When it comes to Windows, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. One of the most frustrating issues is when your printer won’t connect or when it won’t print. There are a few things you can try to fix printer connection and printing problems in Windows. Restart Your Computer and Printer The first thing you should try is to restart your computer and printer. Sometimes, the problem is with the communication between your computer and printer. Restarting both devices can help reset the connection and get things working again.
Update Printer Drivers
Update Your Printer Drivers If your printer is having trouble connecting or printing, it could be because you’re using an outdated driver. Printer manufacturers release updates to their drivers to improve compatibility and performance. If you’re using an outdated driver, your printer might not be able to connect or might have other problems. To update your printer drivers, you can use the Device Manager. To do this, open the Device Manager (search for it in the Windows search bar), find your printer in the list of devices, and then update the driver. If there’s no update available, you might need to uninstall and reinstall the driver. Restart the Print Spooler Service The print spooler is a Windows service that manages the printing process. If the print spooler service is not running, your printer might not be able to connect or might have other issues. To restart the print spooler service, open the Services window (search for it in the Windows search bar), find the Print Spooler service, and then click Restart.
Clear the Printer Queue
Clear the Print task queue If your printer is connected but won’t print, it might be because there are still files in the printer queue. To clear the printer queue, open the Devices and Printers window (search for it in the Windows search bar), find your printer, right-click it, and then click See what’s printing. Click the Printer menu, and then click Cancel All Documents. If you can’t find the Cancel All Documents option, you might need to stop the print spooler service and then start it again.
Run Troubleshooter
Run the Printing Troubleshooter Windows includes a troubleshooter that can help you fix problems with your printer. To run the troubleshooter, open the Settings app, click Update & Security, click Troubleshoot, and then click Printer. Follow the instructions in the troubleshooter to try to fix the problem. Reinstall Your Printer If you’ve tried all of the other solutions and nothing has worked, you might need to uninstall and reinstall your printer. To do this, open the Devices and Printers window (search for it in the Windows search bar), find your printer, right-click it, and then click Remove device. Restart your computer, and then add your printer again. If you’re still having trouble, you can contact your printer’s customer support for help.