Whenever you need to urgently work and do not print the printer, it causes the user a real shock. This happens infrequently, on average, according to statistics, only once every six months. However, if this trouble suddenly arises, you must be able to independently identify the reasons why the printer does not print .
The most common causes of failure
A printer malfunction can have different sources. It starts with an empty cartridge or toner that has been replaced. In this case, a message usually appears from the operating system informing the user. Another fairly common reason why the printer stops printing is a malfunction in the connection cable. Even minor configuration errors can paralyze the system and stop printing. The cause may be incorrect software or driver settings. Another reason why the printer does not print and an error code appears when trying to print is the difficulty of connecting to wireless printers.
However, in most cases, printer errors are easily resolved. To quickly resolve printer problems and resolve errors, you need to perform the following steps:
- Check printer connection and availability.
- Check cartridges, paper, and printhead.
- Check the printer queue and start automatic Windows troubleshooting.
- Update drivers, and fix firmware errors.
- Launch Windows Printer Services to set print server permissions on Windows.
Setting the default printer
Before determining why the printer does not print from the computer, you need to find out if the job has been sent to the printer. When a print job is sent, a window usually opens in which you can adjust the page orientation or paper size. And you can also check which printer the order was sent to. By clicking on the “printer” icon, the user is presented with a choice of available devices. After choosing the appropriate one, you need to click "Add Printer" to install it.
If it is already installed, you can use the control panel as the default printer. To do this, open it by entering the Start menu in the search bar. Then go to the "Hardware and Sound" section, and then "Devices and Printers." There, right-click on the desired model and select "Set as default printer" in the menu.
Connecting a device to a computer
For wired printers, you must first check the connections and cable. For network printers, check if the computer is connected to the printer and the printer to the WLAN. Most devices have a control display on which you can see the specific connection.
If the printer is not connected to Wi-Fi, you need to turn it off and on. It is important that computers and printers are connected to the same network. You also need to check if the WLAN really works. If several printers are connected to the printer or they are connected via WLAN, it is important to pay attention to the exact designation of the device you need. Available XPS, PDF, and One Note printers are not physical. They are virtual printers for converting documents to other file formats.
If the user cannot find his printer in this list, he will need to reinstall the driver.
Checking toner, ink paper
One possible reason why the printer does not print in black is the lack of toner or ink. Using the device’s display, you can easily find out if one or more cartridges are empty. If the printer does not have a display, you can see the display of levels using the print wizard on the device. Another common cause of a broken printer is the lack of paper or the clogging of the product due to paper jams.
Typically, these problems are also displayed by a computer or printer. In this case, you need to check whether everything is in order with the paper, and it is also important that the covers of the device and tray are properly closed. To check the ink cartridge level, you can use the appropriate functions either directly on the printer display or through a tool.
When installing a new cartridge, be sure to ensure that it is inserted correctly. If the print head is dirty, this can also lead to problems with the printer. The user is usually notified of this problem with the appropriate error message code on the instrument panel.
In order to determine why the printer prints white, you can use the device tool in the PC operating system to reliably test the print head and, if necessary, initiate the cleaning process. If necessary, you can switch from “offline mode” to “online mode” by clicking “Printer” in the top menu bar and selecting the “Use the printer in offline mode” or “Stop the printer” checkboxes by clicking the button.
If this is not done, then it will be clear why the printer does not print, queues the print. Then it is better to delete or cancel previous tasks by right-clicking. You can cancel all print jobs and resend the print job. If the printer still does not print, it is best to continue to the next troubleshooting step.
Recovery through the control panel
Windows provides automatic printer troubleshooting. You can use this function from the control panel and right-click on the icon of your printer. In the menu, select "Troubleshooting." Windows launches troubleshooting.
If this method of troubleshooting did not help to start the printer, you need to go to the device manager and pay attention to the status, and if the device is marked in yellow, then the problem why the printer does not print may be due to the wrong driver.
In this case, reinstalling the driver software will help. If the user does not have the driver program on the CD, you can download the latest version from the pages of printer manufacturers: HP, Canon, Epson.
Updating drivers and fixing firmware errors
Before you establish why the printer does not print, although there is ink, you need to check for its presence in the added devices. This problem is usually resolved quickly. After connecting the USB connector to another PC port, the operating system detects the printer and starts installing the necessary drivers. If this does not happen, you will have to install the drivers manually. To do this, open the "Add Printer" dialog box.
Windows then lists all the devices for which drivers are available. You need to find the right type of printer. Then click “Next” in the lower right corner and wait for the driver installation to complete. If Windows cannot find suitable drivers for the device, you can try downloading them directly from the manufacturer’s website.
