Fix: Printer in Error State

Many printers around the globe face the error “Printer in Error State”. This error is not restricted to only one brand; it occurs in almost all of them. This error condition usually means that the printer is in an error state such as the correct drivers might not be installed, the ink (cartridges) might be placed correctly or it has run into an error condition and needs to be restarted.

The error might vary from printer to printer and it is rather impossible to list one solution for this generic problem. We have listed the most working solutions down below. Start with the first one and work your way down.

Solution 1: Checking Physical Components

Before we dive into software discrepancies in the system, it is worthwhile checking all the physical components. Physical components include the configuration and installation of the toner, the power supply, the paper stack, the cover, paper jamming etc.

Also, make sure that the printer is connected properly to the computer. You can check our numerous other articles which target the problem of connecting the printer with the computer. Once you are absolutely sure that all the physical components are in place and there is a problem with the connection of the printer, you can move forward with the other solutions.

Solution 2: Power cycling the entire System

Another way to reset bad configurations is to power cycle your entire setup (both the computer and the printer). There has been a known issue in the printer of all sorts where they get into a bad configuration and are not fixed until they are rebooted properly. Power cycling is the act of completely turning off your computer/printer and cutting the power.

1. Turn off your computer using proper shutdown mechanism. Do the same with your printer.
2. Once everything is turned off, take out the power cord of both the computer and the printer.
3. Wait for 8-10 minutes before plugging everything back in and start up the system. After connecting both the modules, check if the problem is solved.

Solution 3: Uninstalling the Printer and printer applications

We can also try uninstalling the printer and install the default drives when we do. Uninstalling the printer removes all data related to the printer from your computer so you can install it from scratch.

1. Press Windows + R to launch the Run Type “devmgmt.msc” in the dialogue box and hit Enter. This will launch your computer’s device manager.
2. Navigate through all the hardware and right click on your printer hardware and select “Uninstall Device”.

3. After the device has been uninstalled, turn off the entire system. Now press Windows + R, type “appwiz.cpl” in the dialogue box and press Enter. All the applications will be listed here.
4. Right-click on each of the printer applications (HP components or additional software) and select “Uninstall”.

5. Now connect the printer with your computer using a USB connection and test the connection. If the printer is connected and identified, it means that the default drivers were installed.

Note: If your computer doesn’t detect the printer on your network, try resetting your router and reconnecting both, your computer and your printer. You should always as a precaution, restart your router every once in a while to avoid problems like these.

Solution 4: Updating Printer Drivers

If all the above solutions don’t work, we can try updating the printer drivers. You should navigate to the manufacturer’s website and download the latest printer drivers available. Make sure to download the exact drivers meant for your printer. You can look for the model number present on the front of your printer or in its box. Normally, you can just double-click the installer file and the driver is automatically installed on the computer. If this isn’t the case, you can move on and install it manually.

Note: There are few cases where a newer driver doesn’t work. In that case, download an older version of the driver and install it using the same method described below.

1. Press Windows + R to launch the Run Type “devmgmt.msc” in the dialogue box and hit Enter. This will launch your computer’s device manager.
2. Navigate through all the hardware, open the sub-menu “Print queues”, right click on your printer hardware and select “Update driver”.

3. Now Windows will pop a dialogue box asking you which way do you want to update your driver. Select the second option (Browse my computer for driver software) and proceed.

Select the driver file you downloaded using the browse button when it appears and update it accordingly.

4. Restart your computer and check if the problem gets resolved.

Note: If you can’t update the drivers manually, you can also select the first option “Search automatically for updated driver software”. This option will make Windows search the web automatically and select the best driver out there.

In addition to the solutions listed above, you can also try the following:

• Clearing all print queues and restarting the print spooler service.
• Make sure that no generic drivers are installed against your printer. Make sure that the exact ones with the model number are installed.
• Open the Parallel Port in the device manager, double-click it to open the settings and select the option “Use any interrupt assigned to the port”.
• Go to ports in the device manager, then LPT and choose properties. Now enable the option “Enable Legacy Plug & Play”.