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HP printers are very popular printing machines in the market. But they can also find errors many times. People often find their HP printer in an error state. This message means that your printer cannot connect to your system or device. The problem usually occurs when the printer is not paired correctly, has corrupt drivers, or is low on ink.
You can face this problem with HP printers of all models, such as HP OfficeJet, DeskJet, Envy, and LaserJet. This article sets out causes and step-by-step solutions to bring your HP printer out of the error state.
Why does your HP printer have an error status in Windows 10?
Your printer may enter an error state due to the following causes.
The printer status is set to offline.
The current printer is not the default.
Faulty or incompatible drivers
The print spool files are not clean.
Wi-Fi connection problems
Resolutions for when the HP printer is in an error state
You can perform various troubleshooting techniques when faced with this common printer problem.
Perform a hard reset
Make sure your printer is firmly connected to the wall outlet. After that, follow these steps to perform a hard reset.
Let the printing device stay on.
Unplug the power cord from the back of the printer.
Also, pull out the cord from the wall outlet.
Pull out the USB cable if you have one.
After about 3 minutes, hold down and press the power button on the printer.
Keep holding and pressing it for 30 seconds. It will exhaust the additional charge.
Now plug the cord back into the wall outlet.
Also, connect the cable to the printer.
Turn on the device.
Let the printer idle.
Reinstall the printer driver
Corrupted printer drivers are a common reason why users find their HP printer in an error state. You can reinstall the printer drivers in this case by following these steps.
Turn off your printer when you are uninstalling the drivers.
Go to the "Programs and Features" section of your Windows system.
Now go to "Device Manager".
Find your printer here and delete it.
Under "Devices and Printers", choose the printer and tap "Print Server Property".
Tap the "Drivers" tab in the popup that appears.
Now remove all HP printer drivers.
Remove all drivers in the Devices and Printers section and restart your PC.
After that, press Windows and R keys to open the Run box.
Here, enter %Temp%
Press "OK" to go to the temporary files folder.
Here, delete all the files.
Now from the "Logs" delete the printer. Use the 'Regedit' command for this purpose.
Start your PC again.
Now go to the official HP website and download the latest drivers.
Use HP Print and Scan Doctor
When your printer displays the error status message, you can use HP's troubleshooting utilities. One of the great tools is HP print and Scan Doctor. Download it from HP official website. If you are a Mac user, you must download Diagnose & Fix through the HP Smart app.
Once the tool is downloaded, follow these tips to resolve the HP printer error status.
HP Print And Scan Doctor or Diagnostics and Repair downloads to the specific location you specify on your system.
Open the utility and tap "Start".
Now select your printer.
If you can't see it, turn it on and tap "Retry".
The tool will give you instructions if there is a connection problem.
Now you can tap on "Fix Printing".
The test results will be displayed with different icons.
Follow the instructions if an X icon appears.
Check the printer connections
You must ensure that the physical connection between your HP printer and the system is proper. The printer cable must not be damaged. Print a wireless test report to verify if the printer is connected to the computer. Follow these steps to connect your HP printer to your laptop wirelessly and without cables.
Connect the printer to the system with the cable.
Link your printer via USB cable.
The computer will show that a new device is detected and download a driver.
If this process does not occur and you find that your HP printer is in an error state, go to “Settings” and tap “Devices.”
On the "Printers and Scanners" tab, click "Add a printer or scanner."
Tap your printer name and complete the installation.
Connect HP printer to computer wirelessly.
Go to "Wireless Settings" in your control panel.
Enter your Wi-Fi network password.
Open your system.
Tap the "Settings" button followed by "Devices."
Now, under “Printers and scanners”, choose the “Add a printer or scanner” option.
Tap the printer name and your system will complete the remaining settings.
Put the printer online.
An HP printer that is offline is likely to encounter the error status issue. Therefore, make sure it is not offline.
Navigate to the control panel.
Here, choose the “Devices and Printer” option.
Right-click your HP printer from the displayed list.
Uncheck "Use printer offline."
Set the printer as the default device for printing
Printer in an error state HP failure can also be resolved by setting the printer as the default device to accept print commands.
From your system control panel, go to "Devices and Printers."
From the printer list, choose your HP printer and right-click on it.
Now select “Set as default printer” from the drop-down menu.
When you see a green check mark next to the printer, it is set as default.
Make sure the print spooler service is running.
The print spooler service must be running and in "Automatic" mode to correct the error status.
In the Windows Search box, enter "Services.Msc."
In the "Services" window, look for the "Print Spooler" option.
Check if it says "Running".
Now, double tap on the “Print Spooler” service.
Find out if it is "automatic".
Otherwise, choose the automatic option.
Touch "Apply" to save the changes.
