If your HP printer is offline, it means theprinter is unable to communicate with the PC. And there are multiple reasons why this happens.
The printer could be insleep mode, it might haverun into an error state, or there might be issues with theWi-Fi/cable connection.
While these are generally the culprits, not having aprinter driver,IP address conflictorcrashedspooler servicecan also cause this.
Regardless, let’s see how to fix it.
View the Printer Status
I recommend you start troubleshooting by checking the printer’s status. For that, quickly have alook at your printer’s screen.
If you don’t see anything, you may confirm theprinter is in sleep mode. Sleeping printers are marked as offline by your computer. Sopress the Power buttonor Cancel button to wake it again.
On the flip side, should there be any error message flashing on the screen,note the errorand try resolving it.
For instance, if you seeE and 4 flashing consecutivelyon the screen, it indicates your printer has encountered apaper jam. Please act accordingly.
Check the Connection Status
Once you verified the printer status, it’s now time to check the connection status.
For wired printersusing USB/LAN cable — Reconnect the cable. Also, try connecting it to anotherport on your computer/router. Avoidusing USB hubsand longer cables (>2 meters).
Forwireless printers— ensure theprinter is connected to Wi-Fi. Verify the signal strength as well. If thesignal is poor, bring the router and printer closer to each other. Also, don’t forget to hook your PC to the same Wi-Fi network.
Disable Offline Mode on Your Printer
You may not have noticed it, but you may enable/disable offline mode on your printer manually. If enabled, you will encounter“Printer offline” issuesdespite having no problems with the printer. Here’s how to disable it.
Restart Spooler Service
I’ve been through a lot of cases where simplyrestarting the print spooler servicebrings my HP printer back online. If you are wondering what’s this service, it is what manages every printing-related stuff on your computer.
Sometimes the service crashes when it can not handle alarge number of print requests, and makes your printer offline.
Restarting will always help solve this.
Run the HP Printer Troubleshooter
Before moving to further fixes, let me tell you something interesting. HP offers “HP Print and Scan Doctor”, a free troubleshooting app that fixes almost all theissues with HP printers.
As you may see, I downloaded and ran the app, and here are the test results. It successfully fixed my HP Ink Tank Wireless 410 series printer that kept going offline.
I strongly advise you todownload the appand give it a go. If for some reason, the app could not fix your issue, I still have your back. Keep reading.
Install Official Printer Drivers
you may startusing your printerright afteradding it through Settings/Control Panel. Yet, some printer models requireinstalling official printer driversbefore you may print from them.
So, if you haven’t done it yet, go toHP’s official websiteand install the driver.
For users with a driver installed already, try reinstalling it. Here’s how.
Use Static IP Address to Add the Printer
This fix is especially useful if you have added the printer to your computer using an IP address. Wireless printers, by default, get dynamic IP addresses from a router. However, thelease timeof theDHCP IPends after a specified period.
So when the printer gets the new IP, the IP set on the computer does not match theIP of the printer. ThisIP conflictcan make the printer go offline.
Therefore, I recommend youassign a static IP to your printerand use the same to add the printer to your computer. This way, you’ll never run into a problem.