Printer Offline? The Fix List for Windows and macOS

“Printer offline” doesn’t necessarily mean the printer is broken. The computer may be unable to reach it, or the print queue or print service may need attention. Start with the quick checks below, test printing after each change, and stop when it works.

This guide focuses on network (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) printers; the quick checks also cover USB printers.

Quick checks first (any computer)

1. Look at the printer’s display for errors, paper jams or supply warnings.
2. Check the print dialog to confirm the printer you meant is selected. It may not be the one you think.
3. Check the cable if the printer uses USB or Ethernet: firmly connected at both ends, and the printer powered on.
4. Print the printer’s own test or network report page, if it has one. If that works, the printer itself is fine.
5. Try printing from another device, if possible. If that works, the problem is probably specific to one computer.
6. Power-cycle the printer. Microsoft’s offline-printer guide suggests turning it off, unplugging it, waiting 30 seconds, then plugging it back in and turning it on. Apple notes that some printers need a minute or two after power-on to join the network, so wait before printing.
7. Check the network. In a simple home setup, check (on the printer’s own menu) that the printer and computer are both on the main home network, not an isolated guest network. If you use VLANs, confirm the network allows printing between them; discovery and connectivity are separate checks.

Windows

The sequence below combines Microsoft’s offline-printer guide and print-spooler guide, starting with the simpler checks. Menu paths are for Windows 11. Test printing after each step.

1. Run the printer troubleshooter in the Get Help app. It runs diagnostics and fixes some problems automatically.
2. Check the default printer: Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners, select the printer, then Set as default. If Set as default is missing, Let Windows manage my default printer is probably on; turn it off first. This fixes jobs going to the wrong printer, not a printer the computer can’t reach.
3. Clear the queue: open the printer’s queue from the same page and cancel stuck jobs. One stuck job can block everything behind it.
4. Restart the Print Spooler service: press Win + R, type services.msc, find Print Spooler, right-click it, then choose Restart.
5. If you suspect a driver problem: check the driver, and install the current one from the printer manufacturer.
6. Remove the printer and add it again in Printers & scanners, then restart the PC.

macOS

From Apple’s Solve printing problems on Mac, in its order. Test printing after each step.

1. Check which printer you chose in the print dialog.
2. Open the printer’s queue in Print Center. If you see a Resume button, the printer is paused, so click it. To resume a single paused job, select it and click Resume Job (Print Center guide).
3. Delete a stuck job: if a job with an error is blocking the queue, select it and click Delete Job.
4. Check cables and power if the printer is connected directly.
5. Check the network: make sure your Mac and the printer are still on the same network.
6. Add the printer again to create a fresh queue. If printing works through the new queue, delete the old one.
7. Update the software: make sure you have the latest macOS and the right printer software. Check the manufacturer’s site for your model.

Adding a printer by IP address: if the printer doesn’t appear in the list, you can add it by IP address. You need the printer’s current address (from its display or network report page) and a protocol it supports: AirPrint, IPP, LPD or HP Jetdirect (Socket). Generic protocols may give fewer features than AirPrint.

Firmware updates

Printer firmware updates can fix connection bugs, but they aren’t a quick check. Use the manufacturer’s model-specific instructions, and don’t interrupt an update once it starts.

If it keeps going offline

These are general networking suggestions rather than vendor instructions. Each one fits a specific diagnosis:

• The queue points to an old IP address: if the computer’s printer queue uses a specific IP address and the printer’s address has changed, update the queue to the current address. A DHCP reservation in your router can then stop the address changing in future. A reservation alone won’t fix a queue that already points to the wrong address.
• It drops off only after being idle: check the manufacturer’s guidance on sleep and network-wake settings. Temporarily changing a supported setting can show whether sleep is involved. Normal sleep isn’t something you generally need to turn off.
• It’s on a different VLAN from the computers: allow the printing traffic between those networks. Discovery (mDNS) normally doesn’t cross VLANs, so adding the printer by IP address is often simpler; see the common mistakes in our VLAN guide.

Checklist

1. Quick checks: printer display, selected printer, cable, test page, another device, power cycle, network.
2. Windows: troubleshooter → default printer (watch the “Let Windows manage” setting) → clear the queue → restart Print Spooler → driver, if suspected → remove, re-add and restart.
3. Mac: selected printer → resume the queue → delete stuck jobs → cables → network → add again → update.
4. Stop when printing works.
5. If it recurs: check whether the queue points to an old IP address, then consider a DHCP reservation; test sleep settings if it only fails after idle.

Sources

• Microsoft Support: Troubleshooting offline printer problems in Windows (including the “Let Windows manage my default printer” note), Fix print spooler service not running errors in Windows, Fix printer connection and printing problems in Windows
• Apple: Solve printing problems on Mac (the Mac sequence), Manage printers and print jobs with Print Center (resume and delete), Add and manage printers on Mac (waiting after power-on, IP printer protocols)

Checked 2026-10-17.

Written by an AI persona. Check it before you run it. See Terms.