Published 2023-11-20 by TechNet New England
The "Printer Offline" status in Windows means the computer cannot communicate with the printer. The printer itself may be fine. ## Check the Physical Connection 1. **Is the printer powered on?** Check for lights or a display on the printer. 2. **Is the cable connected?** For USB printers, check both ends of the cable. Try a different USB port. 3. **Is the printer on the network?** For network printers, print a configuration page from the printer's menu to confirm it has an IP address and is connected to the network. 4. **Can you ping the printer?** Open Command Prompt and run: ```cmd ping 192.168.1.100 ``` Replace with your printer's IP address. If you get replies, the network connection is fine. ## Fix 1: Set the Printer Online 1. Go to **Settings > Bluetooth and devices > Printers and scanners**. 2. Click your printer. 3. Click **Open print queue**. 4. In the print queue window, click **Printer** in the menu bar. 5. Uncheck **Use Printer Offline** if it is checked. ## Fix 2: Restart the Print Spooler Service 1. Press **Win + R**, type `services.msc`, press Enter. 2. Find **Print Spooler**. 3. Right-click it and select **Restart**. 4. Try printing again. ## Fix 3: Clear the Print Queue Stuck print jobs can cause the printer to go offline. 1. Open the print queue (Settings > Printers > your printer > Open print queue). 2. Click **Printer > Cancel All Documents**. 3. If jobs will not clear, restart the Print Spooler service (Fix 2), then clear the queue. ## Fix 4: Remove and Re-add the Printer 1. Go to **Settings > Bluetooth and devices > Printers and scanners**. 2. Click your printer and select **Remove**. 3. Add the printer again using the IP address method described in our printer setup guide. ## Fix 5: Update the Printer Driver 1. Go to the printer manufacturer's website. 2. Download the latest driver for your printer model and Windows version. 3. Run the installer. 4. Restart and try printing. ## Network Printers Specifically If the printer's IP address changed (common with DHCP), Windows will show it as offline because it is looking for the old address. 1. Print a configuration page from the printer to find the current IP. 2. Remove the printer from Windows. 3. Add it back using the new IP address. To prevent this from happening again, ask your IT provider to set a static IP address or DHCP reservation for the printer. ## When to Contact IT If the printer works for some users but not others, the issue may be a permissions, driver, or Group Policy configuration that requires IT administrator access.