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maXiion's avatar
maXiion
Brass Contributor
Oct 14, 2026

How Can My Printer Be "Offline" When It's Turned On?

My printer is turned on and appears to be working normally, but Windows keeps showing it as offline whenever I try to print a document. I've checked the power connection and restarted both the printer and my computer, but the problem persists, and I'm not sure whether it's caused by a network connection, driver issue, or Windows setting.

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1 Reply

  • Emily2002's avatar
    Emily2002
    Iron Contributor
    Oct 14, 2026

    “Offline” means Windows can’t communicate with the printer, not that its power is off.

    First, open the printer’s queue. If there’s a Printer menu, make sure Use Printer Offline and Pause Printing are unchecked. Also check that you’ve selected the right printer rather than an old duplicate entry.

    For a Wi-Fi printer, print its network-status page and check its IP address. Make sure the PC and printer are on the same local network—not a guest network—and try entering that IP address in your browser. If the printer’s page opens, the connection works; try adding it again under Printers & scanners > Add device > Add manually, using its current IP address. Test the new entry before removing the old one.

    For USB, connect it directly to the PC instead of through a hub, and try another port or cable.

    Since you’ve already restarted both devices, these checks are more useful than repeating the restart or immediately reinstalling every driver.