How to Put Your Printer Online: A Comprehensive Guide

Experiencing trouble getting your printer online, especially with an ARM PC? It’s a common frustration when you need to print important documents, photos, or anything else, only to find your printer stubbornly offline. This guide is designed to walk you through the essential troubleshooting steps to bring your printer back online and ensure seamless printing from your Windows device. Whether you’re using a wireless or wired connection, we’ll cover the most effective methods to resolve printer connectivity issues and get you printing again in no time.

Quick Fixes to Get Your Printer Online

Before diving into more detailed troubleshooting, let’s try some quick and simple solutions that often resolve printer offline problems.

Power Cycle Your Printer

Sometimes, the simplest solution is the most effective. Power cycling your printer can often clear temporary glitches and restore its online status.

1. Turn off your printer. Locate the power button and switch off your printer completely.
2. Unplug the power cord. Disconnect the power cord from the back of the printer.
3. Wait for 30 seconds. This allows any residual power to dissipate.
4. Plug the power cord back in. Reconnect the power cord to your printer.
5. Turn your printer back on. Power on your printer and wait for it to fully boot up.

Check if your printer is now online. If not, proceed to the next quick fix.

Check Your Printer’s Wi-Fi Connection

For wireless printers, a stable Wi-Fi connection is crucial for staying online.

1. Access your printer’s menu. Most wireless printers have a built-in menu accessible through a display screen and buttons on the printer itself.
2. Navigate to network settings. Look for options like “Network Settings,” “Wi-Fi,” or “Wireless Setup.”
3. Check connection status. See if your printer is connected to your Wi-Fi network and if the signal strength is good.
4. Reconnect to Wi-Fi if needed. If the connection is weak or disconnected, follow your printer’s manual to reconnect it to your Wi-Fi network.

Advanced Troubleshooting Steps for Offline Printers

If the quick fixes didn’t work, it’s time to delve into more advanced troubleshooting steps within your Windows operating system.

Run the Windows Printer Troubleshooter

Windows has a built-in troubleshooter that can automatically diagnose and fix common printer problems. This is an excellent first step for resolving offline printer issues.

For Windows 11:

1. Open the Get Help app. You can find it by searching in the taskbar.
2. In the Get Help app, describe your issue as “printer offline”.
3. Select the Troubleshoot option for printer problems.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions. The troubleshooter will run diagnostics and attempt to fix any detected issues automatically.

For Windows 10:

1. Open the Settings app. Click on the Start button and select the gear icon.
2. Go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
3. Click on Additional troubleshooters.
4. Select Printer and then click on Run the troubleshooter.
5. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the troubleshooting process.

Set Your Printer as Default

Sometimes, Windows might not be directing print jobs to the correct printer, especially if you have multiple printers installed. Setting your printer as the default can resolve this.

For Windows 11:

1. Open Settings. Press Windows key + I or search for “Settings” in the Start menu.
2. Click on Bluetooth & devices and then select Printers & scanners.
3. Select your printer from the list.
4. Click the Set as default button. If you don’t see this option, ensure “Let Windows manage my default printer” is turned off.

For Windows 10:

1. Open Settings. Press Windows key + I or search for “Settings” in the Start menu.
2. Go to Devices and then select Printers & scanners.
3. Uncheck the box next to “Let Windows manage my default printer” if it’s checked.
4. Select your printer from the list.
5. Click Manage and then choose Set as default.

Clear the Print Queue

A clogged print queue with pending print jobs can sometimes cause a printer to appear offline. Clearing the queue can help.

For Windows 11 & 10:

1. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners (or Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners in Windows 10).
2. Select your printer and click on Open print queue.
3. If there are any documents listed, click on Cancel All Documents (or right-click on each job and select Cancel).

Restart the Print Spooler Service

The Print Spooler is a Windows service that manages print jobs. Restarting it can resolve issues where the service has become stuck or unresponsive.

1. Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type services.msc and press Enter. This opens the Services window.
3. Scroll down to find the Print Spooler service.
4. Right-click on Print Spooler and select Restart.

Remove and Reinstall Your Printer

If all else fails, removing and reinstalling your printer can provide a fresh start and resolve deeper software conflicts.

Remove Your Printer:

For Windows 11 & 10:

1. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners (or Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners in Windows 10).
2. Select the printer you want to remove.
3. Click Remove device and confirm by clicking Yes.

Reinstall Your Printer:

For Windows 11 & 10:

1. In the Printers & scanners settings page, click Add device.
2. Windows will scan for available printers. Select your printer from the list and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. Make sure your printer is powered on and connected to the network during this process.

Restart Your PC

A simple restart of your computer can often resolve a multitude of technical issues, including printer connectivity problems. Restarting your PC refreshes system services and can re-establish communication with your printer.

1. Click on the Start button.
2. Select the Power icon.
3. Choose Restart.

After your PC restarts, check if your printer is now online.

Conclusion

Getting your printer online doesn’t have to be a daunting task. By following these troubleshooting steps, from quick fixes like power cycling to more comprehensive solutions like reinstalling your printer, you can effectively resolve most offline printer issues. Remember to check your printer’s manual for any specific instructions related to your model, especially for wireless setup and network configurations. With a bit of patience and these guidelines, you’ll be back to printing smoothly in no time.