One of the new features in Windows 10/11 is “Printer Offline”. This feature allows users to set up a workgroup on their network that will only allow online printers. The catch? It can’t be done manually and it has some serious limitations when setting this feature up yourself. Luckily, there are ways around these issues! Reliance provides an easy-to-use solution for getting your offline printer back into action with 4 steps.
The “printer says offline but is connected” is a common problem that many people have faced. This article will provide you with some solutions for the issue.
Milan Stanojevic is a writer who lives in Belgrade, Serbia.
Windows & Software Expert
Milan has been fascinated by computers since he was a youngster, and this has led him to be interested in all PC-related technology. He worked as a front-end web developer before joining WindowsReport. Continue reading
18th of March, 2022
Publish date: September 2020
- Many customers have reported about printer connection difficulties, which have resulted in printers being turned off.
- Even if they don’t seem to have any difficulties, this occurs.
- There are various probable reasons for this issue.
- The majority of the time, though, it’s due to a missing or malfunctioning printer driver.
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Many Windows 10 customers have experienced printer connection troubles, as well as a bug that may take active printers offline, even though they are connected and fully functional.
The problem is most often associated with network printers, although it has also been reported by home users with a direct connection to their printer.
We’ll approach this problem in the same way we approach most other connectivity-related issues, since the problem usually has a clear answer.
It’s worth noting that many manufacturers offer their own diagnostics software that may alert the user to any issues that arise (HP’s Print and Scan Doctor comes to mind).
If your printer’s manufacturer has supplied you with this functionality, we recommend that you take full use of it. It will, more often than not, point you in the appropriate route for resolving your issues.
There are a variety of difficulties that might arise with your printer, and we’ll go through some of them in this article:
- Canon, HP, Ricoh, and Epson printers are all down. A typical printer issue that may affect any brand of printer.
- Attempting to utilize a network printer causes a printer offline error processing command.
- Offline wireless printer – It may happen with any printer, and many customers have reported it happening when using a wireless printer.
- The printer has gone down and is unable to ping — Your computer is unable to identify your printer.
- Printer offline SNMP — This problem is caused by the SNMP function, which may be solved by deactivating it.
- VPN network printer offline — This occurs when you use a VPN and may be resolved by altering your VPN setup.
- Printer not responding, printing, operating, connecting, or showing up — The printer is not responding or working, and it may or may not even appear in the printer settings.
The Printer Offline error occurs for a variety of reasons.
When Windows 10 detects that the printer is not accessible, the error occurs.
Unfortunately, it can’t always identify whether the printer is really down or if it’s experiencing connection issues or printing mistakes. They might happen if:
- The computer-to-printer communication is sluggish and uncooperative.
- An internal issue has occurred in the printer.
- There are a number of print jobs in the queue that have yet to be completed.
What is the best way to repair Printer Offline problems in Windows 10?
- Install the printer drivers again.
- Check to see whether you’re connected to the internet using a VPN.
- Modify the printer’s settings
- The Print Spooler service should be restarted.
- Change the printer’s settings
- Updates must be installed.
- Add a second printing device to the mix.
1. Install the printer drivers again.
- In Control Panel, go to the Devices and Printers area.
- Locate your printer, right-click it, then choose Remove device from the menu that appears.
- When the confirmation dialog box displays, choose Yes.
- Install the most recent driver from your printer’s manufacturer.
Drivers are updated automatically.
If you lack the requisite computer abilities to update/fix the drivers manually, we highly advise you to use DriverFix to do so automatically.
This fantastic tool handles all of the work for you. Here’s how to simply update your drivers:
- DriverFix is available for download and installation.
- The application will instantly begin scanning your computer for outdated drivers, and you will only have to wait a few minutes for the scan to finish.
- After it’s finished, you’ll receive a report with a list of all the problematic drivers discovered on your computer. Examine the list to determine if you want to update each driver separately or all at once.
- To update one driver at a time, click the checkbox to the left of the driver’s name, but it’s quicker to install all drivers at once by clicking the Select All checkbox at the top.
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You can update your printer driver faster using DriverFix than you can say “Printer Offline”! It will also repair all other drivers.
2. Check to see whether you’re connected to the internet using a VPN.
If you use a network printer with a VPN, the Printer Offline notification may show. To resolve this issue, unplug from the VPN and attempt accessing your printer again.
If you wish to use VPN and your printer at the same time, use a USB connection to connect the printer to your PC.
Alternately, you may be able to resolve the issue by modifying your VPN setup and enabling yourself access to your local network.
