How to Fix Fix Printer Shows Offline on Windows on Windows
Printer showing as "Offline" in Windows even though it's powered on and connected? Can't print because Windows thinks the printer is offline? Fix printer offline status on Windows 10 and 11.
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Main Troubleshooting Guide
How to Fix Printer Not Working →Complete symptoms, causes, and step-by-step solutions
Symptoms
You might be experiencing this problem if you notice:
- •Printer shows "Offline" in Settings → Printers & scanners
- •Print jobs stuck in queue with "Error - Printing" status
- •Printer was working before but suddenly went offline
- •Printer is powered on and connected but Windows says offline
- •Other computers on the same network can print to the same printer
- •Printer goes offline after every restart or sleep
Common Causes
- ⚠Windows has "Use Printer Offline" mode accidentally enabled
- ⚠Print Spooler service crashed or stopped
- ⚠Printer driver outdated or incompatible with current Windows version
- ⚠Network printer IP address changed (DHCP reassigned a new IP)
- ⚠USB connection issue or loose cable
- ⚠Printer port configuration mismatch
Solutions
Solution 1: Disable "Use Printer Offline" Mode
- 1Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners
- 2Click on the offline printer
- 3Click "Open print queue"
- 4In the print queue window: click "Printer" menu at the top
- 5Uncheck "Use Printer Offline" if it's checked
- 6The printer should immediately switch to "Ready" or "Online"
- 7If the option isn't available: right-click the printer → "See what's printing"
- 8Then check the Printer menu from there
Solution 2: Restart Print Spooler and Clear Queue
- 1Open CMD as Administrator
- 2Run: net stop spooler
- 3Delete stuck print jobs: del /F /S /Q %systemroot%\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*
- 4Restart the service: net start spooler
- 5Go to Settings → Printers & scanners
- 6Check if the printer now shows as "Ready"
- 7Try printing a test page: click the printer → "Print test page"
- 8If it goes offline again after restart: the driver needs updating
Solution 3: Update Printer Port and Driver
- 1For network printers: verify the printer's IP address hasn't changed
- 2Print a configuration page from the printer itself to see its current IP
- 3Open Control Panel → Devices and Printers → right-click the printer → Printer Properties
- 4Go to "Ports" tab → check the IP matches the printer's actual IP
- 5If different: click "Configure Port" and update the IP
- 6For drivers: go to "Advanced" tab → click "New Driver..."
- 7Or download the latest driver from the printer manufacturer's website
- 8Install and restart — the printer should come online
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