Wireless printers are no less than a blessing in the world of printing. You can sit on your sofa and print the document without getting up. It sounds easy right?
But is not.
Actually, various issues may surprise you when you try to print wirelessly. You are in your room and the printer is in the next room, you may have network problems printing the document. There may be many other failures,
For example,
- The computer cannot find the wireless printer
- The wireless printer is not printing
- Cannot find the printer on the network
Etc.
Troubleshooting a wireless printer is not that easy and you need to inspect all the devices and settings involved in wireless printing. Also, it’s not just about a brand; even HP users are facing wireless printing issues.
Can’t find the printer on the network? Here’s how to troubleshoot wireless printing
To start with troubleshooting, you need to be sure exactly what problem you are facing so that you can simply choose the solution that you think will work for you from the list given below:
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General troubleshooting
Before you start loosening the screws on your printer or router; Let’s first check if your printer clears the basic level of troubleshooting:
- The printer must be turned on and have power.
- Check the toner and paper and printer glue. It may also happen that a print job is causing a problem transferring files from your device to the printer.
- Make sure the printer is connected to Wi-Fi and works perfectly fine.
- Be sure to keep the printer in a location where it will receive the best Wi-Fi signal. It shouldn’t be too far from the router.
- Check if the printer displays warning lights or error messages.
- Make sure the printer and the computer are connected to the same network, as this can also cause connectivity issues.
- If your printer is not connecting to Wi-Fi, it may be due to a recent browser update, operating system, security software, or firewalls. You can try resetting your security settings or reconnecting your device to the network.
- Restarting the devices such as a printer, router, and computer can resolve the fault as the problem can arise even when the devices are not connected properly.
Set printer as default
Setting the printer as default can fix the problem you are facing while connecting wirelessly with the computer.
- First of all, go to the ‘Start’ menu and open the ‘Control Panel’, select ‘Hardware and Sound’.
- Click on ‘Devices and Printers’, then right-click on your printer and choose the ‘Set as default printer’ option.
- Click ‘Yes’ or ‘OK’ to continue.
Use the Troubleshooter
If your network printer is not printing, you can run the printer troubleshooter as it will fix the problem at hand.
- Go to ‘Control Panel’ via the Start menu and then open the ‘Devices and Printers’ section.
- Right click on your printer icon and then click ‘Troubleshoot’. After this, the troubleshooter will start detecting and fixing the problems with your printer.
- Or you can even type ‘Printing problem’ in the start menu search box and then select ‘Run troubleshooter’ to download the printer troubleshooter. Then click ‘Open’ and follow the options provided further down the screen.
Update the firmware of the router
You can try upgrading the router’s firmware if you still can’t find the printer on the network. This will help fix bugs and connectivity issues. Also, if you have recently changed from Windows 10 to a different version, it may happen that the system cannot find the wireless printer in Windows 10. To fix this, you can update the firmware to eliminate the connection interruption.
Update router settings
This will help if you recently replaced your router. Reconfigure your computer and printer to reconnect it to your network. This is because the new router may have a different ISP address, so it may require reconfiguring, adjusting or configuring the router, etc.
disable vpn
If your device is connected to a VPN to securely connect to a network, then you may face a blockage in wireless printing through your printer. This is for security reasons, so please disable the VPN connection and get back to flawless wireless printing.
Firewall Settings
A firewall’s main job is to block malware attacks, but sometimes it also blocks network settings that are required for printing. It depends on the firewall settings whether it will allow you to see your printer over the local network. Also, make sure your software is up to date and that you don’t have multiple firewalls running while printing.
Reinstall the printer driver and software
This will most likely help you as it will install the new and latest version of your printer driver:
- Click ‘Programs’ after opening ‘Control Panel’.
- In the ‘Programs and Features’ section, click ‘Uninstall a program’.
- Then click on your printer name and press ‘Yes’ to confirm the uninstall.
- Now turn on your printer and visit the manufacturer’s website for the correct instructions to download and install the driver and software. After this, establish the printer connection and try to print again.
- Alternatively, you can reinstall the drivers using the ‘Windows Update’ section. If a driver update is available, it will install it automatically.
Uninstall and reinstall the printer
Reinstalling the printer after completely uninstalling it can also help fix the connection problem. Follow these steps to remove and reinstall it:
- Click Start > Settings > Devices and then click ‘Printers and Scanners’. Find your printer, click on it and select the ‘Remove device’ option.
- To reinstall the printer, click Start > Settings > Devices > Printers and scanners, and then click ‘Add a printer or scanner’.
- Next, select your printer from the list and hit ‘Add Device’.
Reset print queue
The spooler is responsible for managing the printing process and if the printer is connected but not printing then the spooler could be to blame. You must clear the print spooler files and reset them as follows:
- In the start menu search box, type ‘Services’ and click on it in the search results.
- Click on the ‘Standard’ tab and then double click on ‘Print Queue’.
- Press ‘Stop’ and then click ‘OK’.
- In the search box, type %WINDIR%system32spoolprinters and select %WINDIR%system32spoolPRINTERS from the results.
- Delete all the files in that folder and then go to services. Click the Standards tab and double-click Print Queue. Click Startup, in the Startup type box select Automatic and press ‘OK’.
What if the HP printer won’t connect to Wi-Fi?
HP printers are always in demand and if you can’t connect your printer to the network, you may not be able to take full advantage of wireless printing. So first of all, you need to know the correct way to set up an HP wireless printer on your computer. Also, for the model of printer you have, you must have downloaded and installed the correct set of HP printer drivers. Also, make sure the Wi-Fi you are connecting your printer to is working well and the signal strength is satisfactory.
Categories: Technology
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
