Why Does My Printer Keep Going Offline In Windows 11

Run the Windows Printer Troubleshooter

Running the Windows printer troubleshooter is a quick way to find and fix common printing problems on your computer. You can open this built-in tool by going to your Windows Settings ⚙️, choosing System, and selecting the troubleshooting options. The tool will automatically check your printer setup and fix any errors it finds without needing help from you.

Click the Start button ⊞ on your taskbar 🖥️ and select the Settings app. You can also press the Win and the letter I on your keyboard at the same time to open Settings ⚙️ quickly.

In the Settings ⚙️ window, click on System from the menu on the left side.

Click on Troubleshoot on the right side of the screen.

Click on Other troubleshooters.

To fix your offline printer in Windows 11 version 23H2, open the built-in troubleshooter settings by going to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters. Find the Printer item in the troubleshooter list and click the Run button next to the Printer item to automatically detect and repair connection issues.

Follow any instructions that appear on your screen. The tool will check your printer and try to fix any errors it finds.

General Troubleshooting Steps

If the automatic tool does not solve your problem, you can try several manual fixes. Work through these steps one by one until your printer comes back online.

Step 1. Unplug and Restart Your Printer

Restarting your printer clears out stuck electronic parts and fixes temporary connection drops. To do this properly, turn off the printer using its power button, unplug the power cord from the wall outlet, and wait about 30 seconds. Plug the power cord back in and turn the printer on to let it fully reconnect to your network.

• Turn your printer off using its power button.
• Unplug the power cord from the back of the printer or from the wall outlet.
• Wait for about 30 seconds to let all the power drain completely.
• Plug the power cord back in and turn your printer on. Wait a minute for it to start up completely and connect to your network.

Step 2. Make Sure Printer Is Connected to the Same Wi-Fi Network

• Check your computer's Wi-Fi name by clicking the network icon near the bottom right corner of your screen.
• Check your printer's screen to see which network name it shows in its wireless settings menu.
• Make sure both devices use the exact same Wi-Fi name. If your router has a main network and a separate network for smart devices, make sure your computer and printer are both on the main network.

Step 3. Set Your Printer as the Default Printer

Setting your printer as the default printer stops Windows from sending your print jobs to the wrong device. Open your Windows Settings, go to Bluetooth and devices, and select Printers and scanners. From there, you can choose your active printer and turn off the setting that lets Windows manage your default printer automatically.

• Open the Settings app from your Start menu.
• Click on Bluetooth & devices on the left menu.
• Click on Printers & scanners.
• Look for your printer in the list and click on its name.
• Look for an option that says Let Windows manage my default printer and turn it off if it is turned on.
• Click the button that says Set as default if it is available.

Step 4. Check the Printer Queue

• Open Settings and go to Bluetooth & devices, then click Printers & scanners.
• Click on your printer from the list.
• Click on Open print queue.
• Look at the list of documents waiting to print. If you see old or stuck documents, click the menu icon or right-click each document and select Cancel.
• Clear out everything in this list so the queue is completely empty.

Step 5. Reset the Service That Manages the Printing Queue

Resetting the Print Spooler service fixes background program crashes that stop your printer from working. Windows runs this background program to manage all your print jobs, but it sometimes freezes and needs a manual restart. Open the Services app from your Start menu, find Print Spooler in the alphabetical list, and restart the service.

• Click the Start button, type Services in the search box, and click the Services app that appears with a gear icon.
• Scroll down the alphabetical list until you find Print Spooler.
• Right-click on Print Spooler and select Stop.
• Open your computer file explorer and go to this exact folder path: C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS

• Delete all the files inside this folder. These are leftover print files causing the jam. *(Note: This step requires administrator privileges.)*
• Go back to the Services window, right-click Print Spooler, and select Start.
• Right-click Print Spooler again, select Properties, find Startup type, and make sure it is set to Automatic. Click OK.

Step 6. Remove and Reinstall Your Printer

Reinstalling your printer clears away stubborn software bugs that keep causing offline errors. Open your Windows Settings, go to Bluetooth and devices, select Printers and scanners, click your printer name, and choose the remove option. After deleting the printer, restart your computer and add the printer back through your settings menu to start fresh.

• Open Settings and go to Bluetooth & devices, then click Printers & scanners.
• Click on your printer name.
• Click the Remove button to delete the printer from your computer completely.
• Restart your computer.
• After your computer turns back on, go back to Printers & scanners in your settings.
• Click the Add device button to let Windows search for your printer and install it again.

Step 7. Restart Your PC

A simple computer restart often clears out temporary memory glitches.

• Click the Start button on your taskbar.
• Click the Power icon.
• Click Restart and wait for your computer to turn off and turn back on.

Advanced Fixes: Fixing SNMP Status Settings

Disabling SNMP status monitoring stops Windows from giving false offline alarms about your printer. Windows relies on this monitoring protocol to check if your printer is awake, but it often causes connection errors. You can turn off SNMP status monitoring in your printer properties to stop Windows from mistakenly marking your printer as offline.

You can turn off SNMP status monitoring to stop Windows from mistakenly marking your printer as offline.

• Open Settings and go to Bluetooth & devices, then click Printers & scanners.
• Click on your printer from the list.
• Click on Printer properties (this is different from normal properties). A new window will pop up on your screen.
• Click on the Ports tab near the top of that window.
• Look at the list of ports and click on the one that your printer uses (it usually has a checkmark next to it and says standard TCP/IP port).
• Click the Configure Port button below the list.
• Look near the bottom of this new window for a box that says SNMP Status Enabled.
• Uncheck the box next to SNMP Status Enabled.
• Click OK to save your changes, then click Close on the printer properties window.

Advanced Fixes: Setting a Static IP Address

Setting a static IP address stops your router from changing your printer address and causing offline errors. Most home routers assign temporary IP addresses that change every few days, making Windows lose track of your printer. Assigning a permanent, static IP address through your router settings ensures Windows 11 always finds your printer on the exact same address.

To fix this, you can assign a permanent, static IP address to your printer through your router or printer settings panel. Giving your printer a permanent address ensures your Windows 11 computer always knows exactly where to find it.

• Print a network configuration page directly from your printer's screen to find its current IP address (it looks like four numbers separated by dots, such as 192.0.2.10).
• Open your web browser on your computer and type that IP address into the web address bar, then press Enter to open your printer's web management page.
• Log in with your printer administrator details if required.
• Find the network settings or TCP/IP settings section.

• Change the IP address setting from Dynamic (DHCP) to Static.
• Save your settings. Your printer will now keep this exact address permanently, stopping Windows from losing track of it.

Summary

Fixing an offline printer in Windows 11 usually requires a few simple steps to get your workflow moving again. Start with basic solutions like restarting your printer, checking your Wi-Fi network connection, and clearing out stuck print jobs from your queue. If those steps do not work, run the built-in Windows printer troubleshooter or use advanced fixes like disabling SNMP status monitoring.