Even with today’s technological advances, computer startup and printer issues are still common for some people. Nothing is more frustrating than receiving a message informing you that your printer is offline and not knowing how to fix it.
We’ve covered the possible causes of an offline printer and how to fix it in this blog post.
If your printer displays an offline message, it is having trouble communicating with your computer. This could be due to a variety of factors, including connectivity issues or a printer malfunction. Whatever the reason, there are a few things you can do to figure out what’s wrong.
Why do printers go offline?
Printers may appear to be offline if they are unable to communicate with your computer. When printing, the device or computer may believe the printer is offline even when it is ready to print. This could be due to a communication problem between the device and the printer.
This could be something as simple as a disconnected cable or an error caused by a paper jam. It may, however, indicate a problem with your driver or software. This can be caused by old age or a lack of updates, and if this is the case, you will need to troubleshoot your printer.
How to get your printer back online
1. Check your connection
The first port of call is to double check your printer’s connection with your computer. You should look at the network cable connecting your printer to your router, and check the USB cable connecting your printer to your PC or laptop. If all of these connections look to be working, try moving your cables to alternative ports.
If you have a wireless printer, checking the connection can be slightly trickier. For example, on a wireless model such as the Xerox Versalink C400DN, you should enter the ‘set-up’ mode on your printer. Select the ‘network settings’ function and press ‘confirm network settings’. This will show you the current status of your network setting. You can then print a status sheet to give you a detailed breakdown of your connection, by simply pressing ‘.
2. Restarting your printer
If your connection is working but your printer is offline, you can try restarting your machine. This can reboot your model and can sometimes help your printer to pick up the connection.
3. Clear the print jobs
Still asking yourself why is my printer offline? Well, one document could have caused your printer to go offline. To combat this, try clearing all your print jobs by pressing ‘cancel all documents’. This will clear the printing queue and allow you to restart your model.
4. Remove and reinstall your printer
Another way you can fix an offline printer is to remove the printer from your PC or laptop and reinstall it. To remove your printer, simply open the ‘devices and printers’ in your computer’s control panel. Right click the model you’d like to remove and select ‘remove’.
You now need to reinstall your printer to your computer. This usually involves simply connecting your printer to your computer with a USB and turn it on. However, if you’re reinstalling a wireless printer, you should first make sure your printer is turned on. Open up your computer settings, click ‘change PC settings, open ‘PC and devices then select ‘devices’.
Click ‘add a device’ and then simply select your printer model to install it.
Following these steps should allow you to fix any offline printer. If you have any other issues with offline printing, either get in touch with the manufacturer of your printer or speak to one of our in-house experts.
