Printer Not Working

Answer a few questions and get the exact fix.

Why does this happen?

Printers fail in a handful of predictable ways: nothing happens, paper jams, or blank and streaky pages. Almost all of them have a five-minute fix. Tell us what your printer does and the fixer walks you through the exact steps.

Common causes

• A stuck print spooler holding the queue.
• The printer isn't set as the default device.
• Paper jammed or the tray overfilled.
• Low, dried-out or mis-seated ink cartridges.

Symptoms

• The print job disappears without printing.
• An error light or paper jam message is showing.
• Pages come out blank, faded or streaky.
• The printer shows as offline in Windows.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my printer say offline?

Windows lost contact with the printer. Restart the spooler service, uncheck 'Use printer offline', and reinstall the driver if it persists.

Why are my prints blank?

Blank pages usually mean an empty or dried-out cartridge, or a clogged print head. Run the printer's cleaning cycle and replace the affected cartridge.