Many users have been experiencing troubles with their Printer, which would not respond to the print command. It can be a frustrating experience when you encounter the same problem on your Windows 11/10 system. However, you can use easy solutions and troubleshooting tips to get your printer back on the job.
Basic Fixes & Troubleshooting
If your Printer stops responding by pressing the print button, you might want to close the document and try once again. However, you may not find the solution unless you employ all the basic fixes and troubleshooting tips for your Printer. Here are some of the methods you can follow for basic troubleshooting of your Printer.
1] Verify Whether the Physical Printer Is in a Ready State
The following troubleshooting method for printer issues would be verifying whether the physical Printer is ready.
You can ensure the same by checking whether the cables have correctly connected to the correct ports. In addition, you can also check the physical Printer for any setbacks, such as depleted ink cartridges.
Also, check the power button on the Printer and verify whether it is ON when you print a document. You must also check whether you have set the correct default printer by following Method 2.
2] Check the Default Printer
In some cases, the inaccurate printer and scanner setup could result in the problem of your Printer not responding. You can check whether your Printer has been selected as the default printer with the following steps.
- Open Windows Settings using Win + I
- Navigate to Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners
- Go to Printer Preferences
- Turn off the option—Allow Windows to manage my default printer
- Next, click on the Printer you want to set as default and click on the Set Default button
2] Check for Corrupt System Files
You can check whether the document you want to print is corrupt and use another copy. The best way to check for corrupted Windows files includes the following steps.
- Press the Windows key and X button simultaneously and select Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin), or Windows Terminal (Admin) option.
- Click Yes on the User Account Control prompt and type
SFC/scannowin the command prompt window, followed by pressing Enter.
- The system file checker will check Windows files for corruption and repair them when needed. Reboot your computer after completing the process.
4] Try Printing From Text Editor
Another common fix for the Printer not responding to print commands on Windows 11/10 systems is using a text editor to print the document. You can try Notepad as the best text editor for printing a document. If you get a successful output, you can verify that the printer driver has no errors.
In such cases, you can identify the problem using any standard editor. However, you should look for issues in the printer driver if you cannot print the document using Notepad.
5] Check for Available Space on the System Drive
The basic troubleshooting tips for your Printer not responding to the print command in Windows 11/10 systems include checking the disk space available on your system drive. Without adequate space for spooling the job, larger printing jobs might fail even if the smaller ones don’t.
Printer Not Responding To Print Command on Windows 11/10
The primary fixes and troubleshooting tips help you resolve minor issues with your Printer becoming unresponsive. However, you might have to opt for the troubleshooting methods recommended by experts, such as the following.
- Run Printing Troubleshooter
- Restart the spooler without the Printer
- Clear the spool folder
- Uninstall and Reinstall the Printer
Follow the exact steps given below to perform the process smoothly
1] Run Printing Troubleshooter
Once you have verified that your Printer is well-connected to the system, has paper in the printer tray, and has the ink or toner cartridge required for printing, you must check for software issues. Launch the Printing Troubleshooter with the following steps:
- Access the Settings through the Start menu and select the System page.
- Click on Troubleshoot and then the Other Troubleshooters option.
- Locate the Printer troubleshooter and click the Run button near it to begin troubleshooting.
2] Restart the Spooler Without the Printer
You can often encounter printer issues due to unresponsive devices and driver settings. A spooler is an essential tool for handling system interactions with the Printer. You can restart the spooler without the Printer by using the following steps.
- At first, you need to disconnect the USB cable that connects the Printer to your system; now, click on the Start icon on the taskbar and type Services in the search box.
- Further, tap the services in the search results; when the Services window appears, scroll down to locate the Printer Spooler service. Double-click on it to access it.
- Then, tap on Stop to halt the Printer Spooler service. Now connect the USB cable of the Printer to your system, come back to the Services, and tap on Start to resume the Printer Spooler service.
- After that, tap Apply and click OK to save the changes. Now you can try to print something on your system to check the status of your issue.
3] Clear the Spool Folder
You can also try solving the Printer not responding issue by clearing the spool folder with the following steps.
- Open the Command Prompt with Administrator privileges.
- Execute the command
net stop spoolerin Windows Terminal to stop the spooler service. - Access the PRINTERS folder at
C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERSand click on Continue to proceed further. - Choose all the content in the PRINTERS folder and use the Delete key to empty the folder.
- Now, you can run the command net start spooler in the Command Prompt terminal to resume the spooler service.
4] Uninstall and Reinstall the Printer
If the above fixes and troubleshooting methods don’t solve your printer problem, you can uninstall and reinstall the printer device. Here are the steps you must follow to uninstall and reinstall your printer.
Uninstall Printer Software
- Type appwiz.cpl in the Run prompt (Win + R) and press the Enter key
- It will open the Program and Features section, where you can find and uninstall apps
- Right-click on the printer software and click the Uninstall menu.
- Look for other printer-related software in the list and uninstall them similarly to the first one.
Remove the Printer from the Device List
- Open Windows Settings and navigate to System > Bluetooth & Devices > Printers & Scanners
- Click on the Printer listing you want to remove and click on the Remove button to remove it from the PC.
Remove the Printer from the Printer Server Properties
- Access the Run terminal and use the command printui.exe /s to open the Printer Server Properties window. Switch to the Drivers tab.
- Select the problematic Printer and then click on the Remove option alongside the Remove driver and driver package option in the prompt. Click OK and then select the Apply option, followed by the OK button.
Reinstall Printer
- Once you have uninstalled the printer software and related drivers, you have to restart the computer.
- Upon restarting the system, plug the printer, and Windows should install the driver and related software. If not, you can manually install it by downloading it from the OEM.
- Try printing a test page and check whether your Printer responds effectively. If the issue is not solved, you must download the printer driver from the manufacturer’s website.
What Can You Do if This Doesn’t Fix the Problem?
If this doesn’t work, you can connect to another PC and check if the Printer is visible on that computer. If yes, and you can take the print command, the issue is with your PC. If not, a printer is malfunctioning, and it would be best if a technician checks it.
Conclusion
The problem with your Printer not responding to the print command is quite common. However, you can solve them by following the best practices to implement the troubleshooting measures for your Printer.
Why Is My Printer Not Taking Print Command?
Your Printer might not take printing commands due to many issues, such as connectivity problems or incompatible printers that cannot print through USB. The topics in the printer driver or lack of adequate hard disk space for spooling the document can also cause your Printer to stop responding to the print command.
How Do I Reset My Printer on Windows 11/10?
The methods for resetting your Printer on Windows 11/10 can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. While some manufacturers offer dedicated features in their settings for restoring factory defaults, you can choose hardware restart to reset your printer.
Why Is the Printer Suddenly Offline?
The most evident answer points to the possibility of no network connectivity. You must verify user rights and protocols and share names or copy a file to the server alongside checking basic network connectivity.
