The effectiveness of your printer has a significant impact on your workflow, therefore it’s critical to understand what to do if it breaks down. It might be really annoying when you receive the message “Your Printer is in Error State,” but there are eight ways to fix it.
1) Check Printer and Computer Connections
Despite how straightforward it may seem, problems with the actual cord that connects the printer to the computer are frequently disregarded. It’s crucial that the cord be secure in the computer and printer and in good working order. It should also be hooked directly into an outlet rather than through a surge protector. If your printer is wirelessly connected to your computer, check the printer’s settings to ensure that your computer can recognize it. Add a printer or scanner under Settings > Devices. Ensure that the appropriate printer is chosen and that the status is “Online.”
2) Make Sure Paper Tray Is Loaded
Your printer may malfunction if you send it a print job but there is no paper in the tray when it should be. Lift the tray up yourself to check for paper jams. Try sending the print job again after raising the printer tray and stuffing it entirely with a small stack of paper.
3) Check Ink Cartridges
Similar to how it is with paper, printers must have the right ink cartridges loaded in order to print anything correctly. To be sure the ink cartridges you’re using are the right ones for that model, consult the user guide for your printer. Verify the ink cartridges’ ink levels as well. Your printer should alert you when cartridges are running low, but the “error condition” notification may have prevented you from receiving the notification. Make sure your printer can handle the paper stock before loading it, especially if it’s construction paper.
4) Restart Printer and Computer
You should restart your printer and PC if all the aforementioned functionalities appear to be in working order but the “error state” notification still appears. Press and hold the power button until the printer shuts off to restart it. For 15 seconds, unplug the printer’s cord from the wall. Some manufacturer’s advice holding the power button down while unplugged for 15 seconds. Restart the printer by plugging in the power cord.
5) Confirm Printer Is Online
The “error state” warning could show up on your screen if you try to send a print job but the printer is not connected. The “Use Printer Offline” mode, which is available on the majority of printers, prevents the printer from connecting to the computer. Additionally, some printers will enter “Sleep Mode,” going offline. Select your printer by clicking Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners. Select your printer from the drop-down option after clicking “Open queue.” Ensure that “Use Printer Offline” is not selected. The printer must share the same Wi-Fi network as your PC.
6) Update or Reinstall Printer Drivers
The printer drivers may need to be updated or reinstalled if none of the alternatives mentioned above have worked. Updated drivers from manufacturers are frequently made available to enhance printer performance. Reinstalling your printer’s driver is fairly similar to doing so for the whole device. Go to Device Manager, select your printer by right-clicking it or by pressing and holding it, and then choose “Update driver” or “Update driver software”. If neither of the aforementioned options work, click “Uninstall” and restart your computer. When your computer starts up again, go to the same location and select “Install.”
7) Reset Print Spooler
An application that controls print jobs sent from the computer is called the print spooler. If too many jobs are delivered to the printer too rapidly, which is frequently a problem with shared printers, print spoolers can become blocked. The Services tab in Task Manager can be used to reset your print spooler. Locate the “Spooler” service, right-click, and then choose “Restart.” If restarting is not an option, click to switch off the spooler, give it a 30-second delay, and then turn it back on.
8) Update Printer Firmware
You can get the most recent firmware for your printer from the manufacturer’s website and install it on your computer if you think it might have an outdated version of firmware. To make sure you get the right firmware update, check the firmware on the printer’s website. Updates to printer firmware should improve printer performance and resolve minor issues, such as error messages.
