Top 5 Reasons Your Printer Is Not Printing And How to Fix It

1. Printer is Not Properly Connected

 Issue: Printer is offline or not connected to the computer or Wi-Fi.

Fix:

• For USB printers: Check the cable connection and try a different USB port.

• For wireless printers: Ensure both your printer and device are on the same Wi-Fi network.

• Restart the printer and your computer.

• Go to Devices and Printers → Right-click your printer → Select “Set as default printer.”

---

2. Out of Paper, Ink, or Toner

Issue: The printer has no paper or the ink/toner is empty or low.

Fix:

• Refill the paper tray.

• Check ink or toner levels via the printer software.

• Replace any empty cartridges.

• Make sure cartridges are properly installed.

---

3. Print Queue is Stuck

Issue: Previous jobs are stuck, preventing new prints.

Fix:

• Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers.

• Right-click your printer → Select “See what’s printing.”

• Cancel or delete all stuck print jobs.

• Restart the Print Spooler:

  1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc

  2. Find Print Spooler, right-click → Restart

---

 4. Driver Issues

Issue: Missing, outdated, or corrupt printer drivers.

Fix:

• Go to your printer manufacturer’s website.

• Download and install the latest drivers for your model.

• Or, open Device Manager → Right-click printer → Update driver.

---

5. Wrong Printer Selected

Issue: You’re sending the job to a different or offline printer.

Fix:

• In your print dialog, select the correct printer.

• Set your printer as default:

  • Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners

  • Click your printer → Manage → Set as default