Fix HP Printer Says Offline or Keeps Going Offline Windows 10/7 & Mac Issue

When your HP printer isn’t able to successfully communicate with your laptop or computer, its status may be perceived as offline. To bring it back from offline to online on Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, or Mac, you need to troubleshoot the causes behind the issue. Usually, the HP printer offline problem is caused by jammed paper, connection or cable issues, outdated firmware, etc. To fix the offline status error on HP Envy or HP wireless printers, you can implement the HP Print and Scan Doctor Tool. Additionally, you can reset your device, reinstall it, or set it as the default printer.

To learn more about this issue, its causes, and the troubleshooting measures for the same, you can scroll below.

Why does the HP Printer Say Offline?

When your HP C7200, HP PhotoSmart C4700, or HP 5200 Printer shows its status as offline, it means that the device is facing communication issues. Thus, it may be unable to receive print jobs. When the status of your HP DeskJet Printer says offline, new commands for printing cannot be given or processed. You can either pause the commands you have given or completely stop them. After the issue has been resolved, you can use the functions of your device as usual.

Why does My HP Printer Keep Going Offline?

To take a deeper look into the issue of HP OfficeJet, HP PhotoSmart, or HP Envy Printer offline, we will be going through its causes. These have been mentioned below:

• Jammed paper may be causing the issue.
• Problems with the cables or connection may be responsible for the offline status.
• The HP printer may have been set to offline mode.
• The firmware may be lacking important updates.
• You may not have updated the drivers for your HP printer.
• It is possible that your device may not have been chosen as the default printer.

How to Fix the HP Printer Offline Issue?

HP printer users all over the globe have at least once in their life typed “My HP printer is offline. What to do?” in the Google search bar to find the solutions for the offline status issues with the printer. These offline problems do not allow to print any document. There are many methods to get out of this situation and bring the HP printer from offline to online mode again. The HP printer offline error on Windows 10 or Mac can occur due to various reasons such as paper jams, cartridge problems, network connection problems, etc. You just need to follow the steps mentioned in the solutions below and the issue will be resolved within a matter of a few minutes.

Now, let’s fix the issue of the HP printer says offline.

Fix 1: Check Ink Cartridge and Paper Jam Issues

In the first HP printer offline fix, you have to check whether or not any issues are arising with the ink cartridges. In addition, you also need to remove any paper jam problems. To check the same, your printer should be working. When it is on, you have to inspect that no cables are loosely plugged in and the paper tray is also loaded with the right kind of paper.

After this, you have to inspect the various parts of your HP printer to ensure that no jammed paper is found. After inspecting the same, you can check the levels of ink in the HP printer’s cartridge. 

The additional steps for this measure can be found as follows:

Step 1 – Turn on your HP printer and ensure it has been properly plugged

Step 2 – Check for all loose cables and reconnect them properly for better connectivity.

Step 3 – Now, ensure that the printer has the  right stock of papers in the tray. Add more papers if necessary.

Step 4 – Look inside the printer to identify any paper jams. Clear the paper jam if you find any.

Step 5 – Open the printer and check the ink cartridge levels. Or, check your printer’s software to identify low ink warnings. Press ‘OK’ to dismiss low ink warnings and get your printer back online.

Step 6 – Also, make sure that the computer trying to access your HP printer is on the same network as the printer.

This way, the HP printer showing offline problem will be fixed if it was due to any cartridge or paper jam issue. 

This should help resolve the issue. If you still face the issue. Contact the Support team on @ USA/Canada +1-866-496-0452 & UK +44 2896 002856 OR follow Solution 2.

Fix 2: Check the Cables and Connections

If everything seems to be fine with the cartridges and papers in the printer, then the cause of the HP printer offline issue may be within the cables or the connections. Thus, another way to learn how to fix the HP printer offline error is by ensuring that the cables and connections are not faulty. 

To help you in ensuring this, we have crafted 3 tips. These have been mentioned as follows:

Step 1 – The network connection is established properly between the printer and the system.

Step 2 – All the USB cables are connected properly at both ends.

