Printer Central

Troubleshooting a printer - tips and guidance


To avoid having to worry about being connected to the internet, printers may be put into offline mode. Now that it seems the printer is down, we can't print anything. When a printer's status indicator is grayed out, it's probably not connected to the network. When you choose the "Printer" option in the "See what's printing" box, a submenu of printing options will appear. About three lines up from the bottom of this menu is the option to "Use Printer Offline." Windows 7® is context sensitive, so it will only show you the menu options that are relevant to the current scenario. This means that the "Use Printer Offline" option may be hidden from view. To reconnect the printer to the network, deselect "Use Printer Offline" from the printer's settings. Fourthly, if you're having trouble printing, make sure your computer and printer are still connected. Repeatedly clicking the "Start" button in Windows 7® will bring up the "Devices and Printers" menu, where you can verify that the printer is properly connected. In the box labeled "Devices and Printers," choose the printer you want to modify the settings for by clicking on it, then selecting "Printer properties" from the context menu that appears. Select the "General" tab when prompted to do so in the printer properties box. It's important to include a "Print Test Page" button on the bottom right. Whether you want to see if your computer can access the printer, click this button. Your printer needs to produce a test page right away. The connection to the printer can be broken if a test page doesn't print. Select the "Ports" tab to check the printer's connection to the computer. The port that links your computer to your printer may be found in the "Ports" section of your computer's settings. The label on the port indicates which USB port is being used when the printer is connected via cable. The connection between the computer and the printer may be restored by disconnecting the USB cable and then re-inserting it into a new USB port. A problem with Windows might be the result of faulty laser printer drivers. In such a circumstance, the problem may be fixed by reinstalling the most recent versions of the printer driver software. Typically, the driver software must be an identical match for the version of Windows installed on the machine. Typically, 32-bit and 64-bit Windows® systems need different driver software. You can get the most up-to-date versions of the printer's drivers from the printer manufacturer's website. Network printers have their TCP/IP ports validated to ensure they are open and usable. When the wrong printer IP address is entered, communication across the TCP/IP port may be lost. Verify that the IP address of the computer and the printer are same before attempting to reconnect the printer to the computer. Verifying the connection is much trickier when the printer is wireless. A wireless printer's IP address must be the same as the address used by the computer's TCP/IP port, just like any other network-connected printer. Even though the printer's IP address is known, it may be necessary to provide the printer's name in certain cases. A test page should be printed from the printer after entering the right name. If a test page fails to print, you may need to reinstall the printer to fix the issue. For this, you'll need the printer's original software installation discs or access to the manufacturer's website. Validation #5: Wireless printers often drop off the network. For confirmation, just print out the network settings from the printer's menu. It is also possible to test the wireless printer by sending a test sheet from another computer to it. When a wireless printer loses its network connection, reinstalling the printer on the network may be the quickest and easiest option. Once again, you'll need an installation disc or to download the software from the manufacturer's website to do this. The procedure for setting up a wireless printer varies depending on the brand. In order to finish the wireless network installation process with certain printers, a USB cable must be plugged into the printer and powered on. If a USB connection is unavailable, other types of printers may be set up. To set up a wireless connection, you'll need the network's security key or password. Occasionally the most recent Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) security is required for the printer to connect to the wireless network. There are still certain printers that cannot establish a functional network connection using the dated Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) protocol. By doing these five tests, you should be able to pinpoint the source of the issue. Once you do so, you should be able to isolate the source of the issue. Repairing a printer that has malfunctioned due to physical damage is usually not worthwhile. Get a huge hammer and smash the gadget to pieces to release all that pent-up anger. You should then go out and get a brand-new, improved model.