Why Getting Printer Offline Windows 10 Issue?

It is a workday and you require to print out an important file for an urgent meeting within 10 minutes. Therefore, you open the file on the system and choose the Print button to start the printing process and wait for your printer to run. Suddenly, an error notification shows up at the bottom right panel of the system simply states that printer offline Windows 10. This error notification will, of course, avert you from utilizing the printer for the print jobs even if you have correct and updated printer driver. Additionally, this annoying error message can arise at any time but there is a high chance if you currently upgraded to the Windows 10 Operating System.

However, you are not the only one who is bugged by this printer status offline Windows 10 issue. Well, don’t fret. Fortunately, there are a lot of fixes that you should try to eliminate this error notification. In such a case, you can easily resolve it following the troubleshooting hacks below.

Ways to Resolve Printer Status Offline Error Notification on Windows 10

Usually, this annoying error notification arises on the Windows 10 Operating System because of plenty of reasons. Thus, you will find various types of fixes to eradicate this printer status offline error notification on Windows 10 OS. Here, in this article, we are about to discuss some of the easiest troubleshooting ways by which you can easily diagnose and fix this issue on your own. Thus, to eliminate this printer status offline Windows 10 error, follow the ways given below:

Way 1: Verify the Connection of the Printer

The printer offline status on the Windows 10 Operating System is your printer’s approach of informing you that something is incorrect with the communication between the system and your printer model. Therefore, one of the first and foremost thing that you need to verify is the connection of your printer with the system. To do so:

1. At first, restart the printer. Thus, turn the power off and after a minute while again, turn on your printer. After restarting the printer, wait for a few minutes to be fully ready.
2. Now, verify the connection of your printer.
3. In case, if your printer is connected through the USB cable. Then, you need to ensure that the connection cable to your printer is properly connected. After that, you need to ensure that you are connecting the cable to the system through a working USB port.
4. In case, if the printer is connected through the wired network. Then, you need to ensure that the cable to your printer is properly connected with the Ethernet port. After that, ensure that the port of your printer model is properly connected to your router. Now, you need to verify that the signal of the network is flashing on your printer model. (Note: Your printer model may show the offline status if the connection cable of the printer is loose, broken or too old. Then, you may require to replace the connection cable if needed)  
5. If the printer is connected through the wireless network. Then, you need to verify your printer and ensure that the printer model is connected properly to your system network. Additionally, the lit-up wireless symbol on the printer basically symbolizes that you are connected with the network.

At last, you need to check your printer and verify that you can print now. In case, if the error notification still continues then, you should move out to the next troubleshooting method.

Way 2: Verify the Status of your Printer

The auto-updated printer driver installed by the Windows Update could alter the entire configuration of your printer model without informing you. Therefore, it is very crucial that you must ensure that your printer status is error-free. To verify the status of your printer, go through the following steps:

1. At first, restart the printer. Thus, turn the power off and after a minute while again, turn on your printer. After restarting the printer, wait for a few minutes to be fully ready.
2. Press the Windows logo key and at the same time press down the I key on your keyboard. After that, tap on the Devices option from the list of menu.
3. Next, hit on the Devices and Printers option in the Devices menu.
4. You need to right-click on the symbol along with a green tick mark. After that, tap on the ‘See What’s Printing’ option.
5. If what you notice here is a grey symbol instead of the green tick-mark. Then, you need to right-click the icon. Tap on the Set as Default Printer option.
6. Next, right-click on it and select the ‘See What’s Printing’ option.
7. After that, tap on the Printer option. If you can see a tick-mark next to the option Use Printer Offline and Pause Printing. Then, you need to tap on the options to remove the tick-marks.
8. After completing all the above-mentioned steps, restart the system.
9. Finally, you need to check if you can print now and see if the issue has been resolved. In the issue still continues, then check out to the next method.  

Way 3: Restart The Print Spooler Service

Your printer will decline to print properly and eventually come up with the printer status offline error notification on the Windows 10 system whenever the Print Spooler service is not performing well. Sometimes, the print spooler service is somehow turned off. Thus, to restart the print spooler service, follow the steps which are stated hereunder:

1. Press the Windows logo key and at the same time press down the “R” key on the keyboard. This key combination will invoke the Run dialog box.
2. Go to the Run dialog box and write ‘services.msc’. Tap on the Ok button. Alternatively, you can press down the Enter key on your keyboard.
3. After that, press down the “P” key on your keyboard to quicker locate Print Spooler item. Now, you need to check if the status of the Print Spooler item is running.
4. If you can not detect its status here, then right-click on the Print Spooler service. After that, tap on the Start button.
5. Additionally, you can also restart this service if you want. To do so, right-click on the Print Spooler option and tap on the Restart button.
6. After completing all the above-mentioned steps, close the Properties screen.
7. Restart the system for good measure.
8. Lastly, you need to verify if your printer status is online now.

