There can be nothing more frustrating than a printer not working when you have 5 minutes until your next meeting starts and the printer just won't print your agenda.
Our Australian based, IT support teams have helped hundreds of businesses get their IT setup working seamlessly, including how they print. This checklist was developed by our IT support teams, designed as a guide to help you troubleshoot why your printer isn't working.
1. Check Printer Availability
Press Ctrl-P on your keyboard.
Under 'Printer' or 'Destination', you should see your printer listed.
If you do, you can move to step 2.
If not, try reinstalling your printer.
2. Check Communication Status
Open the Control Panel (type it into your start menu search box to find it).
Under 'Hardware and Sound', select 'View Devices and Printers', and find the icon with the name of your printer.
If the icon is greyed out, it indicates that the printer is installed but your computer thinks it is offline or not connected.
If it's not greyed out, move on to step 6.
3. Check Internet Connectivity
Open your Network and Internet settings (type it into your start menu search box to find it).
Click 'Network & Internet'.
If 'Status' suggests there is no network connection, shut down your computer
Turn off your router.
Wait 5 minutes.
Turn your router back on, wait a couple of minutes & turn your computer back on.
4. Improve Connection Signal Strength
If you connect to your printer over Wi-Fi, the signal may not be strong enough.
Check to see if you can connect your printer directly to your computer via USB
If not, try connecting via an ethernet cable.
If your computer is connected using an ethernet or USB cable, the cable could be damaged, try swapping the cable for a new one.
5. Clear the Print Queue
Open the Command Prompt (type CMD into your start bar search box to find it).as
In the pop-up window that appears, on the right side menu under Command Prompt, click Run as administrator.
If a 'User Account Control' pop-up shows, click yes.
In the black pop-up window, at the blinking cursor, type 'net stop spooler' and pressed Enter.
Type 'del %systemroot%System32spoolprinters* /Q' then press Enter.
Type 'net start spooler' then press “Enter.“
Close the window and restart your computer.
6. Reinstall the Print Driver
Turn off your printer and unplug it.
Open 'View Devices and Printers' again, the same as in step 2.
Reinstall the print driver received from the manufacturer, or search for it directly on their website.
Our IT support teams across Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane are available 24/7 and have helped hundreds of businesses fix their printing challenges. Get in touch to learn more.
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