Why Does My Printer Keep Going Offline?

/ Help With Printer / By

The “Printer Offline” status simply defines that there is a communication error between the computer and the printer. Apart from this, there are various other factors that can trigger this error. 

Users are not able to continue their printing tasks until they get back their printer to the online state. Several users have reported that after updating their Windows Operating System to the latest version, they notice this error. 

Why Does my Printer Keep Going Offline?

Before proceeding with the troubleshooting section, identify the factors behind this printer error.

  • Printer connection error.
  • Certain technical glitches within the print spooler service.
  • Outdated printer driver.
  • Third-party security suite interference.

How to Get Back a Printer to an Online State?

Here are the top 8 troubleshooting measures that you can try in order to get back a printer to the online state. Therefore, apply these methods and fix the problem in no time.

Fix 1: Review the Printer Connection

As an initial fix, review the printer connection between the printer and the computer. Be sure that the printer is properly connected to the computer. If you are using the USB cable, then check if the cable is working properly or not.  But, if the connection error is due to wirelessly mode, then check both the devices that are connected to the same network.

Fix 2: Disable the Windows Firewall

Windows Firewall tends to block suspicious activities on the device. In certain instances, the Windows Firewall may interfere with the printer that might force the printer to stop functioning properly. This can lead to an offline state. 

In that case, disabling the Windows Firewall can be a reliable way that you can follow:

  • Press the combination of the Windows logo and R key to invoke the Run window. On the dialogue box, write “Control” to initiate the Control Panel window.
  • In the next step, look for the “System and Security link” and choose the “Windows Firewall”.
  • Locate and select the “Turn Windows Firewall on or off” button that is present on the left side of the display screen.
  • Choose the “Turn off Windows Firewall” option and confirm the action by tapping on the “Ok” button.
  • Save the changes by hitting the “Apply” button.

Fix 3: Remove the Third Party Security Suite 

If you have a third-party security suite installed on your device, then the occurrence of such error is quite common. To prevent such error occurrence, removing the third-party security suite is quite mandatory. Follow the steps to accomplish the task: 

  • Right-click on the “Start” icon to invoke the Start menu.
  • Head over to the “Control Panel” window and look for the menu titled “Programs and Features”.
  • Under this section, a list will appear where all the installed drivers along with the software are enlisted.
  • From the resulting menu, locate and select the third-party security suite.
  • Hit the “Uninstall” button and confirm the process by choosing the “Yes” button.

Fix 4: Disable the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)

Disabling the SNMP is another effective way that will help you to resolve the printer error. Follow the underlying instructions to proceed with the task.

  • On the Control Panel, scroll through the available options in order to initiate the “Hardware and Sound” section. 
  • Now, hit the “View Devices and Printers” option and invoke the list where all the available printers are enlisted.
  • Choose the printer and launch the “Printer Properties” menu.
  • Find the port in which the printer is currently connected to. Tap on it and hit the “Configure Port” button.
  • Look for the “SNMP Status Enabled” option and remove the tick mark from the checkbox.
  • Save the changes by choosing the “Apply” as well as the “OK” button.

Fix 5: Update the Printer Drivers

Running an outdated version of the printer driver can cause various technical complications including the printer going offline. In that case, updating the printer driver to their latest version would be the best solution. 

Carry out the below-mentioned instructions to update the printer driver:

  • On the Run dialogue box, insert “devmgmt.msc” and hit the “OK” button.
  • After the “Device Manager” window appears on the screen, choose the category in order to determine all the device names that are installed in the system.
  • Proceed to right tap on the “Printer Driver” and hit the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option.
  • If the updates are available, then choose the “Update Driver” button and wait until the installation gets completed.

Fix 6: Reboot the Print Spooler Service

Certain internal glitches within the Print Spooler Service can cause severe printer error. But, it can be easily sorted out by rebooting the service. 

Here are the instructions that should be followed to reboot the print spooler service. 

  • Inside the Run dialogue box, enter the following command and tap on the “OK” button. “Services.msc”
  • Choose the top result to invoke the window.
  • After accessing the “Service” window, scroll down to find out the “Print Spooler Service”.
  • Once the service is located, tap on it and hit the option” Restart”.

After resetting the Print Spooler Service, verify whether the error gets removed or not. 

Fix 7: Add Another Printing Device

When all the above fixes fail to give you the desired results, then you can perform this action. But, this fix only works if you connect your printer via the wireless network instead of USB cable.

  • Initiate the “Printer Properties” and head over to the “Ports” tab.
  • After accessing the “Ports” tab, hit the “Add Port” icon and choose the “Standard TCP/IP Port” from the appeared menu.
  • Select the “New Port” and hit the “Next” icon.
  • Inside the text bar, enter the “printer’s IP address” and hit the “Next” button. 
  • Follow the on-screen guidelines in order to complete the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How to Run the Printer Troubleshooter?

Head over to the “Control Panel” and choose the “System and Security”. Hit the “Troubleshoot common computer problems” option and expand the “Troubleshooting category”. From the result-oriented window, tap on the “Run a Troubleshooter” and follow the instructions to complete the troubleshooting.

  • How to Reset a Printer?

Power off the printer device and take out the power cable as well as the peripherals cables from the device. Now, leave the device for a few minutes and reconnect the cables back to the printer. Turn On the printing device while pressing the “Resume” button. Keep pressing the combination keys unless the attention light appears. When the device boots up, the device will automatically get the default settings.

  • How to Set a Printer to the Default Device?

Invoke the “Control Panel” window and scroll through the available options to invoke the “Printer and Faxes” section. After accessing this window, look for the list where all the available printers are enlisted. Proceed to tap on the “Printer” that you need to set as a default device. In the next window, open the “Printer” menu and hit the “Set as Default Printer” button. Save the changes by tapping on the “Yes” button twice.