Printer Says Offline? Here's How to Fix It (2026)

Nothing. That’s what happens when you hit print and your printer says “offline.” Nothing at all. The document sits in the queue, the printer does absolutely nothing, and you’re left wondering whether to restart everything or just drive to the library.

I’ve fixed this problem on my own printers more times than I’d like to admit, and I’ve walked friends and family through it over the phone at least a dozen more. The good news is it’s almost always fixable without buying anything or calling anyone. The bad news is there are about six different things that can cause it.

Here’s the full troubleshooting process, in order of likelihood.

Quick Fix Checklist (Try These First)

Before going through the detailed steps, run through this rapid checklist. These fix the problem about 70% of the time:

1. Is the printer actually turned on? Check the power light. Sounds obvious. You’d be surprised.
2. Power cycle the printer. Turn it off, unplug the power cable, wait 60 seconds, plug back in, turn on. This clears temporary errors.
3. Restart your computer. Seriously. A Windows restart fixes stuck print spooler issues more often than anything else.
4. Check the Wi-Fi. Is your printer connected to the same network as your computer? If you recently changed your Wi-Fi password or got a new router, the printer won’t reconnect automatically.
5. Check for paper jams or open covers. Some printers show “offline” when there’s a physical issue like a jam, empty paper tray, or an open access panel.

If none of that works, read on.

Step 1: Check Printer Status in Windows

Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners (Windows 11) or Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners (Windows 10).

Find your printer in the list. It should show its current status. If it says “Offline,” click on the printer name, then click Open print queue.

In the print queue window, click Printer in the menu bar at the top. Look for Use Printer Offline — if it has a tick next to it, click it to untick it. This tells Windows to try connecting to the printer again.

I know, it seems mad that Windows has an option to manually take your printer offline. But it does, and sometimes it activates itself for no obvious reason. I’ve seen this happen after Windows updates, power cuts, and seemingly at random.

Step 2: Clear the Print Queue

A stuck print job can block everything behind it and make the printer appear offline. Here’s how to clear it:

1. Open the print queue (Settings > Printers & scanners > your printer > Open print queue)
2. Click Printer in the menu bar, then Cancel All Documents
3. Confirm the cancellation
4. Close the queue and try printing again

If the queue won’t clear (documents stuck on “Deleting”), you’ll need to restart the Print Spooler service:

1. Press Windows key + R, type services.msc, press Enter
2. Scroll down to Print Spooler
3. Right-click it and select Restart
4. Try printing again

I had a stubborn queue on my home PC last autumn that refused to clear even after restarting the spooler. The fix was stopping the spooler, manually deleting the files in C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS, then starting the spooler again. Nuclear option, but it worked.

Step 3: Check Your Network Connection

If your printer connects via Wi-Fi, network issues are the single most common cause of “offline” status. Here’s what to check:

Is the printer connected to Wi-Fi? Most printers have a Wi-Fi indicator light or a network status screen. On Epson printers, hold the Wi-Fi button — a solid light means connected, flashing means it’s trying. On HP, print a network configuration page from the printer’s menu.

Same network? If you have a dual-band router (2.4GHz and 5GHz), your computer might be on 5GHz while your printer is on 2.4GHz. They should still communicate, but some routers isolate the bands. Try connecting your computer to the 2.4GHz network temporarily.

Router restart. Unplug your router for 30 seconds and plug it back in. Wait 2-3 minutes for everything to reconnect. This fixes more printer problems than any printer-specific troubleshooting.

After we got a new Sky router last year, both our printers went offline. They’d been connected to the old network and couldn’t find the new one. Had to set up the Wi-Fi connection on each printer from scratch. Took ten minutes but felt like an hour.

Static IP address (advanced). If your printer keeps going offline every few days, your router might be assigning it a different IP address each time. Setting a static IP for the printer in your router’s DHCP settings prevents this. Check your router’s admin page (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) and look for DHCP reservation or address reservation.

Step 4: Update or Reinstall the Printer Driver

Outdated or corrupted drivers cause offline issues, especially after major Windows updates. Here’s the fix:

1. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners
2. Click your printer, then Remove device
3. Restart your computer
4. Go to the manufacturer’s website (HP, Epson, Canon, or Brother) and download the latest driver for your specific model
5. Install the driver and follow the setup wizard to re-add the printer

Don’t rely on Windows Update for printer drivers. The drivers in Windows Update are often generic or outdated. Always grab the latest from the manufacturer directly.

