How to Fix a Printer Not Printing

Few things are more frustrating than pressing Print and getting absolutely nothing in return. Your computer says the job was sent, your printer sits quietly, and that important document remains trapped on your screen. The good news is that the vast majority of "printer not printing" issues come down to a handful of common causes, and almost all of them are fixable without a service call. This guide walks you through every troubleshooting step, from the simplest connection check to a full driver reinstall, so you can get back to printing as quickly as possible.

Check Your Connections

The first step whenever your printer won't print is to verify the physical or wireless connection between your computer and the printer. A loose cable or a dropped Wi-Fi signal is the most common culprit, and it's the easiest one to fix.

USB connections

1. Unplug the USB cable from both the printer and the computer, then plug it back in firmly on both ends.
2. Try a different USB port on your computer. Ports can fail without warning, especially on older machines.
3. If you are using a USB hub, connect the printer directly to the computer instead. Hubs can cause communication problems with printers.
4. Try a different USB cable if you have one available. Cables degrade over time, and a faulty cable can cause intermittent printing failures.

Wi-Fi connections

1. Confirm that the printer's Wi-Fi indicator light is on and steady. A blinking light usually means the printer is searching for a network or has lost its connection.
2. Make sure the printer and your computer are on the same Wi-Fi network. This is especially common in homes with both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands — your computer may be on one while the printer is on the other.
3. Restart your router by unplugging it for 30 seconds, then plugging it back in. Once it finishes booting, check whether the printer reconnects automatically.
4. Print a network configuration page from the printer's control panel to verify it has a valid IP address.

Bluetooth connections

If your printer connects via Bluetooth, unpair it from your computer and pair it again from scratch. Make sure no other device is currently paired with the printer, as most Bluetooth printers only support one active connection at a time.

Clear the Print Queue

A stuck print job can block every job behind it, making it seem like the printer is ignoring your commands entirely. Clearing the queue is one of the fastest fixes.

On Windows

1. Open Settings and go to Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners.
2. Select your printer from the list.
3. Click Open print queue.
4. Right-click each pending job and select Cancel. If you have many stuck jobs, click Printer in the menu bar and choose Cancel All Documents.
5. Close the queue window and try printing a fresh document.

On Mac

1. Open System Settings and go to Printers & Scanners.
2. Select your printer, then click Open Print Queue.
3. Select each stalled job and click the X button to remove it.
4. If the queue is completely unresponsive, right-click your printer in the Printers & Scanners list and choose Reset printing system. This removes all printers, so you will need to re-add them afterward.

Restart the Print Spooler

The print spooler is the background service that manages communication between your computer and printer. When it crashes or hangs, nothing prints — even though your computer acts like the job was sent successfully. Restarting the spooler clears its memory and forces a fresh start. For a deeper dive into spooler issues, see our dedicated print spooler troubleshooting guide.

Windows (services.msc method)

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Scroll down to Print Spooler in the list.
3. Right-click Print Spooler and select Restart. If the service is stopped, click Start instead.
4. Make sure the Startup Type is set to Automatic so the spooler launches every time Windows boots.
5. Close the Services window and try printing again.

Windows (Command Prompt method)

If you prefer the command line, open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:

net stop spooler followed by net start spooler

This stops and immediately restarts the spooler service in one quick step.

Mac (CUPS reset)

On macOS, the printing system is managed by CUPS. Open System Settings → Printers & Scanners, right-click in the printer list, and select Reset printing system. You will need to re-add your printers after the reset.

Update or Reinstall Printer Drivers

Printer drivers are the translators between your computer and your printer. An outdated, corrupted, or mismatched driver is one of the most common reasons a printer stops printing after a Windows or macOS update.

Step 1: Identify your printer model

Check the label on the front or top of your printer for the exact model name and number. You will need this to download the correct driver.

Step 2: Download the latest driver

Visit the support website for your printer brand (HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, etc.), enter your model number, and download the latest driver for your operating system. Always use the manufacturer's official website to avoid downloading malware from third-party sites.

Step 3: Try a simple update first

Run the downloaded installer and choose the Update or Repair option if one is available. This replaces the existing driver files without removing your printer settings.

Step 4: Clean install if the update doesn't work

1. On Windows, go to Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners, select your printer, and click Remove.
2. Open Device Manager, expand Print queues, right-click your printer, and select Uninstall device.
3. Restart your computer.
4. Run the manufacturer's installer to set up the printer from scratch.

