How to Troubleshoot a Printer

Sometimes your printer prints without problem, other times throws at you error messages. In worst cases, it neither says anything nor does anything. There can be several reasons for such problems. In the following account, you will find ten most common things that cause all these problems in a printer. If you will follow them, you fix at least 95% of the printer problems then and there. You can, of course offer an IT support ticket for assistance. So, go through this account that tells you how to troubleshoot a printer.

Troubleshooting a Printer

Here are some tips for troubleshooting a printer-

1. Ensure that the Printer is Plugged in: Undoubtedly, your printer is plugged in. still, check it and after plugging in the printer, try printing once again.

2. Ensure the Printer is Turned on: Find out whether it is turned on and all its status lights are green.  Problem like a low toner, paper jam, no paper, etc. are indicated by a yellow or red light.


3. Find out Whether Printer is connected to the Network: Ensure about the connectivity of your printer with the network unless it is directly connected to your PC. A network cable that may enter into the back of your printer; also ensure green light.

4. Execute a Test: Maximum printers have a self-diagnostic program. It prints out a test page having printer information. Toner levels, errors and other diagnostic data may be included in it.

5. Send your Print Job to the Correct Printer: Occasionally the default printer may be altered by a security update or by another user. Set/reset your default printer by clicking Start>Settings>Printers/Faxes. Right-click the printer you need. Select ‘Set as Default’ from the list of options.

6. Check your Computer’s Connectivity to Network: Sharing the printer with other computers in a networked environment is vital. go to a website you don’t visit often after opening an internet browser. Some computers may store your common destinations and you may get some help you look for.

7. Look for an Application Error: Sometimes Word/Excel or any application you use can hang up and result in a problem. Save your work, restart the application and print again.

8. Find whether the Printer shows it is Online: Go to: Start>Settings>Printers/Faxes and double-click the printer you are sending your job to and check its status. If you find it online, try to print a test page if it goes through. If the printer is offline, then turn the printer on, wait for 30 seconds and turn it on again. Sometimes reboot the printer to re-register on the network. If it doesn’t display online status after rebooting, it can’t be mapping suitably and you may have to call your IT support for help.

9. Restart your Computer: May be the machine is troubling you. Restart your computer but don’t use hibernate or sleep and try printing again.

So, if from now on your printer has some trouble, you need not wonder how to troubleshoot a printer. You can fix all its problems by yourself with the help of tips mentioned above.