Step 3 – If your printer is wireless, then make sure that the internet and router are working properly.

If the problem is still there, move towards solution 3 i.e reset your HP printer. The steps to do so are mentioned below in detail. 

Fix 3: Use the HP Print and Scan Doctor

If your HP printer is always offline, then you need to use expert tools to mend the issue. The HP Print and Scan Doctor tool has been formulated for dealing with errors of such kinds. You can use your browser to find and download this tool on your system. Now, when you run its file, you will find a button stating Start. Press the button and then opt for the model of your HP printer. For beginning the process to repair the issue, you can click on the Fix Printing Ink option.

The steps to use the HP print and scan doctor are as follows:

Step 1 – Firstly, you need to download and install the “HP Print and Scan Doctor” program.

Step 2 – Now, run the downloaded “.exe” file.

Step 3 – Launch the “HP Print and Scan Doctor” and then make a click on the “Start” button.

Step 4 – Select your HP printer model from the available list.

Step 5 – In the end, use the “Fix printing link” to initiate the repairing process.

The aforementioned solution should fix the HP printer offline issue after the repairing process is over.

Fix 4: Set the Printer Manually to Online Mode 

Are you facing a situation wherein your HP printer keeps going offline? You can manually set your HP printer to the online mode if it keeps going offline again and again by following the below-mentioned steps.

These steps will guide you in setting the online mode on your printer via the manual approach. To do that, you can launch the Control Panel. Now, make a selection for Devices and Printers. Here, you have to find See What’s Printing and choose your HP device. After this, you will see an option stating Use Printer Online. This option will help you in setting up the mode all by yourself.

Step 1 – Firstly, click on the “Start” button.

Step 2 – Now click on the “Control panel”.

Step 3 – Select the option of “Devices and Printers”.

Step 4 – Right-click on the question section and then choose the “See what’s printing” option.

Step 5 – Select “Printer” from the top section of the page.

Step 6 – In the end, click on the “Use Printer Online” option from the available menu.

This is how you can set your HP printer to online mode through the manual steps. 

Fix 5: Deactivate the Automated Offline Commands   

In certain instances, the automated offline commands were found to be active. As they were deactivated, the error message “HP Printer Says Offline” was not seen. For deactivating such commands, please open the Start Menu on your Windows system. Then select the Control Panel and find Devices and Printers. You will come across an option informing See What’s Printing. Use this option for pausing the print jobs or for using your device offline.

Step 1 – Click on the start menu.

Step 2 – Find and click on the “Control panel” option.

Step 3 – Select the “Devices and Printers” option.

Step 4 – Click on your HP printer’s icon.

Step 5 – Now click on the “See what’s printing” option.

Step 6 – Find and click on the “Printer” icon on the next page

Step 7 – Click on the “Pause printing” or “Use HP printer offline” option to remove any checkmarks.

Now, the HP printer offline issue must be resolved and you will be able to print documents without any problem.

If the HP printer says offline still prevails, you can try the last possible solution of updating the firmware version.

Fix 6: Update the Firmware Version   

In case the problem is seen even now, you must update the firmware version as the HP printer offline issue may occur due to the outdated firmware version. It is also advised to update your HP printer’s firmware version from time to time as the updated firmware fixes any previous issues or problems.

Fix 7: Check Status of Windows Services and Printer Port

In case your HP printer has a WSD Port, you should verify the Windows Function Discovery Services’ status. Then you can include an IP or TCP port as per the need. This can be done via the View Devices and Printers option in the Control Panel. You can launch the Properties of your HP printer for finding the Ports option.

Below, we have explained more about how to fix the HP printer offline error by checking the status of the Windows services as well as the printer port.

• Open “Control Panel”.
• Choose “View Devices and Printers”
• Right-tap on the device you own. Then click on “Printer Properties”.
• Now, go to “Ports”.
• Verify whether or not the “WSD Port” is being used. If yes, then find “Services”.
• Using the “Services List”, open “Function Discovery Provider Host” as well as “Function Discovery Resource Publication”.
• Verify the “Status”
• Now, check the “Startup Type”.

