Of all the things in an office that go wrong, printers are near the top. They stop printing for no apparent reason. They show as “offline” when they are clearly turned on. They jam at the worst possible moment. And when five people are trying to print and nothing is coming out, productivity stops.
Here are the fixes that solve most printer problems. Try these before calling IT support, because there is a good chance one of them will sort it out.
The printer shows as “offline”
This is the most common complaint, and it usually does not mean the printer is actually broken.
Check the obvious first. Is the printer turned on? Is it showing any error messages on its screen? Is there paper in the tray? Is the toner or ink cartridge not empty? These sound basic, but they account for a surprising number of “offline” calls.
Check the connection. For network printers (connected via ethernet cable or WiFi), make sure the network cable is plugged in or that the printer is connected to the correct WiFi network. The printer’s display or network settings page will show its connection status.
Restart the printer. Turn it off, wait 30 seconds, turn it back on. This resets the network connection and clears any stuck jobs. It fixes the problem more often than you would expect.
Check Windows printer status. Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners. Click on your printer and select “Open print queue.” If it says “Offline”, right-click the printer name and uncheck “Use Printer Offline” if it is ticked. Sometimes Windows marks a printer as offline and does not change it back.
Clear the print queue. If there is a stuck print job in the queue, it can block everything behind it. Open the print queue, select all documents, and cancel them. Then try printing again.
The printer is connected but nothing comes out
The printer shows as online, you click Print, it looks like it is sending, but nothing prints.
Check which printer is selected. Windows sometimes switches your default printer, especially after updates. You may be sending jobs to “Microsoft Print to PDF” or an old printer that is no longer connected. Check the printer name in the print dialog before clicking Print.
Restart the Windows Print Spooler. The Print Spooler is the Windows service that manages print jobs. When it gets stuck, nothing prints even though everything looks normal.
To restart it:
- Press Windows key + R, type “services.msc” and press Enter
- Find “Print Spooler” in the list
- Right-click it and select “Restart”
After the spooler restarts, try printing again. This fixes a large percentage of “printer does nothing” problems.
Check for driver issues. If the printer worked before but stopped after a Windows update, the driver may have been affected. Go to the printer manufacturer’s website (HP, Brother, Epson, Canon, etc.) and download the latest driver for your model. Install it and try again.
Try printing from a different application. If printing fails from Excel but works from Notepad, the problem is with the application, not the printer. This narrows down the troubleshooting.
Network printer problems
Network printers (shared across the office) have their own category of issues.
The printer’s IP address changed. Network printers have an IP address, just like a computer. If your network uses DHCP (which assigns addresses automatically), the printer might get a new address after a restart or power outage. Your computer is still trying to print to the old address. Your IT team can fix this by setting a static IP address for the printer so it does not change.
The print server went down. If your office uses a print server (a central machine that manages printing), and that server goes down, nobody can print. Check whether the server is running. If your office runs on a Windows server, the print server function might restart with the server.
Firewall is blocking the printer. If a new firewall rule or security update was applied, it may have blocked the port that the printer uses. This is more common in managed environments where security policies are tightly controlled.
Multiple people are affected. If one person cannot print, the problem is likely on their computer. If nobody can print, the problem is the printer or the network. This distinction saves time.
Paper jams and physical issues
Paper jams are mechanical, not software, but they still stop the office.
Clear the jam properly. Open all the doors the manual says to open, and pull the paper out gently in the direction it was travelling. Pulling it backwards or ripping it can leave pieces inside the machine that cause more jams.
Check the paper. Damp paper jams. Cheap paper jams. Paper that has been sitting in the tray for weeks absorbs humidity and jams. If you are getting frequent jams, try fresh paper from a sealed ream.
Clean the rollers. The rubber rollers that pull paper through the printer get dusty and smooth over time. A wipe with a slightly damp cloth can restore their grip. If they are shiny and hard, they need replacing.
Do not overfill the tray. Every tray has a maximum fill line. Going past it causes jams and misfeeds.
When to call IT support
Some printer problems are worth fixing yourself. Others need professional help. Call your IT support when:
- The same problem keeps coming back. A printer that goes offline every Monday morning has an underlying issue (probably DHCP or a scheduled task) that needs proper fixing.
- Nobody in the office can print. If it is affecting everyone, the problem is likely the network, the server, or the printer itself – not individual settings.
- Error codes appear that you do not recognise. Printers display error codes for hardware faults (failed fusers, imaging drums, waste toner boxes). These usually need parts or servicing.
- You need to set up a new printer. Getting a new printer onto the network, shared properly, and configured for the right paper sizes and defaults is worth doing correctly the first time.
- Print quality has degraded. Streaks, faded sections, or smudges usually mean a consumable needs replacing or a maintenance kit is due.
When you call, it helps to know: the printer make and model, whether it is network or USB, whether the problem affects one person or everyone, and what you have already tried.
Printer problems driving you mad?
If your office printer is giving you ongoing trouble, we can sort it out. Often it is a quick fix – a driver update, a network configuration, or a setting that nobody realised was wrong.
Call: 087 820 5005
WhatsApp: 081 526 1626
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