You may also use other effective VPN software to protect your online privacy while not interfering with your printer connection. As a result, select prudently among the top VPNs for Windows 10 PCs.
3. Modify your printer’s settings
- Navigate to the Printers window in Control Panel.
- Verify that the appropriate printer is set to Default (Please watch the video below for more information).
- Select the print queue (See what’s printed) by right-clicking on your default printer.
- Remove any jobs that haven’t been completed from the list.
- Select Printer from the queue window and uncheck the Use Printer Offline option (if the Use Printer Offline option is off, check the option, leave it a few seconds, and uncheck it).
- Verify that your printer is properly connected to your computer (unplug the USB cable and plug it in again).
- If you have a network printer, do a connection test (and restart your router/switch if necessary).
- Turn off and on your printer and computer.
- Reinstall the printer’s drivers if the issue hasn’t been resolved.
Note: If you’re using a wireless printer, try connecting to its IP address first. Go to Control Panel, then Devices & Printers, right-click on your printer, then choose properties to get its address.
Copy the address and paste it into the address bar of your browser.
You’re unable to access Control Panel? To discover a solution, check through this step-by-step instructions.
4. The Print Spooler service should be restarted.
- To open Services.msc, use Windows Key + R, enter services.msc, and then hit Enter or OK.
- Right-click the Print Spooler service and choose Restart from the menu.
Keep in mind that this isn’t a permanent fix, so you’ll have to do it again if the problem returns.
More information about this subject may be found here.
5. Modify the printer’s settings
- Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
- Choose Printer properties from the menu when you right-click your printer.
- Select your printer’s IP address from the list and click the Configure Port button on the Ports page.
- To save the modifications, uncheck SNMP Status Enabled and click OK.
You may also leave the SNMP as is and alter the device index to #, according to one user.
Note: If you’re using a network printer, this method will only work. If you run into any setup issues with your printer, we’ve put together a quick tutorial to assist you.
6. Updates must be installed.
- To access the Settings app, press Windows Key + I.
- Navigate to the Update & security section.
- Check for updates by clicking the Check for Updates icon.
Note: If you’re having trouble opening the Settings app, see this page for help.
7. Add a second printing device to the mix.
- Steps 1-2 from Solution 5 should be followed.
- Click the Add Port button on the Ports tab.
- Click the New Port button after selecting the Standard TCP/IP Port.
- After the Printer Port Wizard has started, click Next.
- Fill up the essential fields. You may find them in the instruction manual for your printer. Next should be selected.
Bonus: The printer seems to be down, but it is not.
We’ve previously discussed scenarios when the printer is plainly down and cannot be contacted, but now comes the fun part. There are also times when the Windows 10 printer is unavailable but may still be pinged.
To put it another way, the printer claims it’s offline, but it’s really connected. So, how did this happen, and what can you do to prevent it? Don’t worry; we’ve got some advice for you.
Why isn’t my printer printing even if it’s connected?
Before you go any further, you should be aware that this strange discrepancy occurs when your PC is unable to communicate with the printer. As a result, the first step is to ensure that both devices are linked to the same WiFi network.
Take a look at our full list of recommendations below:
- Check the network the printer connects to in order to create a connection, and verify sure it’s the same as the one your PC uses.
- Restart your printer and computer, then unplug the power cable from all devices (router, computer, printer) and reconnect it.
- Check to see whether the printer has any physical issues (internal debris like paper jams and so on)
- On your PC, reinstall printer drivers and check system services.
- Restart your printer.
We hope that this article was helpful in resolving your printer issues in Windows 10. If you’ve done everything and the problem still continues, it’s possible you’re dealing with a hardware issue.
Try printing from a different computer or a different printer in this scenario. Use a separate USB / network cable if you’re using a wired printer.
Please feel free to submit any further questions in the comments area below.
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The “network printer showing offline but is online” is a problem that many Windows users face. This article will provide solutions to the issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get my printer back online Windows 11?
A: This is going to be difficult, but the best idea would be to contact your network administrator and try to find a solution.
How do I fix my printer offline Windows 10?
A: Usually offline printing on your Windows 10 computer is caused by a power outage or other hardware related issue. If you have already tried everything else, the only solution I can offer would be to call for help from our support team. We are available 24/7 and will do our best to fix any issues that you may bring up with us!
How do I change my printer from offline to online in Windows 10?
A: On Windows 10, you can simply click on the power icon in your taskbar and select Change advanced settings from there. Then once that opens up a window, go down to notification & actions and make sure that for whichever app you have selected as offline it says online instead of off.
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