Was your Canon printer used to work fine, but now it says, "The printer is offline," "Printer is not responding," or you can't even find it in the list of available printers? There are various possible reasons for the issue, as well as solutions. In this blog, we will guide you to find out the reason and get your Canon printer back online.
Choose the Right Printer
A wrong printer in use will cause offline issues, and you can print nothing. So, power on your Canon printer to check whether you have selected the appropriate printer. If not, consider selecting your desired printer as your default printer if you use it more frequently.
If the printer list contains multiple identical printers, you need to delete the duplicates and try printing again. You may need to delete all listed printers and reinstall them.
Restart the Printer and Computer
Sometimes, you need to restart the printer or computer to reset any error conditions or refresh the connection. Completing these steps might get your Canon printer back online.
- Turn off the printer by pressing the power button on the printer.
- Unplug the printer power cord from the back of the printer.
- Wait about 30 seconds to plug the power cord back in.
- Turn on the printer with the power button.
- If restarting the printer didn't do the trick, try to restart the computer.
Pay Attention to Error Messages or Light Flashes
See if there are any error messages or flashing lights on your printer. The error messages or blinking lights on the printer can provide clues to the underlying problem. Here are some alerts related to Canon printer offline:
- Flashing Green Light: the printer is waiting to print something, which belongs to a print queue issue. Check the computer for print jobs.
- Flashing Blue Light: wireless connection difficulty.
- Flashing Green and Orange Lights Alternately: this indicates a problem with the printer, usually a hardware failure.
If you receive the above alert, you can directly find the corresponding solution below. Clear any existing error messages may help address the offline problem.
Check the Connections
USB Connection: If you use a USB connection, make sure the cable is securely connected to your Canon printer and computer and is not damaged. Changing different USB ports might help. Consider using a new USB cable when necessary.
Wi-Fi Connection: If your printer is wireless, make sure it is linked to the correct network, which is the same as your computer uses. Be sure the Wi-Fi is strong. Poor or unstable Wi-Fi will greatly affect the communication between the printer and the computer. You can move your printer and computer closer to your Wi-Fi router. If the situation does not improve, try restarting the printer and router.
Disable "Use Printer Offline"
If the printer is set as "Use Printer Offline," your computer is unable to communicate with it for printing. Be sure to disable "Use Printer Offline" by following these steps:
For Windows:
- Click the Start icon in the lower-left corner of the screen, then select Control Panel, then Devices and Printers.
- Click on the target printer and select "See what's printing."
- In the window that opens, select "Printers" from the top menu bar.
- Uncheck "Use printer offline" from the drop-down menu.
For Mac:
- Click the Apple menu and select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.
- Click Printers & Scanners or Print & Scan.
- Select your printer on the list.
- Click the "Options & Supplies" or "Open Print Queue."
- In the print queue window that opens, click the "Printer" menu at the top.
- Click the Resume or Unpause printing to turn off offline mode when your printer is set to offline mode.
Resolve Print Queue Issue
Print jobs stuck in the print queue may cause the Canon printer to go offline. Clearing these print jobs can resolve the problem and resume printing. Here are the steps to clear stuck print jobs.
For Window:
- Follow the steps mentioned above to open the "See what's printing" menu.
- Right-click and "Cancel" any existing print jobs.
For Mac:
- Click Apple menu > System Settings > Printers & Scanners.
- Select your printer from the list and click the Open Print Queue button.
- Hold the Command key and press A to select all print jobs.
- Then press Command and Delete at the same time to cancel them.
In some cases, the printing queue manager on your computer may encounter errors, which can cause a backlog of print jobs, eventually resulting in the Canon printer offline. Resetting the printing system can help:
For Window:
- Type "services" in the Windows search taskbar.
- Select Services from the list of search results.
- Find and select Print Spooler service.
- Then, click Restart.
For Mac:
- Click the Apple menu.
- Select System Preferences.
- Select Printers and Scanners.
- Find your printer in the Printers window.
- Right-click the printer and select "Reset printing system," which will delete the printer.
- Click the "+" symbol at the bottom of the Printers window to re-add the printer.
Update the Printer Driver / Firmware
An outdated or corrupted printer driver or firmware can cause an offline state. Make sure you have the latest Canon printer driver and firmware installed:
- Navigate to the Cannon Support page.
- Search by your printer model.
- Click Software & Drivers.
- Select and download the appropriate driver/firmware for your printer model.
- Then, follow the on-screen instructions to open and install the file.
Summary
So far, we have covered the solutions to your question: "How do I get my Canon printer back online?" When your printer fails to connect or communicate with your computer, make sure you select and set up the printer properly, clear any error messages, and fix any network-related problems.
If you've tried the methods above and still can't get your Canon printer back online, kindly contact Canon or a professional technician for support. If you need cost-effective printer supplies, welcome to order from True Image. We offer a wide range of compatible Canon ink and toner cartridges like Canon 067, Canon 069, and Canon 055 at discounted prices. If you have any questions, please feel free to drop us a line.
