Some users encounter printer-related problems while attempting to use the printer. This article will suggest solutions that will help you resolve the problem where the Printer not responding to print command on Windows PC.
The issues with the printers could be brought on by obsolete drivers, incompatible software, or other factors. Many users detect their Windows PC’s printer not accepting the print command. Let’s look at how to solve the issue.
Basic Fixes & Troubleshooting
If your Printer stops responding when you press the print button, you might want to close the document and try one more time. However, you might not find the answer without using all the working solutions and printer troubleshooting advice. Here are some basic printer troubleshooting techniques that you can use.
- Check the default printer: The issue of your printer not responding may occasionally be brought on by improper printer and scanner configuration.
- Check if the document is corrupt and try another copy: Windows files will be examined for corruption by the system file checker, and if necessary, they will be repaired. After the procedure is finished, restart your computer. You can use a different copy and check if the document is corrupt.
- Verify that the physical printer is ready: Verify that the connections are correctly attached to the appropriate ports. Additionally, ensure the printer’s power button is turned on before printing anything. Also, ensure that the default printer is set to the appropriate default printer.
- Try to print a test page: You can try to test a print page and check whether the print command is working or not. If it is not, you can follow the solutions given in the article.
- Try to print from a text editor, such as Notepad: If printing is successful, this confirms that the printer driver is correct and that the application causes the problem. If you can’t print from Notepad, the problem is caused by the printer driver.
- Check the available disk space on the system drive: If there isn’t enough room to spool the job, larger jobs might fail even though smaller jobs don’t.
After conducting these fundamental fixes, we shall move on to steps to correct the problem.
Fix: Printer Not Responding To Print Command on Windows
Using common fixes and troubleshooting advice, you can repair simple problems with your printer being unresponsive.
- Run Printing Troubleshooter
- Restart the Spooler Without the Printer
- Clear the Spool Folder
- Uninstall and Reinstall the Printer (It will also install the driver if necessary).
You can use the troubleshooting techniques listed above to solve the issue. These are applicable for Windows 11, Windows 10, and any other version of Windows.
1] Run Printing Troubleshooter
Verify that your printer is properly connected to the system and check if there is paper in the input tray, ink, or toner cartridge needed for printing and if you must check for software problems. Follow the steps given below to launch the Printing Troubleshooter:
- Open Settings (Win + I) and click on System.
- Select Troubleshoot from the left pane and choose Other troubleshooters.
- Locate the Printer Troubleshooter and click the Run the troubleshooter button to start the troubleshooting process.
2] Restart the Spooler Without the Printer
Unresponsive devices and driver settings can frequently cause printer problems. Spoolers are important tools for managing system and printer communications. Follow the steps given below to restart the spooler without the Printer.
- You must first unplug the USB cord that the printer uses to connect to your computer.
- Next, type Services in the Run prompt (Win + R), and press the Enter key
- Once the Services window opens, scroll down, find the Printer Spooler service, and double-click to open it.
- After that, click Stop to terminate the Printer Spooler service. Connect the printer’s USB cable to your computer now, then go back to the Services menu and select Start to reactivate the Printer Spooler service.
- To save the changes, click OK. You can now try printing something on your computer to check and see whether the printer is active.
If you can’t print immediately once the print spooler service restarts, try reinstalling your printers.
Press Win + R and type cmd. Next, type sfc /scannow to launch System File checker from the command prompt. If the print spooler service throws an error message and fails to terminate, the system will give you further error messages that you may use to troubleshoot your print spooler service error.
3] Clear the Spool Folder
You may also attempt to resolve the printer not responding issue by removing the spool folder using the techniques listed below.
- Press Win + X to open the Power Menu, and select Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows Terminal (Admin)
- Run the command—
net stop spooler— in Windows Terminal to terminate the spooler service. - Access the PRINTERS folder at
C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS. - Select all its contents in the Printers folder and press the Delete key.
- You may restart the spooler service by typing the command net start spooler on the Windows terminal or Command Prompt.
After clearing the spooler folder, try using the Print command once more.
4] Uninstall and Reinstall the Printer
You can remove and reinstall the printer device if the remedies and troubleshooting steps mentioned above are unsuccessful in resolving your printer issue. The procedures for removing and reinstalling your printer are listed below.
Uninstall Printer Software
- Open the Run window (Win + R), type the command appwiz.cpl, and press the Enter key
- It will launch the Program and Features window, where you can locate and remove applications.
- Right-click on the printer software and click Uninstall.
- Search the list for additional printer-related programs, then uninstall them.
Remove the Printer from the Device List
- Open Windows Settings (Win + I) and go to Devices > Printers & Scanners.
- To remove a printer from your computer, click on the printer listing you wish to delete and select Remove device.
Eliminate the Printer From the Printer Server Properties
- Open Run (Win + R) and type
printui.exe /sto launch the Printer Server Properties window. - Switch to the Drivers tab.
- In the Drivers tab, select the faulty printer and click the Remove option.
- Next, choose the Remove driver and driver package option and click OK.
Reinstall Printer
- You must restart the computer after uninstalling the printer software and associated drivers.
- Plug the printer in when the computer has restarted, and Windows should automatically install the necessary drivers and software. If not, you can get it from the OEM and manually install it.
- To see if your printer reacts well, try printing a test page. If the problem is still present, download the printer driver from the manufacturer’s website.
What Can You Do if This Does Not Fix the Problem?
If none of this works, you can connect your printer to another PC and check. If you can execute the print command on the current PC, your previous PC might be at fault. Again, if that is not the case, your printer may be broken, and you can ask a technician to get it fixed.
Conclusion
Your printer not responding to the print command is a widespread issue. But if you perform the printer troubleshooting steps, you can fix them. I hope the post was easy to follow and the suggestions worked for you.
Why Is My Printer Not Taking the Print Command?
Your printer may not accept printing commands due to connectivity issues or incompatible printers that cannot print through USB. Your printer may stop responding to print commands due to issues with the printer driver or a shortage of hard drive capacity for spooling the document.
How Do I Reset My Printer on Windows?
Manufacturers may use different techniques for resetting a printer when using Windows PC. Although some manufacturers have specific settings for returning to factory defaults, you can pick hardware restart to reset your printer.
Why Is the Printer Suddenly Offline?
Your printer might be offline because there might not be any network connectivity. Along with ensuring that the network is connected to the server, you must check user rights and protocols, share names and copy a file to the server. Also, check if the printer has lost power.