
Remove And Reinstall The Printer
If all else fails, you can remove the printer from your computer and then add it back.
To do this, press Windows key + I to open Settings. Go to Devices > Printers & scanners. Select your printer, click Remove device, then click Yes.
Next, click Add a printer or scanner. Follow the wizard through to connect the printer back to your computer.
Read Also: How Do I Unpause My Hp Printer
Check Windows Function Discovery Services
If your printer uses a WSD port, make sure Function Discovery services start automatically and are currently running.
In Windows, search for and open Control Panel, and then click View devices and printers.
Right-click your printer, select Printer Properties, and then click the Ports tab.
Look for a WSD port in the list.
If there is no WSD port, do not continue with these steps. Print a Network Configuration page, and then create a manual IP connection in the printer EWS and add a Standard TCP/IP printer port in Windows.
If there is a WSD port, make sure the check box is selected, and then continue with these steps.
In Windows, search for and open Services
Find Function Discovery Provider Host and Function Discovery Resource Publication in the list.
For both, make sure the Status is Running and Startup Type is Automatic.
If one or both items has a Manual Startup Type or is not running, right-click the item, select Properties, change the Startup Type to Automatic, click Apply, click Start, and then click OK.
Close the Services window.
Why Is My Printer Showing As Offline:

Normally, when the computer and printer unit is unable to establish a stable connection, it states the Printer Showing as Offline error. Here are some reasons that lead to why is My Printer Showing as an Offline problem.
Before executing the troubleshooting steps given here, the user should simply power cycle their devices in the following way.
Print might stop working due to overheating or overloading. In such a case, the above method works and eliminates the error of Why is My Printer Showing as Offline.
Read Also: Canon Ts3122 Wireless Setup
Use Hp Smart Diagnose & Fix
On a Mac running macOS 10.14 or later, use the Diagnose & Fix feature in the HP Smart app to help fix connection issues.
Open the HP Smart app. If you do not have HP Smart, download it from HP Smart – Mac App Store, and then follow the prompts to add your printer.
On the Diagnose & Fix screen, click Start.
Wait until the analysis completes. Do not close the app to avoid interrupting the process.
On the diagnosis screen, review the results, and then click Test Print or Done.
How To Set The Printer To Online Manually
Go to the Start icon on the bottom left of your screen then choose Control Panel and then Devices and Printers.
Right click the printer in question and select See whats printing.
From the window that opens choose Printer from the menu bar at the top.
Select Use Printer Online from the drop down menu.
Recommended Reading: Hp Printer Online