Why Is My Printer Offline? Windows 10/11 Fixes That Work

Why Is My Printer Offline? (Windows 10/11) — Real Fixes That Work

If you’re wondering “Why is my printer offline?” on Windows 10 or Windows 11, the good news is: most cases are caused by a few common issues—like a stuck print queue, Windows toggling the offline mode, or a connection glitch.

This guide gives you the fastest fixes first, then moves into deeper troubleshooting if needed.

Quick Fix (Try These First)

1) Power Cycle the Printer (Fastest)

• Turn the printer OFF

• Unplug it for 60 seconds

• Plug it back in and turn it ON

• Wait 2–3 minutes and try printing again

2) Uncheck “Use Printer Offline” (Most Common Fix)

1. Open Control Panel → Devices and Printers

2. Right-click your printer → See what’s printing

3. Click Printer (top menu)

4. Uncheck Use Printer Offline

5. Cancel any stuck documents

✅ Try printing a test page again.

3) Set the Correct Printer as Default

1. Go to Devices and Printers

2. Right-click your real printer

3. Choose Set as default printer

Sometimes Windows switches to a virtual printer (PDF/XPS), which makes your printer look “offline”.

Fix the Print Queue (Stuck Jobs)

4) Clear Print Queue Manually

1. Open See what’s printing

2. Select all documents → Cancel

3. Restart the printer and try again

5) Restart Print Spooler (Very Effective)

1. Press Win + R

2. Type: services.msc

3. Find Print Spooler

4. Click Restart

Now test printing again.

Connection Problems (USB vs Wi-Fi)

6) USB Printer Offline Fix

Try these:

• Use a different USB port (avoid USB hubs)

• Replace the USB cable (faulty cables cause offline status)

• Plug directly into the PC, not the monitor/keyboard USB

7) Wi-Fi Printer Offline Fix (Windows)

Common reasons:

• router changed your printer’s IP address

• weak Wi-Fi signal

• printer connected to a different network

Try:

• restart the router once

• reconnect the printer to the correct Wi-Fi

• move printer closer to the router for testing

Driver Issues (When Everything Else Looks Fine)

8) Update/Reinstall the Printer Driver

If the printer keeps going offline:

• remove the printer from Windows

• restart your PC

• reinstall the official driver from the printer brand website

Avoid random “driver pack” tools—official drivers are more stable.

9) Disable “SNMP Status” (Advanced Fix)

In some network printers, Windows shows offline because of SNMP status detection.

1. Open Devices and Printers

2. Right-click printer → Printer properties

3. Go to Ports

4. Select your port → Configure Port

5. Uncheck SNMP Status Enabled

6. Save → test again

(Only use this if your printer is online but Windows keeps showing it offline.)

Still Offline? Try This Final Checklist

• Restart PC + printer + router

• Clear queue + restart Print Spooler

• Reinstall driver

• Remove printer from Windows and add it again

• Test printing from another PC or phone (to isolate the problem)

Related Guides

👉 Back to the hub:
Printer Offline Fix Hub