On Mac, remove the printer from Printers & Scanners, restart, then re-add it. macOS will typically download the correct driver automatically through Software Update.

Check Printer Hardware

Sometimes the issue has nothing to do with software. A quick physical inspection can save you a lot of troubleshooting time.

Paper

• Make sure the paper tray is loaded and the paper is seated properly against the guides.
• Fan the stack of paper before loading it to prevent multiple sheets from feeding at once.
• Check that you are using the correct paper size for your print job. A mismatch between the document settings and the loaded paper can cause the printer to pause and wait for confirmation.

Ink and toner

• Check ink or toner levels. Most printers display levels on their control panel or through the manufacturer's desktop software.
• If you recently installed new cartridges, make sure all protective tape and plastic clips have been removed. Leaving tape on the printhead contacts or the nozzle vent is the number-one cause of blank pages with new cartridges.
• For inkjet printers, run a nozzle check pattern to see if any ink channels are clogged. If you see gaps in the pattern, run the printer's built-in cleaning cycle.

Paper jams

• Open every access door on the printer and look for jammed paper, including small torn scraps that may be hiding behind rollers.
• Pull jammed paper out slowly and evenly to avoid tearing it further.
• Check both the rear access panel and the duplex unit (if your printer has one), as jams often occur in these areas without being visible from the front.

Error lights and display messages

Take note of any blinking lights or error messages on the printer's control panel. Consult your printer's manual or the manufacturer's website for the specific meaning of the error code. Common indicators include a solid or blinking orange light (paper jam or cartridge issue) and an alternating green-orange pattern (hardware error).

Brand-Specific Troubleshooting

While the steps above work for most printers, each brand has its own quirks and diagnostic tools. Here are some tips for the most popular brands.

HP

HP printers work best with the HP Smart app, which includes a built-in diagnostic tool called Print & Scan Doctor. This tool can automatically detect and fix most connection, driver, and queue issues. Download it from HP's support site if you don't already have it. For step-by-step instructions, see our HP test page guide.

Canon

Canon provides the Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool for inkjet models, which includes nozzle check, cleaning, and alignment functions. For laser models, a long press on the Stop button prints a configuration page that shows the current state of the printer. See our Canon test page guide for more detail.

Epson

Epson printers are especially prone to clogged nozzles if they sit idle for more than a week or two. Use the Epson Printer Utility to run nozzle checks and head cleanings. For EcoTank models, also verify that the ink tanks are filled above the minimum line. Our Epson test page guide covers every model series.

Brother

Brother printers are generally very reliable, but when they do stop printing, the issue is often related to the drum unit rather than the toner cartridge. Open the front cover, remove the drum unit, and check for any debris or damage on the drum surface. Reseat the toner cartridge in the drum unit and reinsert the assembly. If your model has an LCD panel, navigate to the maintenance menu and run a test print from there.

When to Seek Professional Help

Most printer issues can be resolved with the steps above, but there are situations where professional help is the smarter choice:

• Persistent hardware errors. If the printer displays the same error code after multiple restarts and you cannot find a resolution in the manufacturer's documentation, the issue may require a hardware repair.
• Physical damage. Grinding noises, visible cracks in the paper path, or a printer that has been dropped should be inspected by a technician before further use.
• Printhead failure. If cleaning cycles and nozzle checks don't restore print quality after several attempts, the printhead itself may need to be replaced. On some models the printhead is user-replaceable; on others it requires a service visit.
• Network printers in an office. If a shared network printer stops working for everyone simultaneously, the issue is likely related to the print server, network configuration, or firewall rules — areas where IT support can resolve things faster.
• Under warranty. If your printer is still under the manufacturer's warranty, contact their support line before attempting any repair that involves opening the printer beyond normal access doors. Unauthorized repairs can void your warranty.

Verify the Fix

Once you have worked through the troubleshooting steps and your printer is responding again, print a test page to confirm everything is working properly. A test page checks ink or toner coverage, color accuracy, alignment, and basic connectivity in a single print.

• Print our black and white test page to verify that text and grayscale gradients are printing cleanly with no streaks, gaps, or faded areas.
• Print our color test page to confirm that all color channels are firing correctly and colors appear vibrant and accurate.
• If you suspect nozzle issues on an inkjet printer, print our nozzle check pattern to get a detailed look at each individual ink channel.

If the test page prints cleanly, your printer is back in business. If you still see problems, revisit the relevant section above or consult your manufacturer's support resources for model-specific assistance.