If you are facing printer issues on Windows 10 and on your Mac system, then you have landed in the right place! Printer problems are common for everyone. Fortunately, many of them can be fixed easily if proper guidance and knowledge are available. Therefore, in this blog, to help our printer users, we have explained how to fix common printer issues on Windows 10 and Mac.
Let’s first learn how to fix printing problems on Windows 10.
Solve Printing Problems on Windows 10
In addition to paper jams, slow printing, and cartridge issues, there are some more common issues like printer connected but not printing Windows 10, my printer stopped working after the Windows 10 update, and so on. If you are a Windows user and want to learn specific solutions for such technical issues, read this blog completely.
Here are some common printer problems on Windows 10 and their solutions.
Solved: Printer Stopped Working After Windows 10 Update
This issue is not hard to fix, but you need to follow some fixes to resolve the problem completely. We are explaining five methods that have helped many users troubleshoot printer stopped working after the Windows 10 update. Try them all one-by-one until the issue is fixed.
Power cycle your printer
One of the most common printer issues tricks to fix any technical glitch with different devices is power cycling. Here’s how to power cycle your printer:
- First, turn off the printer and unplug it from the power switch.
- Then, wait for about 30 seconds.
- Now, plug your printer back into power and turn it on.
- Check, if your printer is working fine. If not, go to the next fix.
Ensure your printer is connected
Always ensure your printer is properly connected with your Windows system, otherwise, you will end up with a printer not printing issue. Check thoroughly all the cables and make sure all of them are well connected. And if this doesn’t resolve your problem, method 3 is waiting for you!
Update your printer drivers
It might be possible that the printer not printing after the Windows update is probably due to using the wrong printer driver or an outdated driver. So, users should consider updating their printer driver more frequently.
You can also use various tools and software to update the driver automatically. These programs recognize your system, find the correct version of all drivers that are missing, and automatically download and install them for you.
If this fix resolves your issue, its great! And if not, jump to the next method.
Reset the print spooler
A print spooler is a software program on Windows that manages the print jobs being sent to the printer. Resetting the spooler service can fix your problem instantly.
Here’s how to do it:
- Press “Windows + R” to open the Run window.
- Then, type services.msc and press “Enter.”
- Proceed further and right-click on the printer spooler service and choose “Stop” to disable the spooler service.
- Top on “Windows” and “E” keys at the same time to open File Explorer.
- Here, type %WINDIR%\system32\spool\printers in the address bar and tap “Enter.”
- Now, select “All files” and click on “Delete” to clear them.
- Go back to the services window and right-click the “Print Spooler” service.
- Then, tap on “Start”, then “Startup Type.”
- Select “Automatic” and click “Ok” to apply the changes.
Check to see if the problem is fixed. Finally, you can run Windows Troubleshooter if all the above methods don’t work for you.
Run Windows Troubleshooter
Windows has designed several troubleshooters to detect hardware components on your computer and solve the issues for you. Learn how to run the hp printer troubleshooting to detect the problem quickly and sort it out.
Steps to run the printer troubleshooter:
- Press “Windows” and “Logo Key” simultaneously and type “Troubleshoot.”
- As a search result, click on “Troubleshoot Settings.”
- In the troubleshooting window, go to “Get up and running”, then click on “Printer.”
- Now, click on “Run the Troubleshooter.”
- Wait till Windows will diagnose the problem.
- If errors found, follow the on-screen prompts and apply all fixes that it recommends.
If you didn’t find the above methods useful, you can contact the support team. We can take the responsibility to fix your printing issues on your behalf.
Solved: Printer Connected but Not Printing Windows 10
If your printer is connected to your Windows 10 computer but is refusing to give prints, you probably need straightforward solutions to get your printer working again. Fortunately, you can fix this quickly by running the printer troubleshooter and uninstalling and reinstalling your printer.
Here are few methods to fix printer connected but not printing on Windows 10 problem:
Reinstall your printer
Here are the steps to reinstall your printer to fix the printer connection problem:
- Press the “Windows” key, type “Control,” and click “Ok.”
- Select “View Devices and Printers” under “Hardware and Sound.”
- Then, right-click your printer, select “Remove Device,” and follow onscreen instructions to finish the process.
- Now, navigate to the “Control Panel”, click on “Uninstall a Program” under programs.
- Right-click your printer software and select “Uninstall.”
- Finally, follow the on-screen prompts and reinstall your printer.
If it doesn’t fix your problem, go to next fix.
Update printer drivers
Use of outdated printer drivers is the most common printer issues connection problems on Windows 10. Updating them to their latest version is the ultimate solution to fixing this issue.
Here’s how you can update your printer drivers:
- First, press the “Windows” and “X” keys simultaneously.
- Here, select “Device Manager.”
- Double-click on “Print Queue” to open it.
- Then right-click on the printer and select “Update Driver.”
