Transform your offline printer to online in Windows 10 with the assistance of this guide.
By Aditya Kashyap – January 11, 2023
While utilizing a printer, encountering errors is not uncommon. A common issue that arises when attempting to print documents remotely is the “Printer Offline” error. When this error occurs, your printer refuses to print, and a message stating ‘Printer offline’ appears on your screen.
To restore the functionality of printing documents remotely, it’s essential to bring your printer back online. Hence, we present several effective methods that you can employ to reestablish your printer’s online status.
How to Get Printer Online on Windows PC?
Method 1: Check Network Connectivity.
Before delving into technical solutions, perform some basic checks. A stable network connection is essential for a printer to stay online.
1. Connect your Printer to the internet.
Connect your printer to your computer using an Ethernet cable. Ensure that your internet connection is active and functioning.
Connect your PC and your Printer to the same network.
Ensure that your wireless printer and your PC are both connected to the same WiFi network. If they are on different networks, communication between your PC and printer may be disrupted.
Method 2: Run a Printer Power Cycle.
Performing a power cycle on your printer has proven effective in bringing it back online. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Turn off your printer and unplug it.
Step 2: Wait for 30 seconds before plugging it back into the power socket.
Step 3: Turn on your printer.
After completing these steps, check if your printer is now online. If the issue persists, proceed to the next method.
Method 3: Clear the Print Queue.
If your PC’s Print Queue contains numerous corrupt print requests, you may encounter the offline printer error. Follow these steps to clear the print queue:
Step 1: Open the ‘Control Panel’ on your Windows PC.
Step 2: Look for the ‘Devices and Printers’ option and click on it.
Step 3: In the Devices and Printers window, right-click on the printer you want to clear the queue for and select ‘See what’s printing’ from the drop-down box.
Step 4: You will see a list of all print requests in the queue. Right-click on each print request and select ‘Cancel’ from the drop-down box. Additionally, uncheck the checkbox for ‘Use Printer Offline’ if it is checked on this window. Then, check if your printer comes back online.
Method 4: Restart Print Spooler.
Follow these steps to restart the Print Spooler service on your Windows PC:
Step 1: Launch ‘Run’ on your Windows PC by simultaneously pressing the Windows and R keys on your keyboard.
Step 2: Type ‘services.msc’ in the text box and hit Enter.
Step 3: A list containing all the services on your Windows PC will appear. Search for ‘Print Spooler’ and right-click on it.
Step 4: Select ‘Restart’ from the drop-down box.
Check if your printer is back online. If not, proceed to the next method.
Method 5: Remove and Reinstall your Printer.
Follow these steps to remove and reinstall your printer:
Step 1: Launch ‘Control Panel’ on your Windows PC.
Step 2: Search for the ‘Devices and Printers’ option and click on it.
Step 3: In the Devices and Printers window, right-click on the offline printer and select the ‘Remove Device’ option from the drop-down box.
Step 4: Click on the ‘Add a printer or scanner’ option in the same window to reinstall your printer.
Check if your printer is back online. If not, proceed to the next method.
Method 6: Restart your PC.
If none of the previously mentioned methods help in bringing your printer online, attempt restarting your PC. Verify if your printer is back online after the PC restart.
How to Change Printer from Offline to Online
Step 1: Open “Settings” and navigate to “Devices: Printers, Bluetooth, etc.”
Step 2: Click on “Printers and Scanners.”
Step 3: Now, click on “Printer Offline,” and the Printer menu will appear.
Step 4: Click on “Printer” in the menu bar and uncheck “Offline.”
Conclusion:
These methods are among the most effective ways to bring your printer online on both Windows 10 and MacOS. The steps involved in these methods are easy to follow. We are confident that one of the above-listed methods will help you turn your printer online.
Start with the first method and proceed down the list until the issue is resolved on your PC. If we have overlooked any useful methods to turn your printer online, please share them in the comments section below.