Way 4: Add a Second printer

In case if the above-mentioned method did not work for you, then follow this way to resolve this error notification. Additionally, you can easily set a manual Internet Protocol (IP) address for the printer and add a particular port on the system for them to match. To add a second printer model, follow the steps below:

Note: You need to keep a note that this way only works whenever the printer is connected to the system through the network instead of the USB cable.   

1. Press down the Windows logo key and at the same time press down the I key on the keyboard. After that, tap on the Devices option.
2. Now, choose the Device and Printers option.
3. After that, right-click on the printer and choose the Properties option of the printer.
4. Tap on the Ports tab. After that, choose the Add Port option in the Ports tab.
5. Now, choose Standard IP or TCP Port option. Then, tap on the New Port option.
6. Choose the next button.  
7. Now, write the IP (Internet Protocol) address and tap on the Next button to proceed further.

(Note: You can easily find the IP address of the printer in the manual book of your printer model. In case, if you don’t have the manual book, then you need to try to find it on the printer manufacturers website.)

1. After completing all the above-mentioned steps, restart the system.
2. Finally, you need to check if you can print now and see if the issue has been resolved. In the issue still continues, then check out to the next method.  

Way 5: Update the driver of the printer for the Windows 10 Operating System

A lot of Windows users reported that they resolved this error notification by updating the driver of the printer. Moreover, this is not a troublesome task. Thus, to perform this action, go through the following steps:

1. Go to the Start menu of the system and tap on it to open. Now, tap on the Device Manager option from the Start menu.
2. Now, choose the printer model that you are utilizing from the printer option.
3. Next, right-click on the printer and choose update driver software from the list of option.
4. If the driver of your printer is updated, reinstall the driver.

Additional Steps:

If the above-described steps are not useful in your case. Then, you need to try out the alternative way which is described hereunder:

1. At first, tap on the “Start” menu. After that, choose the “Control Panel” from the Start menu.
2. Now, you need to go to the search box which is at the top right corner. Type “troubleshooter” in the search box. Tap on the Ok button. Alternatively, press down the Enter key on the keyboard.
3. Next, tap on that troubleshooter link fixes the printer status offline error notification.
4. Go to the Hardware and Sound option.
5. Now, tap on the “Use a printer” option under the Hardware and Sound.
6. After that, follow-through the prompted commands and let the troubleshooter resolve the error notification.
7. After completing all the steps, restart the system for good measure.

Now, check the printer to see that the issue has been resolved or not. Still, the same error notification has arisen? If yes, then don’t fret! Check out the next way that is described below.

Way 6: Install Windows Update KB3147458

Generally, this KB3147458 update was released especially for the Windows 10 Operating System users who were having issues with their printer models. Therefore, you need to ensure that you must have this KB3147458 update installed on the Windows 10 OS. To perform this action, follow the steps below:

1. On your keyboard, press down the Windows Logo key + R key to open the Run Dialog box.
2. Now, write, ‘appwiz.cpl in the Run Dialog box. Press down the Enter key on the keyboard.
3. Tap on the View Installed Updates.
4. Next, you need to find for the KB3147458 Windows update in the list. In case, if you don’t have this KB3147458 update on the Windows 10 system, then you must install it as soon as possible. To install the update, go through the below steps:
5. Press down the Windows key on your keyboard.
6. Tap on the Settings option.
7. Choose the Update and Security option.
8. Next, tap on the Check for Updates option.
9. Now, your Windows 10 system will automatically search for the available updates and install them on the system.
10. After completing the entire installation process, restart the system.

Summing it Up  

That’s it! These are the most effective and the easiest of the troubleshooting hacks by which you can easily get rid of this annoying printer status offline error notification on your Windows 10 OS. Thus, try the above-described troubleshooting ways and see which one is giving you the ultimate troubleshooting solution in no time. In case, if you require more assistance regarding the printer status offline error notification, then feel free to drop your comments below and we will see what more we can do to assist you.