- Finally, select “Search automatically for drivers” and install the appropriate one.
Run the printing troubleshooter
Here’s how you can run the printing troubleshooter:
- Press the “Windows” + “I” keys and select “Update and Security.”
- On the left pane, select “Troubleshoot” and click on “Additional Troubleshooters.”
- At last, select “Printers” and click on “Run the Troubleshooter.”
The printer troubleshooter can fix this problem quickly and effectively. But if not, jump on to the next options
Clear printer spooler files
Clear the spooler files and restart the spooler service by pressing the “Windows” and “R” keys. Then, type services.msc and then %WINDIR%\system32\spool\printers. Delete all the contents of the printers’ folder and apply. This will clear all the spool files and may resolve the issue.
Disable print in the background
Disabling the previous print commands may fix the printer not printing issue with your Windows 10 computer. Here’s how you can do it:
- At first, open a Word document.
- Click on the “File” menu and select “Options.”
- Now, click “Advanced” and uncheck the “Print in Background” option to disable it.
- Finally, try printing again.
Print in clean boot mode
Steps to print in clean boot mode:
- Press the “Windows” + “R” key.
- Type msconfig and tap on the “OK” button.
- Select the “Services” button at the top.
- Check the Hide all Microsoft services box, and click “Disable all.”
- Now, go to the “Startup” tab and click “Open Task Manager.”
- Next, right-click on each app and select “Disable.”
- At last, go to system configuration window and tap the “Ok” button to apply changes.
We hope this basic troubleshooting will help you a lot. If you need more information on printing problems with Windows 10, please give us a call on our toll-free number to contact professionals in this field.
Fix Printing Problems and Errors on Mac
Mac users may encounter common printer issues due to unavoidable reasons; therefore, it is important to understand the nature of printer general problems and their solutions to keep your printing experience a cakewalk. Before heading towards printer troubleshooting, be sure your printer is connected to your Mac with all the cables firmly attached, both the printer and Mac are on the same network, and you are using the compatible Mac OS version.
If all the above is on track, and you are still facing issues and want to know how to fix common printing problems on Mac, these troubleshooting tips are just for you!
Solved: My Printer Working Fine but Just Isn’t Appearing on Mac
If your printer doesn’t appear in the list of available printers on your Mac, it is possible that it may be turned off, other users may have stopped sharing it, your Mac may be on a different network, or the user’s Mac may be offline. Therefore, you need to add printers again to create a new printer queue.
Walk through these steps to add a printer to your Mac:
- Choose the “Apple” menu and then “System Settings.”
- Now, click on “Printers & Scanners” in the sidebar.
- Click “Add Printer” to add the printer to your list of available printers on the right.
- A dialogue box will appear with a printer list on your local network.
- Wait a minute or two to get your printer to appear on your Mac.
We hope your issue will be resolved by using this method. If your printer still doesn’t appear in the list, you can try to add it by using its IP address. Take an expert’s help for more help.
Solved: Mac is Unable to Communicate with Your Printer
Is your printer having trouble connecting to your Mac? If your printer suddenly behaves erratically and becomes inoperable, you should take the following steps to solve my Mac is unable to communicate with my printer:
Check for Cables and Connection
Before starting to print, always ensure that the cables are plugged into your Mac and are firmly connected to your printer. The best way to troubleshoot any connection issue is to disconnect all cables between the printer and Mac computer, then reconnect, making sure that the connections are tight.
Examine Printer Drivers or Software Installed on Mac OS
In order to stay up-to-date on all Mac software, it is recommended to use software update to find and install any updated software that may affect your printer. In case of a missing hp printer drivers download a copy of the driver from the Mac OS downloads page or check the printer manufacturer’s website and install it by following the on-screen prompts.
Check for Network Issues
If the file sharing options are off, your printer can’t communicate with your Mac. Select “System Preferences” from the Apple Menu > “Network” icon > “Advanced” > “Apple Talk.” Thereafter, verify that AppleTalk is active.
Delete Print Queue Jobs
If you are giving the print command and have been unsuccessful, you may have several jobs in the print queue. Therefore, you should clear print job queues immediately. For this, click on the job name in the queue and tap to delete the file. Again, delete the printer itself by tapping on “System Preferences”, then “Print & Fax.” Now, it’s time to re-add your printer by selecting the “+” sign to add a printer.
If the printer problem still persists, delete the printer and add it again. Need an expert’s help with printing problems on a Mac? Don’t wait; contact our support team.
Get the Best Technical Assistance 24*7
Despite the advances in technology, printer problems are still unavoidable. Hence, printing issues can be frustrating and sometimes need immediate troubleshooting. We hope that we have answered some of your printer problems here. If you are encountering any common printer issues with your Windows 10 or Mac devices, feel free to tell us via the comment section below or call us at the 123 Printer Support Toll-Free Number in the USA. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.