The driver may be initially available, but be outdated, which will also cause problems with the printer. In this case, you need to go to the device manager through the control panel and find the “Printer Queue” element. From here, you can click on the corresponding printer, and use the “Driver” tab to enter the “Update” command. If all these troubleshooting measures do not work, you can completely remove the printer and reinstall it using the new drivers and update the firmware from the manufacturer.
Starting Windows Printer Services
Another reason why the printer does not print. To do this, make sure that the Windows print service is running. On Windows, this service is called "Spooler." To check the Windows printer services, you need to go back to the Windows control panel and click the "Administration" menu item. Then select the “Services” category, find the “Printer Queue” entry and set the startup type to “automatic”. Then the status should be set to "running", which means that the printer service is running.
To start printing, you must have the appropriate permissions for the computer user. If there is only one user on the PC, usually he is an administrator at the same time and has all rights to make or change settings. You can set these permissions for the print server in Windows, manage printers, view printer server information, and manage the print server.
To set permissions for the print server, you need to open "Print Management", and click "Print Server" on the left. Here you can check if the user has the necessary permissions. Right-click to open the "Properties", from where you can set permissions for the names of groups or users.
Printer does not recognize cartridge
If the printer does not recognize the cartridge, this may be the main reason why the printer does not print well. But this cannot be the reason for throwing it away. Often the error is not in the cartridge itself. This applies to both original and compatible accessories. Compatible cartridges today are made like the originals and are identical to these models. The main mistake may be in choosing a brand. therefore, the user must be sure to select the correct cartridge for their printer model before installation.
Different printers, manufacturers, and models use different supplies. Even slight differences in the device name and cartridge marking lead to the fact that the wrong product is used and the printer does not recognize it.
Installation Order:
- Insert the cartridge correctly into the printer. If a click sounds, the cartridge is correctly installed.
- Before inserting, you must remove all packaging material: protective films and packaging residues. For example, sticking a small piece of tape to the cartridge chip may cause the cartridge to “read incorrectly”.
Canon Scanner Errors
Often there are various problems associated with older devices. This may be one of the reasons why the Canon printer does not print and does not recognize the cartridge. Sometimes buying a modern model is a good idea, especially in cases where the repair exceeds the actual cost of the device, but first you should try other serviceable cartridges of this model on the printer. If they are also not found, then the problem is related to hardware failures in the device.
Inkjet printers also use different cartridges for each color. If the device does not recognize one of the cartridges, and all the others work correctly, then it is faulty and must be replaced.
A simple but effective help is to restart the printer. Often this simple trick helps with many mistakes.
Epson does not recognize cartridge
Even with advanced printers such as Epson, there is sometimes a problem of unrecognizing the cartridge used. This is why the Epson printer does not print. If the Epson printer displays an error message "The printer does not recognize the cartridge," you must follow these steps:
- Verify that a warning message is displayed when using a compatible cartridge. If so, click OK or Next in the message. Subsequently, the printing operation should continue as usual.
- Check if the cartridge transport safety device has been removed. Since before using the printer cartridge, you must remove not only the packaging material, but also this fuse, usually a black or orange plastic component.
- When removing it, handle the cartridge with care so that it does not come into contact with the ink.
- To change the cartridge on an Epson printer, you must use the utility program using the printer settings and following the program instructions.
- Do not change cartridges until the Epson printer offers a replacement and the ink is completely spoiled. If the printer does not recognize the inserted cartridge, you must turn it off for about 30 seconds and then start a new print.
HP All-In-One Fault
The brand of HP printers speaks for itself, these devices work with a minimum of failures. Typically, a mistake with the HP printer can be fixed in a few simple steps. Sequence of action:
- Verify that the printer is properly connected to the PC. Otherwise, he will not be able to receive orders.
- Open the control panel and select "Printers".
- Find an HP printer. It must have the status of "ready." If the printer is listed as "Offline", or if there is no icon at all, the device will not print.
- For the printer to become ready, it must be properly connected to the PC. Make sure that the cable is connected correctly and not damaged. If in doubt, replace the cable. You can also try a different USB port on the PC.
- Replace the cartridge, as many printers refuse to print as soon as the cartridge becomes empty.
Saying goodbye to the printer, which helped to complete many tasks, is difficult, especially when the printer can still work. And if the user does not update the driver or does not perform preventative maintenance of the printer at the right time, this can lead to quite large problems related to print quality, not to mention the downtime of the necessary equipment.