My HP printer won’t print, duh! But it was printing half an hour ago! Why isn’t it printing now? If this is what comes to mind when your HP printer suddenly stops printing, this article is for you. Since it is obvious that you will immediately take action to fix this problem, however, the question is how you will do it.
Don’t worry like this Free HP Support Guide will help you troubleshoot your HP printer and get it fixed in no time. The guide compiles troubleshooting for HP wired and network printers. Be sure to follow the instructions correctly to avoid problems with your HP printer.
Procedure:
If the printer worked fine some time ago but not now, check the ink cartridges. If they have been emptied, fill or replace them. Also, take a soft cloth and clean the print head and system tray. Also check the paper tray. If it’s empty, reload a fresh stack of papers into it. When you are done, check again whether the printer has started printing or not.
If this does not fix the problem, check if the print spooler service is working or not. To check, click the Start button and search for Run. When in Run, type ‘services.msc’ in the Open field and click the OK button. This will take you to the Services window. Find Print Spooler, right click on it and select Restart. If prompted, confirm and restart your computer. Check again, the printer should print fine now.
If the problem persists, check whether the computer is printing to the correct paper tray or not. Open Printer Properties by right-clicking on the printer icon. Find the source of the tray selection. If it is set to the wrong paper tray, correct it. Close the properties window and go to the printer. Check if the paper sizes listed on the printer’s Control Panel match the actual size of the papers in the paper tray. If they don’t match what’s in Control Panel, resize them accordingly.
If your printer is a shared or network printer and it freezes when you try to print, try this method. Assign a static Internet Protocol (IP) address to your printer. You may need to contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to get the static IP address. Also make a note of the subnet mask and gateway. Once you have collected all the details, turn on your printer. Press the Configure button on your HP printer and then the 8, 3, 2, OK, 2 keys to configure the IP address, subnet mask, and gateway information. Enter all the information correctly. When you’re done, confirm the changes and restart your printer and computer. The printer should print fine now. The problem usually occurs when your HP printer assigns a new IP address every time it goes online using the DHCP service.
Additional tips:
Updating your HP printer drivers is another way to fix this problem. If you cannot resolve HP printer problems on your own, contact HP printer support or HP Technical Support Service.