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A printer that says it is connected but will not print, or that has vanished from your devices entirely, is one of the most common little headaches we help with. Before you lose your temper with it, here is a calm order to check things in.
Turn everything off and on again
Switch the printer off, restart your router, and restart the computer or phone you are printing from. Then turn the printer back on. This clears the most common glitches and is always worth doing first. Give each device a moment to fully start up before testing.
Check the printer is on your Wi-Fi
Printers can quietly drop off the network, especially after a power cut or a broadband change. Most have a small screen or a Wi-Fi button that shows their connection status. If it is not connected, reconnecting it to your network usually brings it straight back. If you changed your broadband or Wi-Fi password recently, the printer will need the new details.
Make sure you are both on the same network
This one catches a lot of people. If your home has two Wi-Fi names, or you are on a guest network or mobile data, your device and printer may be on different networks and cannot see each other. Check that your phone or laptop is on exactly the same Wi-Fi as the printer.
Look for a stuck print queue
Sometimes one failed print job jams up everything behind it. On your computer, opening the printer settings lets you see the queue and cancel anything stuck. Clearing it often gets things flowing again.
When it is worth calling
If you have tried the above and it still will not play ball, the driver software may need reinstalling, or the setup may need doing properly from scratch. That is a quick job for us, and often something we can even sort remotely without a visit. Please do not rush out and buy a new printer, as the fault is usually setup rather than the machine itself.
- ●Restart the printer, router and your device first
- ●Confirm the printer is actually connected to your Wi-Fi
- ●Make sure both are on the same network, not a guest one
- ●A stuck print queue or driver is often the real culprit, not a broken printer