Free Independent Advice | OnlineSafeGuide.com | Updated 2026

HP Printer Showing Offline? Here’s How to Get It Back Online (Step-by-Step)

You’re ready to print something, and your HP printer shows as offline — even though it’s switched on and everything looks normal. It’s one of the most common printer issues we hear about, and the good news is that it can usually be sorted out in just a few minutes, without calling anyone or spending a rupee.

Having spent years helping people across the UK, US, and Australia sort out exactly this kind of problem over the phone, I can tell you it’s almost always one of a handful of causes — and this guide walks you through them in the order that tends to solve things fastest.

What Does “HP Printer Offline” Actually Mean?

When your computer shows the printer as offline, it simply means the two devices have lost contact with each other. The printer itself may be powered on and working perfectly fine — it’s the connection between it and your computer that’s broken, so your print jobs just sit in the queue going nowhere.

You’ll usually notice one or more of these:

• The printer status shows Offline in Windows
• Documents you’ve sent to print are stuck in the queue
• Nothing prints, even after waiting several minutes
• The printer doesn’t respond when you try a test page

Why Does This Happen?

A few things tend to cause this, and in my experience, it’s rarely anything serious:

• A weak Wi-Fi signal or a loose cable interrupting communication
• An outdated or corrupted printer driver
• Windows has the wrong printer set as default
• A stuck job in the print queue blocking everything behind it
• The printer lost its network connection after a restart or power cut
• A paper jam or minor hardware hiccup putting the printer into an error state

Most of these are quick to sort out. Work through the steps below in order — in my experience, the majority of people are printing again within the first two or three steps.

Step-by-Step: Getting Your Printer Back Online

Step 1 — Restart Everything

This solves the problem more often than you’d expect. A full restart clears temporary glitches and refreshes the connection between your printer, computer, and router.

1. Turn off the printer and your computer
2. Switch off your Wi-Fi router and wait 2 minutes
3. Turn the router back on and wait for it to fully reconnect
4. Turn the printer back on
5. Turn your computer back on
6. Try printing a test page

One thing worth pointing out: always restart the router too, not just the printer and computer. In a lot of the cases I’ve come across, the missing piece was the router — a lost network connection often clears itself once the router has had a proper reboot.

Step 2 — Check Cables and Connections

Before going any further, do a quick physical check:

• Make sure the printer is switched on and the power light is solid
• If you’re using a USB cable, check it’s firmly plugged in at both ends
• If you’re on Wi-Fi, confirm your computer is connected to the same network as the printer
• Check that your router is on and working normally

If everything looks fine physically, move on to the next step.

Step 3 — Clear the Print Queue

A stuck print job can block everything behind it. Clearing the queue often gets things moving again straight away.

7. Press the Windows key and type Printers and Scanners, then press Enter
8. Click on your HP printer from the list
9. Click Open print queue
10. If any jobs are listed, right-click each one and select Cancel
11. Once the queue is empty, try printing again

Step 4 — Set Your HP Printer as the Default

If Windows is quietly sending your print jobs to a different printer, that alone would explain why nothing’s coming out. Worth checking your HP is actually set as the default.

12. Press the Windows key and type Printers and Scanners, then press Enter
13. Click on your HP printer
14. Click Set as default
15. Try printing a test page

Step 5 — Turn Off “Use Printer Offline” Mode

Windows has a setting called Use Printer Offline that can get switched on by accident — sometimes just from a routine Windows update. This tells your computer to hold all print jobs instead of sending them through.

16. Press the Windows key and type Printers and Scanners, then press Enter
17. Click on your HP printer
18. Click Open print queue
19. In the menu at the top, click Printer
20. If “Use Printer Offline” has a tick next to it, click it to turn it off
21. Try printing again

Step 6 — Update or Reinstall the Printer Driver

An outdated or corrupted driver is one of the most common reasons for this whole mess. Installing the latest driver straight from HP’s own website resolves it completely in a lot of the cases we see.

22. Go to support.hp.com on your computer
23. Type your printer model into the search box (for example: HP DeskJet 2820)
24. Download the latest driver for your version of Windows
25. Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions
26. Restart your computer and printer once installation is complete
27. Try printing a test page

Not sure of your printer model? Check the label on the front or underneath the printer — it’s usually printed right there.

Step 7 — Run the Windows Troubleshooter and Check for Updates

Windows has a built-in printer troubleshooter that can pick up on common issues automatically — it’s worth letting it do its job before you go digging further.

