How to solve hp printer problems

How to solve hp printer problems

Printer not printing is a common issue for HP printer users. This issue can result from various reasons, from connectivity issues to faulty configurations or drivers. If you are struggling to find a good fix, you can give the methods as follows a try. They can help you fix your HP printer won’t print problem.

  1. Perform basic troubleshooting
  2. Update printer driver
  3. Set your printer as default
  4. Cancel all print jobs
  5. Check printer status
  6. Repair system files

Fix 1: Perform basic troubleshooting

You can do some troubleshooting at first when you find your HP printer stops working. You should check the status of the connection between your printer and your computer. Make sure your devices are properly connected with each other, and the network or the cable you use to connect these devices is normal.

You can also try restarting your HP printer. Turn it off completely and unplug the power cord, leave it for a couple of minutes, and then plug the cord back and power on the printer. See if your printer can print as normally as before.

Fix 2: Update or reinstall the printer driver

In many cases, the printer won’t print issue comes from faulty drivers. You may need to update or reinstall the printer driver to fix your HP printer, not the printing issue.

One easy and credible way to deal with drivers is to use Driver Easy.

Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to risk downloading and installing the wrong driver, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing.

You can download and install your drivers by using either the Free or Pro version of Driver Easy. But with the Pro version it takes only 2 clicks (and you get full support and a 30-day money back guarantee):

  1. Download and Install Driver Easy.
  2. Run Driver Easy and hit Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
How to solve hp printer problems

3. Click on the Update button next to your HP printer to download the latest and correct driver for this device. You can also hit Update All button at the bottom right to automatically update all outdated or missing drivers on your computer (this requires the Pro version — you will be prompted to upgrade when you click on Update All).

How to solve hp printer problems

Apart from updating the driver, you can also use Driver Easy to uninstall the driver (also Pro required). This is helpful especially when you want to reinstall the driver of a device. 

4. Open Driver Easy and select Tools.

How to solve hp printer problems

5. Select Driver Uninstall and you will see a list of device drivers. Locate your HP printer driver and then click on the Uninstall button. The driver you select will be removed soon.

How to solve hp printer problems

Fix 3: Set your printer as default

When you are trying to print something, your computer will automatically assign these printing tasks to the default printer unless you choose another one on purpose. So your HP printer won’t do its job if you neither set it as the default printer nor select it as the printer to print.

If you want to set your HP printer as default, please follow the steps below.

1. Press Window logo key and R key on your keyboard at the same time to open Run dialog. In this dialog, type “control” and hit Enter. This will open Control Panel.

How to solve hp printer problems

2. In Control Panel select Devices and Printers.

How to solve hp printer problems

3. In the Printers section, right-click on your HP printer and then select Set as default printer. Click on Yes if prompted.

How to solve hp printer problems

4. There is now a tick below the icon of your HP printer. That means it is now set as default printer.

How to solve hp printer problems

Fix 4: Cancel all print jobs

Another possible cause of your HP printer not printing issue is the stuck print queue. The print queue containing failed print jobs can stop functioning normally and lead to the printer not printing issues. You can clear all print jobs to get your HP printer back to normal.

  1. Open Devices and Printers in Control Panel. (You can refer to steps a and b in the method above.)
How to solve hp printer problems

2. Right-click on your HP printer in the Printers section and select See what’s printing.

How to solve hp printer problems

3. Open Printer menu and then select Open As Administrator.

How to solve hp printer problems

4. Open Printer menu again. This time select Cancel All Documents.

How to solve hp printer problems

5. Confirm your action.

How to solve hp printer problems

6. You have canceled all print jobs of your printer. Now check and see if it can run normally.

Fix 5: Check printer status

If you have tried the methods above and your HP printer still cannot print, you may need to check if there are hardware issues on your printer.

You need to ensure your HP printer has enough paper, ink, or toner, and it is not stuck on paper jam. Also, check the status of your printer cartridge and try replacing it with a new one if it is not good enough. In some cases, your HP printer stops printing after you replace its parts. If this happens you should install the original ones back and see if the problem is resolved.

Fix 6: Repair system files

Your HP won’t print problem is probably being caused by other issues related to your OS. The steps above may resolve it, but if they don’t, you should run a Windows repair to repair possible system files problems.

There are two ways you can run a system repair:

  1. Repair & replace corrupt system files with Reimage
  2. Run SFC scan

Repair & replace corrupt system files with Reimage

Reimageis an all-in-one system solution. It scans your PC’s operating system for viruses, flags dangerous websites, frees up precious disk space, and replaces any problematic files found with new healthy ones. Running a system repair with Reimage is like a clean reinstall of your operating system, and all personal user data, programs, and settings will remain intact.

Here’s how to use Reimage to repair system files on your PC:

1) Download and install Reimage.

2) Open Reimage and click Yes.

How to solve hp printer problems

3) Wait for Reimage to run a scan on your PC. The process might take a couple of minutes.

How to solve hp printer problems

4) Once the scan finishes, you will get a summary of the issues found on your computer. If you need to proceed with the repair function, you’ll be required to purchase the full version.

How to solve hp printer problems

The full version of Reimage comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee and full customer support. If you run into any problems while using Reimage, or if it doesn’t work for you, don’t hesitate to contact Reimage support team.

5) Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

6) Check your computer to see if your printer works properly.

Run SFC scan

System File Checker (SFC) is a handy feature in Windows that helps scan your system files and repair missing or corrupted system files(including those related to BSOD). To run the SFC scan:

  1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and type cmd. Then right-click on Command Prompt and click Run as administrator.
    How to solve hp printer problems
  2. Click Yes when prompted to confirm.
  3. In the command prompt window, type sfc /scannow and press Enter.
    How to solve hp printer problems

    It’ll take some time for the SFC to replace the corrupted system files with new ones if it detects any, so please be patient.
  4. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
  5. Check your computer to see if the printer works properly.

How do I fix my HP printer problems?

Open the HP Smart app, and then open Diagnose & Fix. Windows: Click the Diagnose & Fix icon in the bottom left corner. macOS: Click your printer, click Printers in the top menu bar, and then click Diagnose & Fix.

What to do if the printer is not printing?

Troubleshooting offline printer problems in Windows.
Check to make sure the printer is turned on and connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your device. ... .
Unplug and restart your printer. ... .
Set your printer as the default printer. ... .
Clear the print queue. ... .
Reset the service that manages the printing queue..

How do you diagnose a printer problem?

Microsoft Windows users.
Open the Control Panel..
Click or double-click the Printers, Printers and Fax, or Devices and Printers icon..
Right-click the printer you want to test and select the Properties or Printer Properties option. ... .
In the printer's Properties window, click the Print Test Page button..