Printer Shows as Offline — How to Get It Printing Again

If your printer is showing as "Offline" in Windows, here's how to bring it back online. Step 1: Check physical connections - Make sure the printer is powered on - Check the USB or network cable is firmly connected - For wireless printers, make sure it's connected to the correct Wi-Fi network Step 2: Disable "Use Printer Offline" mode 1. Open Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners (Windows 10) or Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners (Windows 11) 2. Click your printer > Open print queue 3. In the queue window, click Printer in the menu bar 4. If "Use Printer Offline" has a checkmark, click it to uncheck it Step 3: Clear the print queue Stuck print jobs can block the printer. 1. Open the print queue (step above) 2. Select all jobs (Ctrl+A) and press Delete 3. Then try printing again Step 4: Restart the Print Spooler service 1. Press Win + R, type services.msc and press Enter 2. Scroll down to "Print Spooler" 3. Right-click > Restart 4. Try printing again Step 5: Remove and re-add the printer 1. Go to Settings > Printers & scanners 2. Click your printer > Remove device 3. Click "Add a printer or scanner" and let Windows find it again Step 6: Update or reinstall the printer driver Visit the printer manufacturer's website (HP, Brother, Canon, Epson) and download the latest driver for your model. Step 7: Run the Printer Troubleshooter Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters > Printer > Run Contact us at (269) 261-0269 if printing is business-critical and none of these steps work.