Now, from the “First Failure” option, navigate to the “Recovery” tab.
Choose the "Restart the service" option.
Tap "Apply" to save your settings.
You can face this problem with HP printers of all models, such as HP OfficeJet, DeskJet, Envy, and LaserJet. This article sets out causes and step-by-step solutions to bring your HP printer out of the error state.
Why does your HP printer have an error status in Windows 10?
Your printer may enter an error state due to the following causes.
The printer status is set to offline.
The current printer is not the default.
Faulty or incompatible drivers
The print spool files are not clean.
Wi-Fi connection problems
Resolutions for when the HP printer is in an error state
You can perform various troubleshooting techniques when faced with this common printer problem.
Perform a hard reset
Make sure your printer is firmly connected to the wall outlet. After that, follow these steps to perform a hard reset.
Let the printing device stay on.
Unplug the power cord from the back of the printer.
Also, pull out the cord from the wall outlet.
Pull out the USB cable if you have one.
After about 3 minutes, hold down and press the power button on the printer.
Keep holding and pressing it for 30 seconds. It will exhaust the additional charge.
Now plug the cord back into the wall outlet.
Also, connect the cable to the printer.
Turn on the device.
Let the printer idle.
Reinstall the printer driver
Corrupted printer drivers are a common reason why users find their HP printer in an error state. You can reinstall the printer drivers in this case by following these steps.
Turn off your printer when you are uninstalling the drivers.
Go to the "Programs and Features" section of your Windows system.
Now go to "Device Manager".
Find your printer here and delete it.
Under "Devices and Printers", choose the printer and tap "Print Server Property".
Tap the "Drivers" tab in the popup that appears.
Now remove all HP printer drivers.
Remove all drivers in the Devices and Printers section and restart your PC.
After that, press Windows and R keys to open the Run box.
Here, enter %Temp%
Press "OK" to go to the temporary files folder.
Here, delete all the files.
Now from the "Logs" delete the printer. Use the 'Regedit' command for this purpose.
Start your PC again.
Now go to the official HP website and download the latest drivers.
Use HP Print and Scan Doctor
When your printer displays the error status message, you can use HP's troubleshooting utilities. One of the great tools is HP print and Scan Doctor. Download it from HP official website. If you are a Mac user, you must download Diagnose & Fix through the HP Smart app.
Once the tool is downloaded, follow these tips to resolve the HP printer error status.
HP Print And Scan Doctor or Diagnostics and Repair downloads to the specific location you specify on your system.
Open the utility and tap "Start".
Now select your printer.
If you can't see it, turn it on and tap "Retry".
The tool will give you instructions if there is a connection problem.
Now you can tap on "Fix Printing".
The test results will be displayed with different icons.
Follow the instructions if an X icon appears.
Check the printer connections
You must ensure that the physical connection between your HP printer and the system is proper. The printer cable must not be damaged. Print a wireless test report to verify if the printer is connected to the computer. Follow these steps to connect your HP printer to your laptop wirelessly and without cables.
Connect the printer to the system with the cable.
Link your printer via USB cable.
The computer will show that a new device is detected and download a driver.
If this process does not occur and you find that your HP printer is in an error state, go to “Settings” and tap “Devices.”
On the "Printers and Scanners" tab, click "Add a printer or scanner."
Tap your printer name and complete the installation.
Connect HP printer to computer wirelessly.
Go to "Wireless Settings" in your control panel.
Enter your Wi-Fi network password.
Open your system.
Tap the "Settings" button followed by "Devices."
Now, under “Printers and scanners”, choose the “Add a printer or scanner” option.
Tap the printer name and your system will complete the remaining settings.
Put the printer online.
An HP printer that is offline is likely to encounter the error status issue. Therefore, make sure it is not offline.
Navigate to the control panel.
Here, choose the “Devices and Printer” option.
Right-click your HP printer from the displayed list.
Uncheck "Use printer offline."
Set the printer as the default device for printing
Printer in an error state HP failure can also be resolved by setting the printer as the default device to accept print commands.
From your system control panel, go to "Devices and Printers."
From the printer list, choose your HP printer and right-click on it.
Now select “Set as default printer” from the drop-down menu.
When you see a green check mark next to the printer, it is set as default.
Make sure the print spooler service is running.
The print spooler service must be running and in "Automatic" mode to correct the error status.
In the Windows Search box, enter "Services.Msc."
In the "Services" window, look for the "Print Spooler" option.
Check if it says "Running".
Now, double tap on the “Print Spooler” service.
Find out if it is "automatic".
Otherwise, choose the automatic option.
Touch "Apply" to save the changes.
Now, from the “First Failure” option, navigate to the “Recovery” tab.
Choose the "Restart the service" option.
Tap "Apply" to save your settings.