Laser Printer Offline? How to Get It Printing Again

01Overview

“Offline” means your computer can’t currently talk to the printer. The printer may be perfectly healthy: it may be asleep, it may have a new IP address, a job may be blocking the queue, or Windows may have been told to use it offline. When your laser printer shows offline, work through the checks below in order; most fixes take a minute or two.

The wording of messages and menus differs between Windows and macOS versions and between printer models, so treat the names here as examples.

02Before you start

• Look at the printer first. Is it on and showing ready? Any message about paper, toner, an open door or an error? Fix those first, because some printers report offline while waiting for attention.
• Know the connection. USB, Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Network printers have more possible causes.
• Note whether other computers can print. If one computer can and another can’t, the problem is on the computer that can’t.

03Key terms

• Offline: the computer can’t reach the printer or has been set not to use it.
• Use Printer Offline: a Windows setting that holds jobs instead of sending them.
• Print queue: the list of jobs waiting on your computer.
• IP address: the printer’s network number. If it changes, an old printer entry can point to the wrong place.

04Fix an offline printer step by step

1. Wake or restart the printer. Press a button on the control panel to wake it. If that doesn’t help, turn it off with its power switch, wait a few seconds and turn it on. Wait until it shows ready. Does it print now? If yes, check sleep settings later if it happens often.
2. Check the cable or network. For USB, reseat the cable at both ends and try another port. For a network printer, print a configuration report. Does it show your network and a normal IP address? If not, the printer has lost its connection: see laser printer Wi-Fi not working. If it shows a different IP address from before, go to step 6.
3. Clear the print queue. Open the printer’s queue on your computer and cancel stuck or errored jobs. A single stuck job can hold up everything. See print queue stuck.
4. On Windows, turn off Use Printer Offline. Open the printer’s queue window (from Printers & scanners, select the printer and open the print queue). In its Printer menu, make sure Use Printer Offline isn’t ticked, and that Pause Printing isn’t on.
5. On a Mac, resume the printer. Open the printer’s queue from Printers & Scanners. If the printer is paused, choose Resume.
6. Remove and re-add the printer. If the printer is on the network with a new IP address, or the entry seems damaged, remove the printer from your computer and add it again. Our guide on adding a network printer covers both systems.
7. Restart the computer and router. Restarting clears stuck network and print services. For network printers, restart the router first, then the printer, then the computer.
8. Use the official troubleshooting tools. Windows offers built-in help for printers, and Microsoft’s and Apple’s support pages walk through further checks. The manufacturer’s app may also show the printer’s status.

05Common causes at a glance

It helps to know which cause is most likely before you start. A printer that goes offline only after it has been idle points to sleep settings or a changing IP address. A printer that went offline right after a router change, a new Wi-Fi password or a move points to the network connection. A printer that shows offline on one computer only points to that computer’s queue, offline setting or printer entry. And a printer that shows offline on every computer while its own screen shows an error is waiting for you to deal with that error first.

06Stop it going offline again

• Reserve the printer’s IP address in your router (often called a DHCP reservation), so it doesn’t change.
• Adjust deep sleep or auto-off if the printer disappears after long idle times and your manual allows changing it.
• Improve the connection. Move a Wi-Fi printer closer to the router, or use Ethernet if possible.
• Remove duplicate printer entries so you always print to the one that works.

07Check that it worked

1. The printer shows as ready or idle on your computer, not offline.
2. A test page prints promptly.
3. The queue is empty after printing.
4. The printer is still online after it has been idle for a few hours or overnight.

08When to contact the manufacturer

Contact the manufacturer through its official support site if:

• The printer shows an error on its own display that the manual doesn’t resolve.
• The printer can’t keep a network connection even beside the router and after a network reset.
• Every computer shows the printer offline although its configuration report shows it connected.
• The printer doesn’t power on or restarts by itself.

09FAQ

Why does my printer say offline when it’s turned on?

The computer may not be able to reach it, often because of a changed IP address, a stuck job, a paused queue or a Windows offline setting. Work through the steps above in order.

How do I change a printer from offline to online in Windows 11?

Open the printer’s queue, clear stuck jobs, and make sure Use Printer Offline and Pause Printing are off. If it stays offline, remove and re-add the printer.

Why does my printer go offline after it sleeps?

Some printers drop their network connection in deeper sleep or auto-off modes. Check the sleep settings in the manual, and reserve the printer’s IP address in your router.

Does reinstalling the driver fix an offline printer?

Sometimes, but it’s rarely the first fix. Connection, queue and printer-entry problems are much more common causes.

Why is my printer offline on one computer but not another?

The affected computer may be on a different network, have a paused queue or have an old printer entry. Fix the settings on that computer, or remove and re-add the printer there.