HP Printer Not Printing [Fixed] | Step By Step Guide

HP printer not printing is a common issue faced by several HP printer users. It may occur due to several different causes like faulty connections, outdated or missing drivers, misconfigured settings, and so many others.

Sometimes, common factors like paper jams, or no ink can prevent the printer from continuing the printing job. If you are also stuck with the same problem, then you can go through the instructions provided below carefully to get rid of this issue.

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Easy Hacks to Fix HP Printer not Printing

There are several ways to solve this issue. Here we are going to describe some of them. Before applying them, make sure that is no paper jam in the printer. Afterward, check if the printer is running with ink.

If you see there is no paper jam or no ink issue, then move on to the ways described below to fix an HP printer that is not printing.

Fix 1: Perform Basic Checks

Before going to perform any complicated technical workaround, you need to check some basic things on the setup of the device. You can:

Check the Connection Status between the computer and the HP printer. Confirm that both the devices are connected properly with each other. If you connect the printer with the system using a network connection, then confirm that the IP address and the ports are aligned with the configuration of the device.
Perform a power cycle of both your printer and the computer. If there are any problems with the configuration of the device, then that will be solved by this process. Turn off all the modules and disconnect the power cables from the printer. Wait for at least 10-12 minutes before reconnecting the cables.

After checking these, run a test print. If you see that the issue still persists, then you can continue with the fixes detailed below.

Fix 2: Set the HP Printer as Default

If your printer is not set as the default printer, then it can trigger this issue. Hence, you can set the printer as the default one. To do this, you can perform the following steps::

First of all, open the Control Panel by going to the Start menu.
Navigate to the ‘Devices and Printer’ category.
Now, search for the printer that you are using by scrolling down the list of printers. Once you get that, right-click on it.
Choose the ‘Set as default printer’ option from the list.
Next, confirm the action by clicking on the Yes button.

After doing this, you will see a green checkmark on the HP printer icon. It indicates that your printer is now set as the default device.

After doing this, if you are still unable to continue with the printing job, you can go to the next method described below.

Fix 3: Cancel all Printing Jobs

Sometimes, when you send a document to print, it may get stuck in the print queue. And if the paper sticks in the print queue, then it may stop the printing process. Hence, clearing the print queue can help you to solve this issue. Here’s how to do this:

Go to the Start menu and open the Control Panel.
Next, go to the ‘Devices and Printer’ section.
Now, choose your printer from the list of printing devices. Right-click on it.
Choose ‘See what’s printing’ from the list.
Click on the drop-down button of Printer from the next page.
Choose the ‘Cancel All Documents’ option from the drop-down menu.
It will open a confirmation pop-up box. Confirm this by clicking on the Yes button.

After doing this, if the HP printer still won’t print, then restore the device to its factory settings.

Fix 4: Restore the Printer to its Factory Settings

According to some users, they have solved this issue by restoring the factory settings of the device. So, you can also try this. To do this, you can perform the following:

First, turn the printer off and disconnect the power cable. Wait for a few seconds and reconnect it.
Now, press the Resume button and hold it for a minimum of 12-15 seconds. Once the Attention light starts to blink, you can release the button.
The Ready and Attention light will cycle until the device is restored to the factory default settings.

If it doesn’t fit the printer, then it indicates that the device has another reset technique. So, you can perform the steps mentioned below:

First of all, turn the device off and disconnect the power cable. Wait for at least 2 minutes before reconnecting it.
Press and hold the Power button to turn it On. Wait for a few seconds until the first part of the initialization bar appears.

Now, wait for the reset procedure to complete.

Fix 5: Clean the Print Heads

If the print head of the printer is jammed by dry ink, then also you may face this issue. So, you can clean the print head to get rid of it.

To do that, you can use the general procedure of cleaning the printhead. If it doesn’t work, you can try the manual steps given below:

Step 1:

First and foremost, unplug the power cable from the printer to turn it off. Once the printer is turned off, remove the power cable and open the front panel of the device.

After opening the front lid, wait for a few seconds until the cartridges move to the center. After that, remove them one by one.

Step 2:

Next, remove the print head. Don’t force them while removing as it may hamper the inner components. Now, you will see a small circle on the inner surface of the print head. The jammed ink may be clogged here and block the printhead from spinning. Clean it using a dry washed cloth.

Step 3:

Now, press the bridge located at the print head upwards. Slide it upwards until you hear a beep sound. Next, slide it upwards from the other side. This time, you will hear two beep sounds. Now, it becomes easier for you to remove.

Step 4:

Next, take a hairdryer to dry the ink head. Or, you can leave it until you are sure that the module is completely dry. Once the module is dried, you can insert it into the device and then move it into its proper position.

Step 5:

Now, connect the power cable back into the device to turn it On. Next, tap on the Settings icon on the screen and choose the Tools option from the list.

Tap on the ‘Clean Printhead’ option from the next menu. Now, the device will start cleaning the printhead. Wait for a few seconds as it may take some time to complete the cleaning process. So, let it finish on its own.

After cleaning the printhead, run a test print to check if you are now able to print without any hassle.

After trying all the above hacks, if you see that you are still not able to print, then you can also perform these:

Update the firmware of the device to its latest version.
Update the driver of the printer on the system from the official website.
Uninstall the printer and reinstall it.

So, these are the ways that can help you to fix the ‘HP printer not printing’ issue. Hopefully, applying the above hacks will help you to get rid of the issue quickly and completely.