Why is my printer offline? (and how to get it online)

Updated Nov 6, 2026, 1:48 PM EST Russ is an experienced tech writer who still loves discovering new things and embracing new technology. He enjoys sharing his knowledge and helping people make the most of the software, gadgets, and devices that impact their everyday lives. Russ has been working in publishing for more than 18 years, having cut his teeth writing about videogames for Rapide Publishing in the UK. During this time, he wrote reviews, articles, and guides that have been published in the UK, US, and Europe. After leaving Rapide, Russ co-founded a specialist international publishing company called Black Dog Media which produced user guides for subjects that ranged from video games to programming, consumer technology, and home improvement. Russ has written and edited numerous books about Android, Windows 10 and 11, Raspberry Pi, WordPress, iOS, PC maintenance, and macOS, which have been published worldwide. Alongside this, he has also built and managed several e-commerce websites, and written for some of the most-viewed tech websites in the world, including MakeUseOf and About.com (Lifewire). Your printer showing offline is usually a software or network glitch, not a dead machine. Before you panic, follow this exact fix sequence to get it back online on Windows or Mac. Warning for ARM PC users: If you're running a Copilot+ PC or ARM-based Windows device, manufacturer installers often fail. Use the Windows built-in installer instead. Start with the quick hardware checks below. If the printer stays offline, move to the network and driver fixes. What does "Printer Offline" mean? When a printer is showing as offline, it means it isn't currently connected to a computer, either through a cable or over a Wi-Fi network. It cannot communicate with your computer and is unable to receive the data to print. In some cases, this might be because the printer has died or has an internal hardware fault. Thankfully, this kind of critical failure is uncommon—it is much more likely that there is some minor software bug or a connection error instead. By working through the fixes here, you can quickly eliminate the more common causes of a printer being offline. In no time at all, your printer will be churning out pages on demand. Check Hardware and Network Connections Isolate the connection Test the printer by connecting it directly to your PC via USB. If it prints immediately, the issue is your Wi-Fi network. If it stays offline, the problem is a driver or OS glitch. Check the printer display and cables Look for error icons or messages on the printer's LCD screen. Check the power and data cables for damage. A crushed cable can still be broken inside. Replace it if it feels stiff or doesn't click firmly into the port. Power-cycle correctly Unplug the printer from the wall and wait 30 seconds to discharge the capacitors. While it's unplugged, restart your Wi-Fi router. Plug the printer back in and wait for it to fully boot before turning on your computer. Disable Deep Sleep and Eco modes Many modern printers enter a deep sleep state that breaks network wake-ups. Enter the printer's menu and disable Deep Sleep, Eco, or Power Saving modes. If the printer has a dedicated wireless button, hold it for 5 seconds to force a Wi-Fi reset. Check the print queue Stuck jobs frequently cause false offline statuses. On Windows, open Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Printers & Scanners, select your printer, and click Open Print Queue. Click the three-dot icon and select Cancel All. On Mac, click the printer icon in the Dock, choose Jobs > My Jobs, select the stuck file, and click Delete. Fix Network Ports and IP Settings Switch from WSD to Standard TCP/IP Windows often defaults to WSD (Web Services for Devices) ports, which are notoriously unstable for printers. Switch to a Standard TCP/IP port: Open Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners (Windows 10) or Bluetooth & Devices > Printers & Scanners (Windows 11). Select your printer and click Remove Device. Click Add device and choose The printer I want isn't listed. Select Add a printer using a TCP/IP address and enter the static IP you assigned earlier. Disable SNMP Status SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) frequently returns false offline errors. Once the TCP/IP port is created: Open Control Panel > Devices and Printers. Double-click your printer. Click the Ports tab and select the checked TCP/IP port. Click Configure Port. Uncheck SNMP Status Enabled and click OK. Turn off auto-default printer switching Windows loves to hijack your default printer when you connect a virtual device like a PDF creator. Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners and toggle Let Windows manage my default printer to Off. Manually select your physical printer. Run the built-in troubleshooter Windows 10 users: Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Printer. Windows 11 users: Open the Get Help app, search for "Printer Troubleshooter," and run it. This is the modern route for Windows 11. Restart the Print Spooler Search for and open the Services app. Scroll to Print Spooler, right-click it, and select Restart. This clears stuck jobs that falsely report the printer as offline. Use manufacturer diagnostic tools Brand-specific apps often catch connection issues that Windows misses. Run the official diagnostics for your printer: HP: HP Smart or HP Printer Assistant Canon: Canon PRINT or IJ Network Tool Epson: Epson Smart Panel or Network Scanner Brother: Brother iPrint&Scan The nuclear option: Clean driver files Standard uninstallation rarely removes corrupted driver files. Use the Print Server Properties to wipe them: Press Win + R, type printui /s /t2, and hit Enter. Click Properties at the bottom. Click Driver, select the printer driver, and click Remove. Choose Remove driver and driver package and confirm. Reinstall the latest driver from the manufacturer's website. If your printer still shows offline after these steps, the hardware is likely failing. Check our printer buying guide for reliable replacements. If the printer is wireless, ensure it is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the computer. Try refreshing the wireless connection by disconnecting it from the network and then reconnecting again. If you have recently changed the network the printer is connected to, you might need to reset the printer's Wi-Fi settings. On most wireless printers you can force the Wi-Fi settings back to default by holding a button or a combination of buttons. Check the manufacturer's website for the correct process for your printer. Restart the Printer and Your Computer The advice favored by some tech support lines may seem lazy, but turning a device off and on can fix a multitude of simple errors, including an offline printer. Turn off both the printer and the computer. Then restart your computer, and turn on the printer once the computer has finished booting. Clear all jobs from the print queue Print jobs are the queue of printing tasks that are lined up and ready to be executed. If a print job fails, it can sit in the queue and prevent later print jobs from being completed. This may occasionally make your computer think the printer isn't connected. On Windows, you can view and clear the print queue from the printer status monitor in the system tray. You can also open Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Printers & Scanners, select your printer, and click "Open Print Queue." Click the three dot icon and select "Cancel All." If you are using a Mac, click the printer icon in the Dock and choose Jobs > My Jobs. You can then delete a print job by selecting it and choosing "Delete." Run the Printer Troubleshooter Perhaps in recognition of how common printer problems are, Windows has a dedicated Printer Troubleshooter. You can find this in Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot in Windows 10. In Windows 11 go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other Trouble-shooters. Run the printer troubleshooter and follow the instructions to fix any problems it discovers. If it does, you should have an online printer again soon enough. Restart the Print Spooler in Windows The print spooler is a system component that temporarily stores print jobs in the memory. If this service stops working, it can cause the printer to be shown as offline. Search for and open the Services app. In Local Services, scroll down until you find Print Spooler in the list of services. It should be shown as Running in the status column. Right-click on it and select "Restart" from the context menu. Update printer software/firmware If you are using the printing software that came with the printer or was downloaded later, ensure it's updated to the latest version. You might be able to update from within the software. If not, check the manufacturer's website for software updates to install. To help you get started, here are several popular printer manufacturers' driver download pages: Brother Canon Epson HP Xerox There you might also find firmware updates available from the manufacturer. Firmware is the permanent software installed on a device that enables it to function correctly. This is different from the print software installed on your computer. Corrupted or out-of-date firmware on your printer can cause it to be stuck offline. Uninstall and reinstall the printer If none of the previous steps have worked, it's time to completely uninstall the printer. You can then reset it to factory settings and reinstall it from scratch. In Windows, open Settings > Devices > Printers and Scanners, and select the device. Click "Remove Device." Now uninstall any installed print software that came with the device. In Mac, click the Apple menu > System Preferences > Printers and Scanners. Select the printer you want to delete and click the "minus button" to remove it. If your printer has an LCD display, you can usually use it to navigate to a reset option. Printers with no display should have an alternate process for performing a factory reset. You will need to check the manufacturer's website to learn the exact method for your printer. Now install the printer as if it were new, following the manufacturer's instructions. Printer still offline? If your printer is still offline after trying all of the fixes here, it could mean there is a more serious problem. Find the manual online for the exact make and model you have, and make sure that there are no solutions specific to that printer. You could also search online to see if anyone else with your model has experienced the same issue. If even that fails to provide an answer, it might be time to buy a new printer.