A printer not working usually leaves one of a few clues on screen: the job sits in the queue forever, the printer shows as Offline, nothing is found at all, or the paper feeds but the page comes out blank. Each clue leads to a different fix, and almost all of them can be done without a technician.
This guide is written for Windows computers, with notes for phones and shared office printers. Start with the quick physical checks, move to the print queue and the Windows print spooler, and only then touch drivers. Ink and paper faults are covered near the end, because they are as common as software problems.
Common causes
1Printer shown as Offline or not connected
How to tellStatus says Offline in the printer list, or the computer cannot find it
What fixes itCheck power, cable or Wi-Fi, then set the printer online again
2Stuck job in the print queue
How to tellOne document sits at Printing or Error and nothing behind it moves
What fixes itCancel all documents and restart the Print Spooler service
3Wrong default printer chosen
How to tellPrint goes to a PDF writer or an old printer, nothing comes out of yours
What fixes itSet your printer as default in Printers and scanners
4Missing or corrupted driver
How to tellPrinter is listed but prints garbage, fails with an error, or stopped after an update
What fixes itRemove the printer and add it again, or install the maker's latest driver
5Wi-Fi printer changed network or address
How to tellIt printed yesterday on Wi-Fi and now cannot be reached
What fixes itReconnect the printer to the same Wi-Fi as the computer
6Paper jam or empty tray
How to tellPrinter lights blink, or you hear the roller try and fail
What fixes itSwitch off, gently remove paper, reload fresh sheets
7Dry or empty ink or toner
How to tellBlank or streaky pages, or a low ink warning
What fixes itReplace the cartridge or run the head cleaning from the printer menu
How to fix it, step by step
Check power, cable and the printer screen
Make sure the printer is on and has no error lit or shown on its small display. If you use a USB cable, push it in firmly at both ends or try another cable. A loose cable is a surprisingly common reason a printer seems dead.
Restart the printer and the computer
Turn the printer off, unplug it for thirty seconds, plug it back in and wait until it settles. Restart the computer as well. This clears many half-finished print jobs and network hiccups.
Open the queue and cancel stuck documents
Go to Settings, then Bluetooth and devices, then Printers and scanners, choose your printer and select Open print queue. On Windows 10 this is under Devices. In the queue menu pick Cancel All Documents. Try printing one page again.
Turn off Use Printer Offline
In the same queue window, open the Printer menu at the top and make sure Use Printer Offline is not ticked. Also untick Pause Printing if it is ticked.
Restart the Print Spooler service
Tap Windows + R, enter
services.msc, and scroll down the list to Print Spooler. Pick Restart from its menu, or Start if the status is empty. Then send a test page.Set the correct default printer
In Printers and scanners, switch off the option that lets Windows manage the default printer, then select your printer and choose Set as default. This stops jobs from quietly going to a different printer or a PDF file.
Run the Windows printer troubleshooter
Look for the Printer entry among the extra troubleshooters in Windows settings and run it. It can reset the spooler and correct simple permission problems without any typing.
Remove and add the printer again
Choose Remove on the printer, restart, then use Add device and let Windows search. For a Wi-Fi printer, make sure both the printer and the computer are on the same network name. Install the driver from the printer maker's support page if Windows cannot find one.
Printer not working on Windows 10 and 11, and why
Windows talks to a printer through three layers: the driver, the print spooler (a background service that lines up jobs) and the connection. When any one of them fails, the symptom looks the same on screen, which is why it feels random. A good habit is to ask which layer broke. If the printer is not even listed, suspect the connection. If it is listed but jobs hang, suspect the spooler. If it prints rubbish, suspect the driver.
You press Print on an important form and the queue shows Error - Printing beside your file. Cancel all documents, restart the spooler and print again. If the same job gets stuck once more, the file itself may be damaged, so try printing a short text file to test the printer.
Windows 10 printer sharing not working with 0x0000011b
If one PC prints through a printer shared from another PC, the sharing PC must be on, awake and signed in or set to allow sharing. After some Windows security updates, shared printing began showing error 0x0000011b on the computer that tries to connect. The safe fix is to keep both computers fully updated and re-add the shared printer. If the connection still fails, ask whoever manages the network, since the real fix sits on the sharing computer. A related network sharing message is described on our page for error 0x80070035.
Printing from a phone
On Android, printing uses the print option in the share or menu of an app, plus a print service for your printer maker that may need to be turned on in Settings. On iPhone, printers must support wireless printing and be on the same Wi-Fi as the phone. If the printer is not found, check that it is not on a guest network and that both devices are on the same network name. Our WiFi not working page helps when the network itself is the problem.
Blank pages, black ink not working and streaks
If pages come out blank or striped, the issue is the cartridge, not the computer. Run the cleaning or nozzle check from the printer's own menu, and let a printer that was unused for weeks run it twice. A cartridge that is only slightly low can still print poorly after months of sitting. On laser printers, shake the toner gently only if the maker's manual says so. Some printers show codes on the display; the meaning of such codes depends on the model, so check the manual before acting on a number you find online.
Do not open the printer body past the doors and trays shown in the manual. Pulling a jammed sheet slowly in the paper's direction is safe. Forcing it can damage rollers and cost more to repair than the printer is worth.
When to call a service centre
Visit a service centre if the printer shows an error that stays after a power cycle, makes grinding noises, leaks ink, or is not detected on any computer. Repair cost depends on the part: a roller or sensor costs less than a print head or a logic board. For older models, replacing the printer may be sensible.
If you searched for fingerprint not working
Printers and fingerprint readers get mixed up in searches because both are plug-in devices. If it is your finger scanner that fails, including Windows Hello fingerprint not working on a laptop, that is a different fault with its own steps. Read fingerprint sensor not working instead, and use laptop touchpad not working if other built-in input devices also stopped.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my printer not working even though it is connected?
A stuck job or a stopped print spooler is the most common reason. Cancel all documents in the print queue, restart the Print Spooler service and make sure the printer is not set to work offline.
How do I fix a printer that shows offline?
Check power and the cable or Wi-Fi, then open the print queue and turn off Use Printer Offline. If it stays offline, remove the printer and add it again.
Why is my printer not working after a Windows update?
An update can replace or break the driver. Remove the printer, restart, and add it again. Then install the maker's latest driver if Windows does not pick a good one.
Printer not working properly and prints blank pages. What should I do?
Run the head cleaning from the printer menu and check the ink or toner. Dry nozzles after long storage are common. If cleaning twice does not help, the cartridge needs replacing.
Why is my printer not working with Wi-Fi?
The printer may have joined a different network or received a new address from the router. Reconnect it to the same Wi-Fi as your computer, then restart both devices.