Printer Not Printing? 10 Fixes Before You Call a Technician

Published on September 30, 2026

Few things are as frustrating as needing to print something right now and having the printer simply not respond. Before assuming it's broken, here are the 10 checks we run ourselves first.

1. Check that it's actually on and connected

Sounds obvious, but a printer in power-save mode or briefly dropped off Wi-Fi is, by far, the most common cause. Check the status light before anything else.

2. Check the ink or toner level

Many printers stop printing entirely (not just at lower quality) once a cartridge is considered empty, even if some is left. The printer's own software usually warns you, but it's worth checking directly.

3. Clear a stuck print queue

An earlier document stuck in the queue can block everything that comes after it. Clearing the print queue from your system settings and trying again fixes this more often than you'd think.

4. Reinstall or update the driver

An outdated or corrupted driver, especially right after an operating system update, is a very common cause of a printer that suddenly "stops working" for no clear reason.

5. Check it's set as the default printer

If you've ever installed more than one printer (including a virtual one, like "print to PDF"), it's easy for a document to get sent to the wrong one without you noticing.

6. Check for a paper jam

A paper jam isn't always obvious at a glance — sometimes a small scrap is stuck deep inside the mechanism. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to carefully open the printer and check the paper path.

7. Restart both the printer and the computer

Same principle as with a router: a full power cycle of both clears stuck internal processes that rarely get fixed any other way.

8. If it's Wi-Fi, check it's still connected to your network

Wi-Fi printers sometimes silently drop off the network, especially after a router password change or a power outage. A quick check of the printer's own menu usually confirms it.

9. Update the printer's firmware

As with routers, many manufacturers release firmware updates that fix known connectivity or compatibility issues, and almost nobody installs them because they don't arrive automatically.

10. When it's no longer a software problem

Odd noises, repeated jams in the same spot, or dirty print heads that don't improve with the built-in cleaning cycle are signs the problem may be mechanical, not something a driver reinstall will fix.

If you've already checked all of this and it still won't print, our printer support service reviews settings, drivers, and connectivity remotely — with flat-rate pricing from the start and our "no fix, no pay" guarantee.

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