Is your HP printer showing offline? The signs of your printer being offline include stopped printing, an offline error on the display, and the Wi-Fi light changing from normal flashing to blinking red. If you’ve been experiencing these signs with your HP printer, it means it has gone offline and has lost connectivity with the network or the connected devices.
In simple terms, an offline HP printer is one that is no longer connected properly to the network or the computer. This issue commonly occurs when the printer’s wireless signal is poor, there are technical glitches with the software, or the printer drivers are outdated. The good thing is that this issue is common and can be fixed with a few easy troubleshooting methods.
I’ll share a few easy troubleshooting methods in this blog that will help you get your printer back online. Let’s check them one by one.
When an HP printer goes offline, a poor network is the main reason behind that. Whether it’s a USB, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi connection, your printer is always vulnerable to the offline error. Therefore, verifying its connections is important to bring it back online.
Press and hold the power button to turn the printer off, then unplug the power cable.
Make sure the printer connects properly to the USB or Ethernet cable.
Remove the cables, wait for a few minutes, and then reconnect them to the wall outlet.
In case of a wireless connection, disconnect the power cable from the wireless router.
Wait for 10 seconds, and reconnect the power cable to the wall outlet.
After restarting and reconnecting everything, the HP printer should come back online.
If your HP printer is not the default printing device, it will show an offline error message. The computer will automatically recognize the printer when you send a print job. Ensure that the printer is set as the default printer using the steps below.
Go to the Start menu on your computer and open Settings.
Select the Bluetooth & Devices option from the left sidebar and select Printers & scanners.
After that, turn off the “Let Windows manage my default printer” option.
Now, select your printer’s name from the on-screen list.
Lastly, you have to click the Set as default option.
This will set your HP printer as the default and help bring it back online.
One of the biggest reasons behind an HP printer going offline is the outdated printer drivers. The drivers are the printer’s necessary software, which should be updated to the latest version to eliminate technical troubles and other uncertainties within the printer. Update the printer drivers using these steps.
Open an internet browser and navigate to support.hp.com.
After that, select Software and Drivers, and then select Printer as the product type.
Type your printer model name in the search bar, and then select the printer driver software by scrolling down the page.
Next, click the Download button next to the driver package.
Let the driver download on your computer and save it under the Downloads folder.
Reach the Downloads folder, and locate the driver file.
Double-click on the file, and allow it to run on the computer.
Finally, run the driver file and wait until the installation completes.
Check if your printer gets back online once you update the printer drivers. If this method doesn’t fix the printer’s offline issue, check out the next method.
When you set your printer to offline mode on the computer, it starts acting strangely and stops working. In this situation, you need to change its status from offline to online using the steps given below.
Go to the Start menu at the bottom left of the computer, and search for the Control Panel.
From the Control Panel, select the Devices and Printers menu.
Now, select your printer model from the screen, and then select Open printer queue.
Right-click on the printer and choose the “See what’s printing” option.
Open the Printer menu at the top, and uncheck "Use Printer Offline".
Finally, your printer will get back online from the offline status.
Question
You can reconnect your printer to Wi-Fi in a few ways. Use the HP Smart app and follow the setup steps, or use the Wireless Setup Wizard if your printer has a screen. If your router supports WPS, then press the Wi-Fi button on the printer and press the WPS button on the router to connect. For printers without a screen, connect with a USB cable and complete the setup through the app. Once connected, the Wi-Fi light will turn solid, and your printer will be ready to use again.
Question
Many things can make your printer go offline, such as poor connections, not setting the printer as the default device, setting it to offline mode on the computer, or using outdated printer drivers.
Question
Learn how to fix an HP offline printer, follow a few troubleshooting methods. Check the printer’s connections, update the printer drivers, set the printer as the default printer, and change the status from offline to online on the computer.
Source: HP printer showing offline