The HP printer not printing anything is a common issue that many online forums receive. Unfortunately, Some HP printer users also encounter errors. Thankfully, there are several ways to fix this error.
Method 1 – Do Basic Troubleshooting
Just like in any issue with any technology, the first step is to troubleshoot. The HP Printer not printing anything can be due to several reasons. Therefore, basic troubleshooting will help isolate any issues like if you are experiencing a jam, paper tray issue, problems with the ink level, driver error, or more.
When you find your HP printer won’t print, try the following:
- Check the status of the printer HP printer connection and your PC. Make sure the devices are correctly attached. You should also check if your network or USB cable is not broken.
- Restart your HP Printer. Turn it off and unplug the power cord. Leave it a few minutes before plugging again.
- Restart your computer. Restarting will help ensure that you are not looking at any system error causing your HP printer not to print.
- Check if your HP printer has the correct ink levels. If you are using a printer that needs ink or toner, then be sure you have enough ink or toner in place.
- Check if you have enough paper in the paper tray. If you have sufficient paper, you also need to check if you are not experiencing a paper jam or stuck documents.
- Check your printer lights. An HP Deskjet printer comes with light indicators, which will give you an idea of why your printer is acting up. Check your user manual to decode and continue with your print jobs when it is unclear what the lights mean.
- If your printer is not printing color correctly, this could be a case of a badly needed deep cleaning. You can follow instructions on how to clean a print head using your manufacturer’s website.
Printing color correctly is a crucial role that printers must deliver to make sure it works properly. Check if your machine is printing black correctly, it will also help you isolate different possible issues.
Method 2 – Set HP Printer As Default
Each time you try to print something, your PC will automatically assign these printing tasks to the designated default printer. Sometimes, you may experience an HP printer not printing when you have not set it up as your default printer or selected it as the printer to print. If you have a new printer setting it up as a default printer will also help avoid this problem in the future.
Follow these steps to assign HP Printer as your default printer.
- On your keyboard, press Windows + R to open Run Dialog. In the run dialog box, type “control” and hit Enter to open the control panel.
- In the Control Panel, select Devices and Printers.
- Next, in the printers section, locate your HP printer and right-click on it. Select Set as default printer. Click Yes if prompted.
- Now you will find a tick below the HP printer icon, this means this is your default printer.
Method 3 – Cancel All HP Printer Jobs
Sometimes, you will experience an HP printer, not printing error when the print queue becomes stuck. This can happen when too many print jobs are lined up, causing a delay in your printer processing the printing request.
To fix the HP printer issue, clear the print queue. This will also allow newer print jobs to come along faster
- On your keyboard, press Windows logo + R to open Run Dialog. In the run dialog box, type control and hit Enter to open the control panel.
- In the Control Panel, select Devices and Printers.
- In the list of printing devices, locate your HP Printer. Note: Make sure to choose the one that you are having issues with. Right-click on the correct HP printer and select “See what’s printing” from the drop-down list.
- This will open up a new page. Click the “Printer” menu item in the top right and select “Open as Administrator” in the drop-down menu.
- Next, open the “Printer” menu item in the top right again and select “Cancel All Documents”.
- If a confirmation dialog window opens, you need to confirm you want to clear all documents in the print queue by choosing “Yes”
- See if this fixes the HP printer error by trying to reprint your document(s). If the HP printer doesn’t print, try the following method.
Method 4 – Update Your HP Printer Driver
Outdated drivers will cause issues when you try to print again. You need to update your drivers to make it work again. You can do this by either manually downloading, installing, and troubleshooting your printer driver, or you can use third-party software to automate the process. In this example, we will look at the manual way to update your HP printer driver.
A printer driver is a program that allows the software to communicate with your HP printer. Every brand of printer has specific software. Therefore, it is crucial to download only from the HP official page.
In addition, each operating system may have a specific driver. Make sure to avoid downloading the wrong printer driver to avoid more issues. When your HP Printer has outdated drivers, it will not work correctly, and the printer won’t print until the update is applied.
