HP Printer Shows Offline

Although HP printers are known for smooth performance without any interruption, users of these printers often come across certain types of issues. One of such issues is HP Printer showing offline and not printing.

You are working on your system with HP printer connected to it. All of a sudden, you see that your HP Printer shows offline but is connected. It can become really frustrating to find the exact cause of this issue.

how to fix HP printer shows offline issue

So, why is my HP Printer showing offline?

If you see that your HP printer going offline but is connected, then it means that your printer is not able to communicate to your system or PC. Other reasons can be wireless connectivity issues, printer hardware problem, wireless router problem etc.

How do I get my HP printer back online?

If you see the status of offline on your HP printer, then no need to worry. Here are the troubleshooting steps to fix this error.

HP Printer Shows Offline Fix (Windows)

Check Connectivity

Check wireless connectivity if HP printer is connected to Wifi but is offline. Also, check for the latest updates on your system.

Download the HP Print and Scan Doctor on your computer.
From the download location on your computer, run HPPSdr.exe.
On the HP Print and Scan Doctor window, click on Start.
Select your printer.
- If your printer is not in the list, turn it off and on, and click on Retry.
- If there is a connection problem, then follow the instructions listed in HP Print and Scan Doctor tool.
Click on Fix Printing.
Click Yes if see an option to turn on printer updates.
Check if you can print. If your printer still shows offline, then move to the next step.

Set the default printer manually

Manually set the default printer such that the default print driver matches the printer you are trying to print with.

Go to the Start menu on your system, and then search for Devices.
Click on Printers & Scanners from the list of results.
Look for the printer you originally installed and click on Manage.
A Manage your device window will appear. Click on Set as Default.
Check if the printer is showing online and try to print.

Reset your Printer

Printer resetting can restore the connection to the computer and can fix HP Printer offline issues.

Turn off your printer and then unplug the power cord from the printer.
Turn off your computer/laptop and wireless router and wait for some minutes.
Plug the power cord back to the printer and then turn on the printer.
Restart your wireless router. Wait for the printer to reconnect to the router. Use HP wireless setup wizard to connect the printer to the network.
Turn on the computer and then try to print.

Check ‘Use Printer Offline’ Mode

HP Printer shows offline if the ‘Use printer offline’ mode is selected on your computer. Check this setting with the following steps:

Go to Start menu and search for Devices.
Click on ‘Printers and Scanners’.
Find your printer and check if it is in online or offline mode.
If it is in offline mode, right-click on it and click on ‘Use Printer Online’ option.
Now, your printer will be in online mode.

Update Printer Drivers

Sometimes, HP Printer shows offline due to outdated printer drivers. In such a case, you can update or re-install HP Printer drivers on your computer.

Go to Start menu and search for Device Manager and click on it.
Click on Printers from the list that appears.
Find your printer model and right-click on it.
Click on ‘Update Driver’ option.
Wait for the printer to update and restart your computer.
Check if your printer goes offline to online.

Check Printer Port and Windows Services Status

Check if your printer uses a WSD port.

Go to Control Panel on your computer and then to ‘View Devices and Printers’.
Find your printer and then right-click on it. Select Printer Properties.
Click on the Ports tab and check if your printer uses a WSD port.

If you find that your printer uses a WSD port, perform the following steps:

Go to Start menu and search for Services.
In the list that appears, check for Function Discovery Host and Function Discovery Resource Publication.
Check the Status and Startup Type columns for the above-mentioned fields.
The Status should be running and Startup Type should be automatic.
If the Startup Type shows manual, change it to automatic.
Under the service status, click Start and then click OK.
Now, go back to the Devices and Printers window and press F5 button.
Select your printer name and check if its status is online. If it shows online, the issue is fixed. Try to print a document.

Check the wireless connection if it still shows offline.

HP Printer not connecting to wifi

By following these steps, you can change the status of HP Printer offline to online. If none of the above-mentioned troubleshooting steps helped you to fix HP Printer offline issue, contact us.