Note: Your PC’s firewall or antivirus may disable these services. You can connect with IT support to check for this policy.

• In case the “Startup Type” shows “Automatic” and the “Status” says “Running”, go to “Devices and Printers”.

Note: If you find that the “Status” shows nothing and the “Startup Type” shows “Manual”, then right-tap and head to “Properties”. Make the necessary changes and press “Ok”.

• Tap “F5”.
• Choose your device’s name for seeing its status.
• If the printer is active, then you don’t have to continue with the remaining steps. In case it isn’t active, a “Network Configuration Report” has to be printed by visiting the “Wireless Menu” or “Settings”.
• Right-tap on the device and pick “Properties”.
• Visit “Ports”.
• Choose “Add Port”.
• Click on “Standard TCP”/”IP Port”.
• Press “New Port”.
• Read the prompts suggested by the “Network Configuration Report” to continue.

Note: You can consider a “Host Name” while adding a port. In the “DHCP Network”, your device’s “IP Address” can be changed.

• Switch back to “Devices and Printers”.
• Tap “F5”.
• Click on the name of the printer for seeing its status. Your device won’t be offline any longer.

Fix 8: Manually Prepare IP Connection

To get around a situation in which your printer says offline on HP, you should consider setting up the IP connection. To manually do it, connect your device to the router. Print the page carrying the information of network configuration. After checking the status of your device on this page, you have to locate the Subnet Mask, IP Address, and the Default Gateway. This will be accompanied by choosing IPv4.

To know the additional steps for manually setting up the IP connection for your HP printer, please read here.

• Ensure that your printing device is connected to the router.
• A “Network Configuration Page” has to be printed via the “Control Panel” of your device in case the menu display is provided. You can enter the “Network Setup Menu” or “Network Settings” for printing it.

Note: In case the menu display isn’t found, press “Cancel” till the time the report gets printed. Alternatively, you can visit “HP Customer Support”, enter the device’s model, and then find “Printing Self-Test Pages”.

• Check the status of the network for the wireless or wired connection type by going through the “Network Configuration Page”.
• When the status shows “Connected”, locate the following:
  • “Subnet Mask”
  • “IP Address”
  • “Default Gateway” based on the type of the connection

Note: In case the status says something else, open “Connecting to a Wireless HP Printer”. Use the directions shown here for connecting your device to the network.

• In case “IPv6” and “IPv4” are found, select “IPv4”.
• Now, the “EWS” or “Embedded Web Server’s” URL has to be found. It can be more than one. 
• Go to a system that has a connection with the network.
• Run the browser.
• Enter the “URL” here.
• Hit “Enter”.
• The “EWS” should get displayed. If not, then change the browser.
• Select “Networking”/”Network” in “EWS”.
• Choose “Wired Menu”/”Wireless Menu”.
• Based on the network, choose “IPv4 Configuration”.
• Click on “Manual IP”.
• Opt for “Suggest a Manual IP Address”.
• Check that the following information matches with that on the “Network Configuration Page”.
  • “Subnet Mask”
  • “IP Address”
  • “Default Gateway”

Note: If “Suggest a Manual IP Address’ isn’t seen, you can manually write “Subnet Mask”, “IP Address”, and “Default Gateway”. You can also save your IP address somewhere for using it when required.

• Press “Apply”
• Give some time for the changes to be made.
• Open “Devices and Printers”.
• Tap “F5”. 
• Select your device’s name. Then check its status. 

Fix 9: Connect Your System to TCP or IP Port

In the case of Windows and network, this fix can be applied to get your HP printer offline to online. For connecting your system to either a TCP or IP port, you can access Printers & Scanners. After picking your printer’s model, you can open Manage. Here, you have to view the Printer Properties and enter Ports. Using this tab, a port can be added. You can choose either an IP port or a Standard TCP port.

