Is your Canon printer’s offline status a concern to you? You’re not alone! But the truth of the matter is, Canon printers are among the most highly rated in the printer industry, though that doesn’t mean they’re immune to technical glitches.
Even high-quality machines will develop a fault at some point. So, even though the Canon printer is a top printer, it’s not immune to technical glitches.
So, why is my Canon printer offline? You should be asking this question. Here, we’ll explain possible reasons, and proffer a solution to each problem.
How To Fix Canon Printer Offline Issue
The first thing you need to do if your Canon printer goes offline is to try and figure out the cause of the problem.
Several things can change a Canon printer’s status from online to offline. So before we go deeper, check out the possible causes of your printer’s offline status.
Why your canon printer is offline:
- Power problem
- Print spooler service
- Default printer issue
- Outdated/corrupt driver issue:
- Paper jam problem
We have listed the possible reasons for your Canon printer’s offline status. Now let’s discuss the solution to each of the problems.
1: Power problem:
Connecting your Canon printer to your PC is one piece of the puzzle. The other is to connect it to a power supply for the printer to work.
Printers work with electricity. So, if yours isn’t working, the power supply could be the culprit. There’s a chance that you didn’t connect the power plug to the wall outlet properly. A faulty wall outlet may also make it impossible for your printer to work.
Fixing this problem is simple. Just unplug the printer and check the wall outlet. See if it’s working fine. If it is, reconnect the print. If it doesn’t work, check the power cord. There’s a possibility that something is wrong with the cord.
2: Restart Canon’s print spooler service:
What does print spooler service mean? First, the spooler service takes charge of your Canon printer’s printing jobs. In other words, it manages it.
What should you do when you get the message, “Canon printer offline?” Clear the error message. To do this, you have to restart the print spooler service.
Here is how to turn on the printer’s spooler service:
Step 1: Open your computer system’s run dialogue box. You can do so by pressing two keys together or simultaneously – the R and Windows keys.
Step 2: In “Run,” enter the command “services.msc” and continue to the next page. When you enter this command, a window displaying mixed messages will pop up. Please, choose any of the messages you want and press the key “P.”
Step 3: Next, continue pressing the “P” key. Soon, you’ll find the “Print spooler” highlighted. Please, place your cursor on the “Print spooler” services and right-click on it. Then choose properties (from the list of options displayed).
Step 4: Next is to head to the “General” tab. You’ll find the option “Stop” under the “Service status.” Please, click on it and then press “OK” to continue.
Step 5: When you click the “Stop” icon, followed by “OK,” the spooler service will be temporarily disabled.
Step 6: The next step is to delete the printing job. To do so, open “Windows Explorer.” The next place you should go is “C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS“.
Step 7: You might find a message on the screen seeking permission. Please, click “Continue” to proceed. Now, select and get rid of all the files and shut down the Windows.
Step 8: You have to revisit the “General” tab in this next step. Just open it and click “Start” to proceed.
Step 9: Alter the print spooler “Startup Type” to “Automatic.” Then, click “OK” to continue.
Step 10: Your Canon printer offline status will have been cleared by now. But you must restart or reboot your computer system to know if this has happened. After rebooting, kindly run a print test.
So follow the steps we discussed if you want to turn on your printer’s spooler service.
3: Set Canon printer as default printer:
Is your Canon printer indicating that it’s offline even when connected to a power supply and a computer? If yes, chances are you are yet to set the printer to default on your computer.
Setting the Canon printer as default allows your computer to only connect to it whenever you want to print. If you fail to set your Canon printer as the default printer, your computer won’t recognize it.
Here is how to set Canon to default on Windows and Mac computers.
Setting Canon Printer to Default In Windows Computers:
- Hit the windows button on your PC, and several options, such as Control Panel, Computer, Devices, Printers, etc., will pop up. Choose “Devices and Printers” to continue.
- Right-click on the Canon printer. Then set it as your default printer.
Setting Canon Printer to Default In Mac Computers:
If you’re using a Mac computer, here is how to set your Canon printer to the default printer on your computer.
- Hit the “Apple” icon on your screen’s top left-hand corner.
- The next step is to click on the “System Preferences” icon. Then hit the “Printers and Scanners” icon to proceed.
- In this final step, your Canon printer will appear on the sidebar. Please, right-click on it and select the option “Set as default printer.”
A Handy Tip: Consider doing a print test if you finish setting the Canon printer as default on your Windows or Mac computer. The reason is to be sure that you have fixed the problem.
4: Outdated/corrupt driver issue:
An outdated or corrupt driver is the architect of several issues in a computer system. These issues include the blue-screen, black-screen, and audio errors caused by a corrupt driver.
Corrupt or outdated drivers can also place your Canon printer offline. But the interesting thing is, you can easily fix this problem with ease. Just update or reinstall a new driver, and the problem will be resolved.
Here is how to update the driver:
Step 1: Press the “R” and “Windows” keys on your computer together. The “Run” dialogue box will pop up when you press both buttons. Now enter the command “MSC.”
Step 2: Visit “Device Manager” and open “Print queues,” a sub-menu.
Step 3: Locate printer hardware and right-click on it. Then choose the “Update Driver” option. The message “how do you want to search for driver” will pop up; please choose the browse my computer option to proceed.
Step 4: Endeavor to “reboot” your computer system once the driver update has been completed.
5: Paper jam problem:
Is your printer still “offline” after trying all the procedures mentioned earlier? Then, there’s a chance a paper jam is the culprit.
The interesting thing you should know about dealing with printer paper jams is that you can easily fix the problem. It doesn’t take long and doesn’t require a technician.
Here is how to fix the paper jam issue with the printer:
Step 1: Turn off your printer and unplug it from the wall socket to prevent electrocution.
Step 2: Remove the printer head. But note that you have to open the Canon printer head door to access the printer head.
Step 3: Remove the jammed paper from the paper head, and please, do it gradually and carefully. Why pull with force when you can get it out effortlessly?
Step 4: Place the machine’s printer head back in its original position, but remember to clean it before returning it.
Step 5: Now, connect the printer to the power supply and turn it on. After you have connected it, send the printing command to see if the machine has started working correctly.
A Handy Tip: Stop sending multiple commands immediately when a paper jam issue occurs. Secondly, keep in mind that the jammed paper is no longer useful.
You will likely experience the jammed paper issue if you reuse the previously jammed paper. So, discard the paper once removed from the printer head.
Conclusion
Why is my Canon printer offline? Have you been in such a situation before, or you’re currently experiencing such? If your answer is yes, this post is for you.
We discussed several possible reasons your Canon printer could be offline, including the steps you can take to solve each problem.
Several things can make your Canon printer refuse to come online or function, as it should. It could be a power supply problem, a default printer setting, outdated or corrupt software, and even a jammed paper issue.
The first thing users should do when a Canon printer is offline, even when connected to the power supply, is to identify the problem. This post will guide you to fix printer offline issues once you can identify the problem.