Your printer says "offline" — but it's right there, plugged in, powered on. Frustrating, right?
Don't worry. "Offline" doesn't mean broken. It just means your computer lost communication with the printer. Most fixes take under 60 seconds.
Your printer shows offline when your computer can't talk to it. Common causes:
Loose cable — USB came unplugged
Wi-Fi dropped — Printer lost network connection
Windows setting flipped — "Use Printer Offline" mode got enabled
Print spooler crashed — The service managing print jobs froze
IP address changed — Network printer got a new address
The good news? All of these are easy to fix.
Turn OFF your printer completely
Unplug it from the wall
Wait 30 seconds
Plug back in and power on
Restart your computer
This fixes 40% of offline issues.
🔌 Fix #2: Check Connections
USB Printer:
Push cable firmly into both ends
Try a different USB port
Avoid USB hubs — connect directly
Wi-Fi Printer:
Make sure printer is on same network as computer
Check printer display for Wi-Fi errors
Move printer closer to router if signal is weak
Windows has a sneaky setting that forces printers offline:
Open Control Panel → Devices and Printers
Right-click your printer → See what's printing
Click Printer in the menu
Uncheck "Use Printer Offline"
Printer should come back online immediately.
The print spooler service sometimes crashes:
Press Windows + R
Type services.msc → press Enter
Find Print Spooler
Right-click → Restart
Wait 10 seconds, then try printing.
[Button: More Windows Fixes →] (link to: https://mrgrid.io/guides/printer-offline-fix)
Go to System Preferences → Printers & Scanners
Right-click the printer list
Select Reset printing system
Re-add your printer
⚠️ This removes ALL printers — you'll need to add them back.
The Fix:
Print a network config page from your printer
Note the IP address
Remove printer from your computer
Re-add using the IP address directly
Set a static IP in your router for permanent fix
[Button: Network Printer Guide →] (link to: https://mrgrid.io/guides/printer-offline-fix)
Answer a few questions and get a personalized fix for your exact situation.
Launch Printer Diagnostic → https://mrgrid.io/microsites/printer-offline-repair
Having other printing issues? We've got guides for those too:
PDF Not Printing? — Fixes for PDF-specific print errors
PDF Printing Errors — Error codes and solutions
Print Queue Stuck? — Clear stuck jobs in 60 seconds
MrGrid provides free, no-nonsense tech troubleshooting guides. No fluff, just fixes that work.
Visit MrGrid.io → https://mrgrid.io/microsites/printer-offline-repair