How to Troubleshoot Your Printer in 5 Easy Steps

Following the instructions given below will resolve 95% of your printer problems. This however does not provide information on how to fix advanced printer issues, and it will need a technical support service to perform such tasks as configuring a wireless printer to router or setting up a static internet protocol connection for your printer or all-in-one multifunction device. Even reputed printer manufacturers such as HP, Epson, Canon, and Fujitsu face recall on top of the line products due to hardware issues, and it is highly recommended that if your issues have not been diagnosed as software or compatibility problems, then you take it to the dealer for repair and maintenance.

Step 1: How do you know that my printer has a problem?

This is simple. The printer refuses to print. But what if it is printing too slowly or hangs when you send a print command? Depending on the quality of your printer, there are a number of measures that you could take to resolve such problems. HP or Cannon support has online customer service services which allow you to register a known issue on your product. You could have the dealer replace it under the given warranty conditions. If nothing else works, then admit that you made the wrong decision and go ahead and get one of the top 5 printers for home and office use.

Step 2: How do you identify the printer issue?

When any hardware fails to execute a command, your Windows computer will show you an error message or code. You can use this error message to search for the issue on Google or any other search engine. This will draw out results from a number of forums where you can get help from other users who have been facing the same problems.

If you see no error code, then here are some simple ways to check if your printer is working or not.

Make sure that the printer is plugged in. Reconnect all device cords and reboot your computer. This will also resolve any application errors.
Make sure that the printer is turned on and all status lights are responding.
If it is a wireless printer, make sure that it is connected to the network via WI-FI or router
Print a test page. All printers have a self-diagnostic wizard which you can reach from the taskbar icon, control panel, or start menu.
Make sure that you are sending print commands to the right printer. Wireless printers are often mistaken if you have multiple printers of the same brand running on the network. Make sure that the model and make is the right one before running diagnostic again.
Check your internet connection to see if the wireless printer is accessible. Just open your browser and open any site that is not cached on your computer.
Check printer properties and reboot printer.
If your printer does not print or is printing slower than usual, there could be a problem with your spooler service. This is the printer memory that stores print commands and lets you set priority status for your tasks. Once this memory is full, your printer will refuse to take any tasks until it is cleared. You can think of this as the browser cache which saves short-term history and slows your browser down after extended use.

Step 3: Still facing problems? Troubleshoot generic issues now.

The first thing that you need to do is get the Microsoft Fix It troubleshooter for Windows. You should also try getting the latest driver for your printer. Sometimes these devices are shipped with a previous version of the driver which is incompatible with your Windows updates. So first you will need to visit a website that lets you download the latest version of the firmware. Then you will need to make sure that it has been correctly installed before you go in for updating Windows on your computer.

Step 4: Get updates

To apply Windows updates, go to Start, select All Programs, and click on Windows Update. This will open a window where you need to select Check for Updates before proceeding to Install Updates. If you are sure that you have the latest version of Windows and drivers already installed on your PC, then skip this step and move to the next one.

Step 5: Restart the print spooler service

You must be logged in as an administrator to change or restart the printer spooler service. In the print spooler properties, select automatic as the general type and save settings. This will reset the printer every time the computer reboots. You will need to run this process from the primary computer where wireless printers are concerned. You can also get more information on how to troubleshoot your internet connection for printer issues. Online HP printer support has a guidebook resource that should be very helpful. Or contact a virtual technician today.

Cathy Stones shares her experience of collaborative technologies in academic and professional computing environments and how specialized printer support can help you stay connected always. Ms. Stones recommends the  Printer, Router, Webmail, Software, and Peripherals.