• Locate “Printers & Scanners” on your computer.
• Find your device’s name and choose “Manage”.
• Open “Printer Properties”.
• Visit the tab of “Ports”.
• Opt for “Add Port”.
• Click on “Standard TCP”/”IP Port”
• Tap on “New Port”.
• Input the “IP Address” of your device.
• Press “Next”.
• Choose either the “Standard TCP Port” or the “IP Port”.
• Press “Ok”.
• Now, opt for printing any document.

Fix 10: Check for Wi-Fi, USB, and Wired Connection

When your HP printer is always offline, connections to it must be checked. These connections can be inclusive of the Wi-Fi connection, USB connection, and wired connection. Any problems with these should be instantly resolved. In case these connections seem to be fine, you can try out the next measure.

Fix 11: Update HP Printer Driver

For queries reporting that the HP OfficeJet Printer says offline, please ensure whether or not the drivers for the same have been updated. In case the updates need to be installed, you can find the Device Manager and hover to the section of Printers. After finding your HP device, you can choose the Update Driver option by right-clicking on it. Then you can auto-search the drivers.

You can also run through the 6 steps mentioned here:

• Look for the “Device Manager” on your Windows PC. Then open it.
• The section of “Printers” has to be expanded.
• Find the model of your device. Right-tap on the same and pick “Update Driver”.
• Click on “Search Automatically”.
• Allow the drivers for your printer to be updated.
• Now, start over your Windows PC.

Note: In case you want to install the driver once again, open the “Control Panel”. Choose “Remove Programs”. Remove the current driver for your device. Now, open the site of HP and download the recent printer drivers. Lastly, install them.

Fix 12: Check the Settings of Printer Spooler

While complaining that your HP printer goes offline all the time, check that the printer spooler hasn’t been stopped. To check the same, you can write services.msc in Run and open the Print Spooler service. By right-clicking on this option, you can stop it. Now, you have to remove the printing queue. Once that has been done, you have to restart the service of the printer spooler.

• Go to “Run”.
• Input “Services.msc” in “Run”.
• Hit “Ok”.
• Look for “Print Spooler”. Right-tap on this option and choose “Stop”.
• In the “Windows File Explorer’s” address bar, write “C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Printer”.
• Now, tap on “Ok”.
• From the printer folder, remove your files. This action will delete the print queue.
• Open the “Print Spooler” again. Right-tap and press “Start”. Doing so will start this service.
• In the final step, your system has to be restarted.

How Do I Fix the Issue of HP Printer Offline on Mac?

You can learn how to change the offline status of the HP printer on Mac by resetting the device and reinstalling it. Along with that, you can make use of the HP Smart Diagnose & Fix feature. In case the issue arises even then, you can remove your printer and add it one more time.

Additional information with respect to these fixes can be found as follows:

Fix :1 Reset and Reinstall to Fix HP Printer Offline on Mac 

If you are using your HP printer on your Mac computer and the offline error is seen, you can reset your printing device. Followed by this, you can reinstall your HP printer on your Apple computer. To do so, you can open the Menu on your system and opt for System Preferences. Here, you can first visit Hardware and then click on Print & Scan. Gradually, you can move to the option of Reset Printing System. After resetting your HP printer, it has to be installed again on your Mac. 

For additional guidance, you can perform these steps to resolve the offline error on your HP printer.

Step 1 – Go to the menu of your Mac device and then select the option of ‘System Preferences’.

Step 2 – Open ‘Print & Scan’ in the Hardware section.

Step 3 – Now press ‘Control’ and simultaneously click on the printer list.

Step 4 – Now click the ‘Reset Printing System’ from the pop-up menu.

Step 5 – Connect your printer to the network via a USB or Ethernet cable. For direct connections, connect a USB cable directly from your printer to your computer.

Step 6 – Now click the Apple menu and click ‘Software Update…’ to install all the latest updates for your computer.

Step 7 – Select the Apple menu and click ‘System Preferences…’ from the drop-down menu.

Step 8 – Open ‘Print & Scan.’

Step 9 – Select the ‘+’ button or click the Lock button first and enter your username and password.

Step 10 – Click ‘Add Printer or Scanner’ from the list of options.