28. Go to Settings, then Update and Security, then Troubleshoot
29. Click Additional troubleshooters
30. Select Printer and click Run the troubleshooter
31. Follow whatever instructions it gives you

While you’re in there, it’s also worth checking for pending Windows updates:

32. Go to Settings, then Windows Update
33. Click Check for updates and install anything available
34. Restart your computer when prompted

Step 8 — Check the Print Spooler Service

The Print Spooler is a background Windows service that quietly manages all your print jobs. If it’s stopped running for whatever reason, your printer simply won’t respond — no matter what else you try.

35. Press the Windows key + R at the same time
36. Type services.msc and press Enter
37. Scroll down the list and find Print Spooler
38. Check that the Status column shows Running
39. If it’s not running, right-click on Print Spooler and select Start
40. If it’s already running, right-click and select Restart
41. Restart your computer and try printing again

Still Not Printing? Reconnect Your Printer to Wi-Fi

If none of the above has worked, chances are the printer has dropped its wireless connection entirely. Here’s how to reconnect it, depending on your model.

Option A — HP Printers Without a Touchscreen

This works using the free HP Smart app and covers most basic HP inkjet models.

42. Make sure your printer and computer are on the same Wi-Fi network
43. On the printer, press and hold the Wi-Fi button and the Cancel (X) button together for about 10 seconds, until the Wi-Fi light starts flashing
44. Open the HP Smart app on your computer (free download from the Microsoft Store if you don’t already have it)
45. Click Add Printer in the top-left corner
46. Select your printer from the list and click Next
47. Enter your Wi-Fi network name and password when prompted
48. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish setup
49. Once connected, press the Windows key, type Printers and Scanners, and add the printer manually if it doesn’t appear on its own
50. Print a test page to confirm everything’s working

Option B — HP Printers With a Touchscreen

If your printer has its own screen, you can reconnect it to Wi-Fi directly, without needing your computer at all.

51. Turn the printer on and press the Home button
52. Go to Settings, then Network Setup, then Wireless Setup
53. Select Wireless Setup Wizard
54. Your printer will search for available networks
55. Select your Wi-Fi network name from the list
56. Enter your Wi-Fi password using the on-screen keyboard and confirm
57. The printer will connect, and the Wi-Fi light should turn solid
58. On your computer, press the Windows key, type Printers and Scanners, and add the printer if needed
59. Print a test page to confirm

Tips to Stop This Happening Again

• Keep your printer driver updated — check HP’s website every few months
• Make sure your printer and computer stay on the same Wi-Fi network
• Keep your printer within reasonable distance of your router for a steady signal
• If you don’t print often, run off a page or two each week — it keeps the ink flowing and the connection active
• Switch the printer off properly when you’re done, rather than leaving it on standby indefinitely
• Clear the print queue before switching off, since a stuck job can cause issues next time you print

To Sum It Up

An HP printer showing offline is annoying, no doubt — but in almost every case it comes down to something simple: a dropped Wi-Fi connection, a stuck print job, an outdated driver, or a setting that got switched on by accident.

Work through the steps above in order. In my experience, most people are back up and running within the first three or four steps, without ever needing to reinstall anything.

For more free guides on printer setup, computer help, and staying safe online, visit OnlineSafeGuide.com.

This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. OnlineSafeGuide.com is an independent educational website. We are not affiliated with HP or any other company mentioned in this guide. For official support, visit support.hp.com.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my HP wireless printer keep showing offline?

The most common reason is that the printer has lost its connection to the Wi-Fi network. This can happen after a router restart, a power cut, or simply because the printer’s been moved further from the router. Restarting the printer, computer, and router together usually sorts it out. If it keeps coming back, try installing the latest driver from support.hp.com.

How do I get my HP printer back online on Windows?

Start by restarting everything — printer, computer, and router. Then check that “Use Printer Offline” mode isn’t switched on in your printer settings (go to Printers and Scanners, open the print queue, click Printer, and look for that option). Clear any stuck jobs from the queue and make sure your HP is set as the default printer. These steps resolve it in the vast majority of cases.

Why does my HP printer go offline every time I restart my computer?

This usually means the printer isn’t holding its network connection reliably — often because it’s a bit too far from the router, or its IP address keeps changing each time it reconnects. Try moving it closer to the router. You can also log into your router settings and assign the printer a fixed (static) IP address — your router’s manual or your internet provider can help with that.

Will updating the driver sort out an offline HP printer?

Very often, yes. An outdated or corrupted driver is one of the most common causes of a persistent offline error. Download the latest driver for your exact printer model from support.hp.com, install it, then restart both your computer and printer. This resolves the issue in a large number of the cases we see.