How to Change a Printer from Offline to Online

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You can switch a printer from offline to online.

Once you have added either a USB or networked printer to your PC or Mac computer, you can begin sending documents to print. However, on occasion, a print command will create an error on the printer and take it offline, which will prevent all future jobs from printing. To resolve this issue, you will need to change your printer settings from offline to online.

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PC Instructions

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Step 1

Open the Start menu and click on the "Devices and Printers" icon. This will open a window with a list of the printers currently set up on your computer.

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Step 2

Double-click on the icon of the printer you want to change to online. The status of the printer will be shown as either "Printer: Ready" or "Printer: Offline."

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Step 3

Click on "Printer: Offline" and the Printer menu will appear. Click on "Printer" in the menu bar and uncheck "Use Printer Offline." This action will change the printer from offline to online.

Mac Instructions

Step 1

Open System Preferences by clicking on the icon in the Dock.

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Step 2

Go to the Print & Fax control panel under the Hardware category.

Step 3

Select the printer you want to take online from the list on the left side of the screen. Then click on the "Open Print Queue" button.

Step 4

Click on the "Resume Printer" button at the top of the queue window to change the printer from offline to online.

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