Having your office printer stop responding to print requests can be extremely frustrating and put a stop to your employees’ productivity. If you’re experiencing this problem, try these troubleshooting tips before reaching out to your service provider for further support.
Determine If Multiple Computers Are Impacted
First, check to see if the printer is failing to communicate with just a single computer or with multiple computers in your office. If the issue seems to only be occurring for one employee, the odds are that the issue is related to that person’s computer. If multiple computers cannot communicate with the printer, then there’s a different issue. Try sending print requests from various computers to the same printer, and see if any of them come through. This will impact your troubleshooting methods moving forward.
If the Problem Is with 1 Computer
If your tests reveal the issue is only with a single computer, here are a few things you can try:
- Ensure the appropriate printer is selected on that computer. Sometimes, a default will accidentally get switched, and the employee may be sending the print request to a different printer.
- If the same printer is listed multiple times on the individual’s computer, remove them all and reinstall the printer to that computer.
- Ensure the computer is connected to Wi-Fi. The employee’s computer may be connected to wired internet and not notice that their Wi-Fi has been disabled, but the printer will likely rely on Wi-Fi to receive those print requests.
- If the computer is connected to a VPN, try disconnecting from it to see if this is interfering with printer communication.
If the Problem Is with Multiple Computers
If multiple computers cannot communicate with the printer, then there’s either a problem with the printer or a connectivity issue. Here are some key things you can do to fix this:
- Always check for error messages on your printer before trying other troubleshooting methods. Before trying the steps listed below, address error states (paper jams, low ink/toner, etc.).
- Power cycle the printer by turning it off, disconnecting the power cord, and waiting 30 seconds before reconnecting it. Once reconnected, turn the printer’s power back on and wait for it to fully boot up. Once it’s ready, try printing again.
- The issue could also be related to your router/modem, but you will likely notice other connectivity issues in this case. If you believe this is the problem, power cycle the router by disconnecting it, waiting 30 seconds, and reconnecting. Give it several minutes to reboot and establish a proper connection to devices, then try again.
If you continue to have issues with your copy printer in Fairbanks, AK, reach out to your service company for assistance.