Step 11 – Select your printer from the list and click “Add.”

Mac OS will download and install the latest software and drivers for your printer to fix the HP printer offline Mac issue.

Mac OS will download and install the latest software and drivers for your printer to fix the HP printer offline issue. You can wait till the time this process is running. 

Related Topic: How to Connect HP Printer to Mac

Fix 2: Utilize HP Smart Diagnose & Fix on Mac

The HP Smart Diagnose & Fix is a feature that can remove connection problems. It can be found on Mac computers with macOS 10.13 or a later one. So, when your HP printer says it’s offline on Mac, connection problems may be behind this state. By running this app, you can remove the issue. In this application, you will find the option of Printers. Select it and then opt for Diagnose & Fix. Now, click on the Start button to initiate the analysis.

• Run the “HP Smart App” on Mac. Or you can download the app from the Mac App Store and then run it.
• Select “Printers”.
• Choose “Diagnose & Fix”.
• Now, press “Start”.
• The analysis can take some time to finish. You will be required to make no interruptions to it.
• When the screen of diagnosis is seen, the results can be checked. You can either press “Done” or choose “Test Print”.

Fix 3: Remove Your HP Printer and Add it Again on Mac

For Mac users, the next fix for removing the offline status of the HP printers is about removing this printing device and then adding it again. You can make use of the Apple icon for visiting the System Preferences. Now, choose Printers & Scanners as well as Print and Scan. Then go to the section of Print and Fax. You can remove your HP printer by highlighting it. Later, you have to add it one more time to fix the HP printer status offline on your Mac

• Press the icon of “Apple”.
• Opt for “System Preferences”.
• Choose “Printers & Scanners”.
• Then click on “Print and Scan”.
• Now, select “Print and Fax”.
• The printer which has to be removed has to be highlighted.
• Press the “Minus” symbol. 
• Select the “Delete Printer” option.
• Then tap the “Plus” symbol.
• You will find your device in the list. Choose it.
• Select either “Print Using” or “Use”.
• Click on “AirPrint” via the dropdown option.
• Finally, press “Add”.

What is the Fix for HP Printer Keeps Going Offline Windows 7/8 Issue?

For the problem of the HP network printer offline on Windows 7 and Windows 8, we advise you to check whether the device has been chosen as the default one for printing your documents. In case it has not been chosen as the default printing device, you may find its status to be offline.

For performing this fix on these Windows versions, you can go through the following subsection.

Fix 1: Set Your Printer as Default on Windows 7 and Windows 8

It should be thought that when your HP printer says offline on Windows 8 and Windows 7, the device may not have been set to default. Thus, you may be unable to use it offline. The fix for this will be to set your device as the default one on Windows 7 and 8. To do so, you can move to Devices and Printers and find your printing device. You can right-tap on it and pick the option for setting it to default.

• Go to “Devices and Printers” on your Windows 8/7 PC.
• Find the HP printer which seems to be active.
• Right-click on the active device and opt for “Set as Default Printer”.
• Now, start a print job.
• If your printer is able to print, then the HP printer offline error will have been eradicated.

How to Fix the Error of HP Printer Offline on Windows 10?

While using your HP printer, if its status displays it to be offline on Windows 10, you can initially reset and reinstall the device. You can check for the problem then. If it persists, then you can opt for manually setting it as your default printer. This should definitely help in changing its status from offline to online.

To administer these HP printer offline fixes on Windows 10, you can read the following parts of this post.

Fix 1: Resetting and Reinstalling HP Printer on Windows 10

The users of Windows 10 can first open Run and then proceed to the Device Manager through it. You have to right-tap on your printing device and choose the option of uninstalling it. After this, you can move to the section of Devices and Printers. Here, you have to pick Add a Printer for adding it again to your laptop. At a later point, the drivers for the HP printer can be reinstalled.

