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Printer says “offline” (Windows 10/11)

Last reviewed: October 2026, against Microsoft's official printer troubleshooting pages · For Windows 11 and Windows 10 · Works for Wi-Fi and USB printers from most brands (HP, Canon, Epson, Brother and others).

Your printer is on, but Windows says it's offline and nothing prints. This usually means Windows has lost track of the printer on your network (or USB), not that the printer is broken.

⚡ Quick fix (try this first)

  1. Turn the printer off, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on. Wait until it's fully ready (no blinking lights or “initializing” message).
  2. Check the connection: for a Wi-Fi printer, make sure its Wi-Fi light or screen shows it's connected, and that your computer is on the same Wi-Fi network. For USB, unplug the cable and plug it back in firmly at both ends.
  3. Restart your computer (Start → Power → Restart), then try printing again.

Still offline? Work through the steps below.

This guide is written for Windows 11. Where Windows 10 differs, it's noted. The fixes work the same way; only the Settings menu names differ.

On a Mac? Open Apple menu → System Settings → Printers & Scanners (older macOS: System Preferences). Select the printer and check its status. If the queue is paused, open the print queue and click Resume. Still stuck? Remove the printer with the – button and add it again. A full Mac guide isn't written yet.

Step by step (Windows 11)

  1. Check the printer itself

    Look at the printer's screen or lights. A paper jam, empty ink or toner, an open cover or an error message can all make it show as offline. Clear any error first.

    Many printers can print a network or Wi-Fi status report from their own menu or buttons. It shows whether the printer is connected and its IP address. The exact steps depend on your model; check its manual. Keep this page; you may need it later.

  2. Open Printers & scanners

    Select Start → Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners.

    Windows 10: Start → Settings → Devices → Printers & scanners.

  3. Select your printer and check its status

    Click your printer's name. Its status appears near the top of the page.

    See two copies of the same printer, such as “HP OfficeJet (Copy 1)”? Windows may be sending your print jobs to the one that's offline. Try printing to the other copy. Once one works, you can remove the extra one.

  4. Turn off “Use Printer Offline” and clear stuck jobs

    On the printer's page, select Open print queue.

    • If you see a Printer menu, open it. If Use Printer Offline has a check mark, click it to turn it off. In newer versions of Windows 11 the queue looks different, and this option may be under the … (See more) menu.
    • If old documents are stuck in the list, cancel them (Printer → Cancel All Documents, or the … menu → Cancel all). One stuck job can block everything behind it.

  5. Print a test page

    Go back to the printer's page in Settings and select Print test page. If it prints, you're done.

If that didn't work

Try these in order, from easiest to hardest. Test printing after each one.

  1. EasyRun the printer troubleshooter

    On the printer's page in Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners, select Run the troubleshooter and follow the prompts. (You can also find it under Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters → Printer.) On recent Windows versions it may open in the Get Help app.

  2. EasyRestart your network in the right order

    Wi-Fi printers often drop off after a power blip or router restart. Restart in this order: router/modem first (wait until the internet is working again), then the printer, then the computer.

  3. MediumRestart the Print Spooler

    The Print Spooler is the Windows service that handles printing. Restarting it clears many “stuck” problems.

    1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
    2. Scroll to Print Spooler, right-click it, and choose Restart.
    3. Close the window and try printing again.

  4. MediumRemove the printer and add it again

    1. In Printers & scanners, select your printer, then Remove, and confirm.
    2. Next to Add a printer or scanner, select Add device. Wait for your printer to appear, then select Add device next to it.
    3. Not listed? Select Add manually (next to “The printer that I want isn't listed”) and follow the prompts.

    Windows 10: select the printer → Remove device, then Add a printer or scanner.

  5. MediumGet the latest driver from the printer maker

    Download the driver or app for your exact model only from the manufacturer's official support website (HP, Canon, Epson, Brother and so on). Avoid “driver download” sites and search ads offering drivers or “printer support” phone numbers. Some of these are scams.

  6. HarderCheck whether the printer's IP address changed

    A router can give a Wi-Fi printer a new address, and Windows keeps looking at the old one.

    1. Find the printer's current IP address on its network status report (Step 1) or its screen.
    2. Type that address into a web browser on your computer, for example 192.168.1.25. If the printer's own web page opens, the printer is on the network.
    3. Remove the printer (above), then use Add device → Add manually → Add a printer using an IP address or hostname, and enter the current address.

    Long-term fix: reserve an address for the printer in your router's settings (often called DHCP reservation), so it doesn't change again. Router menus vary by brand.

  7. HarderTurn off SNMP status (network printers only)

    For printers added by IP address, Windows checks status using SNMP and can wrongly show “offline” even when the printer works.

    1. On the printer's page in Settings, select Printer properties, then the Ports tab.
    2. Select the checked port (usually a Standard TCP/IP Port) and click Configure Port.
    3. Uncheck SNMP Status Enabled, click OK, then Apply.

    You may need an administrator account. If the port is a “WSD” port, this option isn't there; skip this step.

When it's probably not your computer: if the printer can't print its own status report, won't join Wi-Fi from its own menu, or shows a hardware error, the printer may need service.

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