Science can be confusing at times. I can use my voice to control my temperature, yet printers still feel as baffling and unreliable as they did ten years ago. Here's how to troubleshoot your printer so you can get back to work if it's sending you a mistake (or simply ignoring your commands).

Printers, as annoying as they are, could sometimes notify you what the fault is so you don't have to go through the investigation process by trial and error. A succession of mysterious flashing, colored lights on the printer itself could be displaying an error message.

However, it isn't always clear which lights signify what, so you may need to consult the handbook to figure out what your printer is trying to tell you. You may usually get a PDF copy of the manual from the manufacturer's support page for your printer if you lose it.

Causes For Why HP Printer Is Not Printing

"Hp Printer Connected But Not Printing" is a relatively common problem that can be caused by a variety of factors.

a problem with the printer queue

missing or out-of-date drivers 

missing or out-of-date drivers 

connections that are broken

Windows installation issues and more

Even basic things like running out of ink or getting a paper jam may be aggravating for any printer, including your Hp Printer Connected But Not Printing!

SOLUTION 1: Verify the status of your HP printer.

Let's start with the simple and obvious issues.

1) Check to see if your HP printer's paper tray is full. Make sure there is no paper trapped or jammed in the paper feed if there is any. If this is the case, please consult your manufacturer for the best method of removing the paper so as not to damage the internal motor or paper feeder.

2) Do you have any ink or toner left? For instructions on how to check your printer's ink or toner levels, consult your printer's manual. The ink levels or if there is an ink issue will be simply displayed on the front screen of the new Hp Printer Connected But Not Printing.

If your HP printer needs to be serviced, you may need to contact HP directly through customer care.

SOLUTION 2: CANCEL ALL HP PRINTER JOBS

Clear your HP Printer of all blocked print jobs.

This is a little more technical, but not so much that you can't try it. Jobs that you send to a Hp Printer Connected But Not Printing for printing can become trapped in the print queue at any time throughout its life.

If the job in question remains in the print queue, it may prevent your Printer Connected But Not Printing from printing regularly. In this scenario, emptying the print queue of all jobs may be sufficient to allow the newer print requests to pass. Let's get started!

  1. Select "Devices & Printers" from the Windows Control Panel.

On Windows 10, type "Control Panel" in the search box, or hit the Window logo key and the "R" key on your keyboard at the same time to enter the Run dialogue in older versions of Windows. Type "control" and hit Enter in this dialogue. In most Windows operating systems, this will bring up the Control Panel.

  1. Look for your Hp Printer Connected But Not Printing in the list of printing devices, and double-check that it's the one that's giving you trouble. Select "See what's printing" from the drop-down list by right-clicking on that printer.

 

  1. When the new page loads, go to the top right and click the "Printer" menu item, then select "Open as Administrator" from the drop-down menu.

 

  1. Select "Cancel All Documents" from the "Printer" menu item in the top right corner. A confirmation dialogue window may appear at this point, in which you must confirm that you want to remove all documents in the print queue by selecting "Yes."

 

To see whether that was the problem, try printing again on that HP printer. If that doesn't work, try the steps below.

 

SOLUTION 3: SET YOUR HP PRINTER AS THE DEFAULT PRINTER 

Is it possible that you're sending your print jobs to the incorrect printer? Let's have a look!

When you send a print request to Windows, it usually goes to what is known as the default printer. If your printer is connected but not printing, it's possible that Windows hasn't set your Printer Connected But Not Printing.

As a result, all of your printing requests are going into a black abyss with no return. Let's double-check that your HP is set to Default Printer.

 

  1. Select "Devices and Printers" from the Windows Control Panel.

 

On Windows 10, type "Control Panel" in the search box, or hit the Window logo key and the "R" key on your keyboard at the same time to enter the Run dialogue in older versions of Windows. Type "control" and hit Enter in this dialogue. In most Windows operating systems, this will bring up the Control Panel.

 

  1. Look for your Hp Printer Connected But Not Printing in the list of printing devices, and double-check that it's the one that's giving you trouble. Select "Set as default printer" from the drop-down menu when you right-click on that printer. If a confirmation prompt appears, make sure you select "Yes."

 

The symbol of your HP printer should now have a nice little green checkmark beneath it, indicating that it is now the default printer for Windows.

 

SOLUTION 4: Troubleshooting HP Printers

It's not a bad idea to inquire. If your Hp Printer is Connected But Not Printing or has never functioned, there are a few simple troubleshooting steps you can take to ensure you can print to it again.

 

Check the power wires from the wall to the HP printer power connector first. Then, double-check the cabling from your printer to any Windows PCs to which it may be attached; is the USB cord securely fastened on both ends?

 

If you're using an Ethernet cable to connect to your HP printer for HP network printing, make sure it's snug and check your handbook to see if any lights should be blinking to indicate a network connection.

 

Are your Hp Printer Connected But Not Printing front lights turned on? If they aren't, and the printer still doesn't appear to be turned on, try disconnecting and replugging it. Then, on the printer itself, make sure you push the power-on button. If the light still won't turn on, try another power outlet in your house to see if it's the problem.

 

If nothing else works and your printer still won't turn on, you'll need to take it to a service center or contact Hp Printer Connected But Not Printing support for help with the hardware.

 

Solution 5: Install the most recent version of the HP printer driver (Recommended)

If the first two options don't work for you, or if you don't have the patience, time, or computer skills to update/fix manually, you can use Driver Support to do it for you.

 

HP Print Drivers are updated automatically (Recommended)

 

Driver Support will run a scan on your machine to identify any problem drivers. You don't need to know what operating system is installed on your machine. With the Premium edition of Driver Support, you can update HP drivers automatically.