One of my most common calls is a printer that is not responding.

The usual story: after a weekend or a couple of days away from the office, you press print on a document and nothing happens.

You look to the printer for answers, but it just sits there glowing green, seemingly working.

This guide covers the most common causes of this exact problem and how to fix them. So let us figure this one out.

Most common: the Wi-Fi printer’s IP address changed

Your Wi-Fi router assigns every device an IP (Internet Protocol) address. Think of it like a home address. Your printer may live at 192.168.1.165. Your computer knows that address and keeps it stored for future use.

The problem comes when the router gives the printer a new address after a period of inactivity. These automatic addresses are only “leased” for a set amount of time, often a day to a few days depending on the router. If the printer sleeps through that window, or the router restarts (after a power outage, for example), it can come back at a different address, and your computer is still knocking on the old door.

So if you have not printed anything in a few days, or you have been away from the office for a long weekend, this is usually the culprit.

How do we get the printer reconnected?

On a Windows 10 or 11 computer:

  1. Click the search bar on the taskbar (bottom left on Windows 10, next to the Start button on Windows 11) and type “printers”. The first option should be Printers & scanners.
  2. Open Printers & scanners.
  3. Click Add a printer or scanner (on Windows 11, the button says Add device).
  4. Oftentimes the computer will find your printer automatically. Click the printer you would like to reconnect.
  5. Give it a minute to set up. When it finishes, try printing a document of your choice.

When you print, make sure to select the printer you just re-added from the printer drop-down.

How do I stop my computer from losing the printer next time?

Earlier we talked about automatic IP addresses. To keep this from happening again, we need to tell either the printer or the router to stop handing out an automatic address and give the printer a static (permanent) IP address instead.

Option one: the printer’s control panel. The easiest way is usually the screen on the printer itself. Look for the Network, Network Config, or IPv4 settings and change it from Automatic (DHCP) to Static or Manual.

It will ask for a static IP address. Use the same address the printer was given automatically. If it also asks for a subnet mask, gateway, or DNS server, copy those from the automatic settings too.

Option two: your internet provider’s app. If your router came from your internet service provider, their mobile app usually gives you access to these settings.

Sign in to your provider’s app (for example, Xfinity or Cox) and find your gateway, where you can see every connected device.

Find the printer in that list and tap it to open its settings. Look for an option to “reserve” its IP address. The wording is different for every device and plan, so I highly recommend a quick YouTube or Google search for your specific model.

For example: “how to set a static IP on Xfinity gateway”

Once the printer has a static or reserved IP address, it should stay online indefinitely. A router swap or settings change can still knock it offline, but for the most part, this keeps your printer online and happy.

Second most common: a corrupt printer driver

A driver is the software that lets your computer talk to your printer. One way to check whether yours is corrupt is Device Manager.

On a Windows 10 or 11 computer:

  1. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager from the list.
  2. In the window that opens, devices are grouped by type, for example Monitors, Print queues, Printers, and Storage controllers. Click the arrow next to a group to expand it.
  3. Look down the list for any cautionary symbols, like a small yellow triangle with an exclamation mark.

This can help confirm whether you have a corrupt driver.

Reinstalling the driver

  1. Go to the printer manufacturer’s support or “Drivers & Downloads” page:
  2. Search for your printer’s model, which is usually printed on the front or top of the printer.
  3. Download the driver installation package. I usually opt for the full package, since it includes all the scanning utilities as well.
  4. Run the downloaded package and follow the prompts. Pay extra attention when it asks how the printer is connected. Choose whether it connects with a USB cable, over your network (Wi-Fi or a wired Ethernet cable), or by a direct wireless connection (not recommended).
  5. When it finishes, you will usually get the option to print a test page. Print one to make sure everything works.

Clean up the mess

After all of this, you may end up with (or may already have) several duplicate printers and scanners in your list. Time for a cleanup.

  1. Search “printers” again from the taskbar and open Printers & scanners.
  2. Take note of any duplicates.
  3. Figure out which ones actually work and which one you would like to keep.
  4. Remove the ones that no longer work or are just duplicates.

Just be sure not to delete the one that works!

Still not printing?

If you have tried all of this and your printer still will not cooperate, I can help. Printers are one of my most common calls, and I can usually sort them out remotely or on-site anywhere in the Tucson area. See how remote support works, or contact me with your printer model and what it is doing.