- Go to Control Panel by pressing the Windows Logo + R on your keyboard. On the run dialog box, type Control and press “enter” on the keyboard.
- In the control panel, click on ‘Hardware and Sound’
- Next, click on Device Manager to show all of the attached hardware on your machine. Locate the ‘Printers’ drop-down, which will contain the HP Printer.
- Right-click the HP printer you want to update and click ‘Update driver.’
- Pick whether to search for drivers automatically or manually. Unless you have already downloaded the latest drivers, you can choose automatically and store them in an external drive.
- If Windows doesn’t locate any new drivers, go to the manufacturer’s website and download before installing manually.
- Finally, run the installer to complete the setup.
If you happen to experience any errors while updating your drivers, click here to read our guide about fixing printer driver issues.
Method 5 – Make Sure Your Wireless Printer is Connected to the Same Network as Your Computer
This method applies to wireless printers. You have to make sure that your computer is connected to the same network as your computer. There are instances when the printer is attached to a different wireless network, and your computer is connected to another. In this case, regardless of the brand of the printer, your printer won’t print any files you send to it.
Why does your Printer Shows Offline Even though it’s ON in Windows 11?
If you are working with an HP Printer on a daily basis, you will know about the online and offline status of the Printer during its usage. This article will help you fix the HP Printer offline in Windows 11.
The issue of the HP Printer showing offline in Windows 11 even though it is on happens due to the following reasons:
- There is a connection issue between the Printer and the system.
- There is a problem with the printer driver.
- Your cable is not appropriately attached to the system.
- There is a simple paper jam error causing this issue.
How to Fix HP Printer Shows Offline in Windows 11?
You can fix the issue of the HP Printer showing offline in Windows 11 using the various solutions that have been discussed below:
Solution 1: Check the HP Printer Status
Your Printer may be offline by default, and therefore you need to change the printer status to online using the following steps:
- Right-click the Windows icon and open the Settings.
- Click on Bluetooth and Devices on the left pane from the window that opens.
- Next, click on Printers and Scanners.
- Now, select the Printer of which you want to change the offline/online status and tap on the Open Print queue.
- Next, select the Printer tab and uncheck the Use Printer Offline option.
- Finally, reboot your system and check whether the issue persists.
Solution 2: Run Printer Troubleshooter
Running the Printer troubleshooter can help you highlight and fix the issue of the HP Printer offline fix Windows 11 using these steps:
- Open the Run dialog box and type the following, and hit the Enter key: ms-settings:troubleshoot
- The Troubleshoot tab in the settings app will open.
- Select the Other Troubleshooters option from the menu and then select the Run button associated with the Printer.
- Wait until the scan is complete. By the end of the scan, you will be presented with the issue and its fix, if there is any.
- You can reboot your system to check if your issue is resolved.
Solution 3: Reinstall Printer
You should reinstall your Printer in order to fix the issue of the HP Printer showing offline in Windows 11 using the following steps:
- Firstly, open the System Settings and go to Devices.
- Now, select the Printers and Scanners from the devices list.
- Next, select your Printer and click the Remove device option from the drop-down menu.
- Click yes when prompted for the deletion.
- Next, connect the Printer cable to the system again and follow the instructions that appear on the screen to reinstall the Printer.
Solution 4: Update your HP Printer Drivers
To fix the issue of the HP Printer showing offline in Windows 11, update your Printer Driver using the following steps:
- Open the Device Manager in your system.
- Select the Printer category to see your devices, and then right-click it to update it.
- Then, select the Search automatically for the updated driver software option.
- Finally, select Update Driver and proceed with the process.
Solution 5: Restart Printer
If your Printer has gone unused for a long time, you need to restart your Printer to fix the HP Printer showing offline in Windows 11. Further, you can also try doing the following to resolve the issue:
- Check your Wi-Fi connection.
- Check your USB cable through which the Printer and system are connected.
We hope you will now be able to HP printer offline fix windows 11.
Read other post on this Website