If a printer shows Offline in Windows 11 or 10, check its power and USB or network connection first, then inspect its print queue. On Windows 11, Microsoft recommends starting with the printer troubleshooter in Get Help. Work through the checks below and stop when a test page prints; you do not need to remove a working printer.
These steps apply to an installed printer that appears offline. If Windows cannot find the printer during setup, see how to add a printer in Windows 11 or 10. Instructions reviewed against current Microsoft support documentation on October 2, 2026.
1. Check power and the connection
Turn the printer off, unplug it for 30 seconds, reconnect it and turn it on. Check its display for paper, ink, cover or jam errors and follow the model’s manual for those errors.
USB: check both ends of the cable. Try a different physical USB port if the connection is not recognized. Wi-Fi: check the printer’s network-status menu or report and confirm it is on the same local network as the PC. Ethernet: check the network cable and the printer’s connection to that local network. A powered-on printer can still be disconnected.
Guest or managed networks can isolate devices. Ask the network administrator about printer access. For a shared printer, its host PC or print server must also be available. If an address changed, compare the configured port with the printer’s current IP address; do not switch randomly between ports.
2. Open the correct printer settings
Windows 11: press Windows key + I, then select Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Select the intended printer and Open print queue.
Windows 10: open Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners, select the printer, then Open queue. In the classic queue’s Printer menu, clear Pause Printing and Use Printer Offline if selected. Those classic menu names may not appear in the current Windows 11 queue; do not search for a control your layout does not provide.
Check that the application’s print dialog selects the intended printer. If you want to make it the default, use Set as default in Windows 11, or select the printer and Manage > Set as default in Windows 10. First turn off Let Windows manage my default printer if needed. Setting a default changes which printer is selected; it does not repair a broken cable or network connection. See Microsoft’s default-printer guide.
3. Clear a stuck job, then restart Print Spooler
Cancel only the jobs you intend to discard. In Windows 11, the queue’s … > Cancel all removes pending jobs; in Windows 10, select a document and use Document > Cancel. You will need to send cancelled documents again. See how to clear a printer queue.
If jobs remain stuck, search for Services from the taskbar. Find Print Spooler, right-click it and select Restart. Administrator permission may be needed. This restarts the printing service used by other printers on the PC too, so coordinate any active printing on a shared machine. Then try one short test document.
4. Update or reinstall only if earlier checks fail
Microsoft recommends Windows Update for printer drivers. If it cannot find a suitable driver, use the exact model and Windows version on the manufacturer’s official support site. On ARM PCs, try automatic Add device through Settings unless the manufacturer provides different ARM-specific guidance.
Before removing the printer, record any custom settings and confirm its connection details. In Windows 11, select the printer in Printers & scanners, then Remove > Yes; add it again with Add device. In Windows 10, use Remove device > Yes, then Add a printer or scanner. Follow our installation guide linked above for manual network setup. Save your work before restarting the PC.
Still offline?
Select the printer in Windows settings and print a test page if that option is available. If other computers can print but yours cannot, focus on the PC’s connection, queue and driver. If no device can print, check the printer’s own error message and network report. Record the model, connection type and exact error for manufacturer support or your workplace administrator.
Primary references: Microsoft’s offline-printer instructions and printer connection troubleshooting. Browse our Windows printer and printing guides for related tasks.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.