Printers have a special talent for breaking at the worst possible moment. One minute they're fine, the next they're offline, flashing mysterious lights, or simply pretending not to exist. You're not alone — printer problems are one of the most common things I help people fix. Here's a proper guide to sorting it out.
Step 1: Turn It Off and On Again (Seriously)
I know, I know. But it works. Turn the printer off completely, unplug it from the wall for 30 seconds, plug it back in and turn it on. Also restart your computer while you're at it. This fixes more printer problems than anything else.
Step 2: Check It's Connected to the Right Wi-Fi
Wireless printers connect to your Wi-Fi network. If your router has been restarted recently, or you've changed your Wi-Fi password, the printer may have lost its connection.
What to do: Check the printer's own screen or settings to confirm it's connected to your Wi-Fi. Most printers have a wireless setup wizard to reconnect.
Step 3: Make Sure It's Set as the Default Printer
Windows sometimes switches to a different default printer — like "Microsoft Print to PDF" — without telling you. You then try to print and nothing comes out of the actual printer.
What to do: Go to Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners, find your printer and set it as default.
Step 4: Clear the Print Queue
Sometimes old print jobs get stuck in the queue and block everything else from printing. This is more common than you'd think.
What to do: Go to Settings → Printers & scanners → click your printer → Open print queue → cancel all documents. Then try printing again.
Step 5: Reinstall the Printer Driver
If nothing else works, the printer driver (the software that lets your computer talk to the printer) may be corrupted or out of date.
What to do: Go to the manufacturer's website (HP, Canon, Epson, Brother etc.), search for your printer model and download the latest driver. Uninstall the old one first from Settings → Apps.
Still Not Working?
Printer issues can sometimes be caused by deeper software conflicts or network configuration problems. My Printer and Email Support service covers exactly this — I'll diagnose and fix the problem remotely without you needing to struggle through it alone.
Or 👉 get in touch at bytova.co.uk and I'll get it sorted.