Step 5: Set Your Printer as Default

Sometimes Windows decides another printer — or Microsoft Print to PDF — should be the default, and your print jobs go to the wrong place.

Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Turn off Let Windows manage my default printer. Then click your actual printer and select Set as default.

Mac Troubleshooting

If you’re on a Mac, the process is different but the causes are similar.

Reset the printing system:

1. Go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners
2. Right-click (or Control-click) anywhere in the printer list
3. Select Reset printing system
4. This removes all printers — re-add yours by clicking the + button
5. Select your printer from the list and click Add

This is the Mac equivalent of a nuclear fix. It resolves about 90% of Mac printer issues. I’ve done it on my MacBook Air twice. Takes two minutes.

Check the print queue:

1. Go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners
2. Click your printer
3. Click Open Print Queue
4. If it says “Paused,” click Resume
5. Delete any stuck jobs

Brand-Specific Issues

HP Printers

HP printers have a specific tool for this: HP Print and Scan Doctor. Download it free from HP’s website, run it, and it automatically diagnoses and fixes connection issues. In my experience, it fixes the problem about 80% of the time. It’s genuinely the best troubleshooting tool any printer manufacturer has made.

HP printers with HP+ enabled require a constant internet connection. If your internet drops, the printer may go offline even for local print jobs. This is one of the less popular HP+ features, to put it politely.

Epson Printers

Epson printers sometimes lose their Wi-Fi connection after a firmware update. If your Epson went offline after an update, re-run the Wi-Fi setup from the printer’s control panel. On newer Epson models, hold the Wi-Fi button for 3 seconds to enter setup mode, then use Epson Smart Panel on your phone to reconnect.

Also check that Epson Connect isn’t interfering. If you set up Epson Connect for remote printing and then changed your network, the printer can get confused. Disable Epson Connect temporarily and see if that helps.

Canon Printers

Canon’s most common issue is the WSD (Web Services for Devices) port. Windows sometimes creates a WSD port for Canon printers that’s unreliable. The fix:

1. Go to Settings > Printers & scanners
2. Click your Canon printer, then Printer properties
3. Go to the Ports tab
4. Look for the currently selected port — if it starts with “WSD,” change it to the TCP/IP port instead
5. If no TCP/IP port exists, click Add Port, select Standard TCP/IP Port, and enter your printer’s IP address

This one took me ages to figure out. My Canon MG3650 kept going offline every couple of days until I switched from WSD to TCP/IP. Rock solid ever since.

Brother Printers

Brother printers are generally the most reliable for Wi-Fi connectivity, but they can still go offline if the IP address changes. The fix mentioned earlier (static IP reservation in your router) works particularly well for Brother printers.

Brother also has a diagnostic tool — Brother iPrint&Scan — that can help identify connection issues.

The Flowchart (Text Version)

Follow this in order:

Printer off? → Turn it on.

Power cycle fixed it? → Done. If it keeps happening, check your power strip.

Is it a Wi-Fi issue? → Print a network page from the printer. If it shows “disconnected,” reconnect to Wi-Fi via the printer’s control panel.

Queue stuck? → Clear all documents. Restart Print Spooler if needed.

“Use Printer Offline” is ticked? → Untick it.

Driver issue? → Remove printer, download fresh driver from manufacturer, reinstall.

Nothing works? → USB cable. Plug the printer directly into your computer with a USB cable. If it prints fine over USB, the problem is definitely network-related.

When to Give Up and Use USB

Honestly? If your Wi-Fi printer goes offline more than once a month and you’ve tried everything above, just use a USB cable. It costs £5 from Amazon, it never drops the connection, and you’ll never see “offline” again.

I know it’s not glamorous. I know you bought a wireless printer so you wouldn’t have a cable. But a £5 cable that works is better than a wireless connection that doesn’t. My neighbour switched to USB after six months of battling her HP printer going offline. She hasn’t had a single issue since.

For help setting up a wireless printer from scratch, see our guide on how to connect a printer wirelessly.