• Firstly, press and hold the “Windows” button along with the “R” key to access the “Run” window. 
• Type in “devmgmt.msc” in the Run dialog box and then hit “Enter”.
• Now, right-click on the printer in the “Device Manager” window.
• Again, right-click on the “HP Printer” and then click on the “Uninstall” option from the available options.
• Navigate to the “Devices and Printers” option and then click on the “Add a Printer” button.  
• Add the HP printer driver again on your Windows 10 system. 
• In the end, you need to reboot your system and check if the HP printer offline issue has been resolved or not.

Fix 2: Manually Set Default Printer on Windows 10

In some instances, the HP printer keeps going offline especially when it is being used along with a Windows 10 system. As the experts would advise, you should manually set the default printer. On your Windows 10 PC, you can find your device and then visit Printers & Scanners. Here, you have to verify that the option of Let Windows Manage My Default Printer has not been chosen. Once verified, you have to pick your device’s name and go to Manage. Now, you will be able to set it as the default device. 

• Find your device on your system.
• Choose “Printers & Scanners”.
• Deselect “Let Windows Manage My Default Printer”.
• Opt for the name of your device.
• Now, select “Manage”.

Note: In case you can find more than one device, choose that printer whose status mentions “Online” or “Idle”.

• Below the option of “Manage Your Device”, you have to choose “Set as Default”.
• Now, give a print command to test whether the HP printer showing offline status has been fixed.

What to Do When My HP Envy 4500 Printer is Offline on Windows 10?

HP Envy 4500 Printer can show its status to be offline when the offline mode has been selected. To troubleshoot this problem on Windows 10, you can disable the Use Printer Offline mode. This mode can be located by visiting the section of Devices and Printers on your Windows 10 computer or laptop.

For gathering more information about this fix, let’s go through the upcoming section.

Fix 1: Disable “Use Printer Offline” Option

For fixing the HP Envy Printer offline on this model, we will suggest you to disable the offline mode in case it is on. In Devices and Printers, you should find the icon of your HP Envy 4500 Printer. Right-clicking on the same will bring up the option of See What’s Printed. Here, you can ensure that the Use Printer Offline option has not been selected. 

To know more steps of this measure, please scroll down:

• On your Windows 10 PC, click on “Start”.
• Open “Devices and Printers”. 
• Now, right-tap on your printer’s icon.
• Select “See What’s Printed”.
• Untick “Use Printer Offline”.
• Now, wait for your HP Envy 4500 Printer to get back online.
• In case the status of your device is still offline, plug it out and remove its connection from your computer.
• After a while, plug it in as well as connect it to your system.
• Start your printer.
• Now, restart your Windows 10 computer or laptop.

How do I Stop my HP Printer from Going Offline?

To assist you in finding out how to fix an offline printer on HP, we have made a helpful video. The video will take you through certain directions. As you keep following them, you will be able to bring back your HP printer from offline to online.

Models Compatible with HP Printer Offline Fixes

The fixes presented in this reading can be used for repairing the offline status error on the following HP printer models:

HP C7200 Printer	HP Envy 7640 Printer	HP Officejet Series Printer	HP Photosmart C4700 Series Printer
HP Envy 4500 Printer	HP 2600 Printer	HP OfficeJet Pro 6830 Printer	HP OfficeJet 6600 Printer
HP OfficeJet 4500 G510N Z Printer	HP Envy 5532 Printer	HP Envy 5530 Printer	HP DeskJet 3940 Printer
HP DeskJet 3755 Printer	HP 5200 Printer	HP 4500 Printer	HP PhotoSmart D110 Series Printer
HP Officejet Pro 8600	HP Deskjet 2541 Printer

Still Need Help? Call Expert @ USA/Canada +1-866-496-0452 & UK +44 2896 002856

In Summary

HP printers can show the offline message usually due to the communication issues faced by them. For removing these communication problems, we provided you with enough information. This information helped you understand the causes behind your HP printer’s offline status. In addition, you got to learn the best fixes for troubleshooting this HP printer error. Hopefully, you were able to repair the communication errors between your system and your HP printer. Its status would have been changed from offline to online by now.

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See what more we have for you to read. Our posts on HP printer printing blank pages and HP printer paper jam error will improve your knowledge. Click here to read.