Excel can't connect to the printer

Cheryl Blair 0 Reputation points
2026-06-23T22:10:03.6366667+00:00

I print, then I can't. Excel says it cannot connect to the printer. This happens often. I am connected to the wifi, as is the printer, same network.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows
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  1. John Jefferson Doyon 89,540 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-06-23T22:49:26.09+00:00

    Hi, I'm John! I will help you with this.

    To narrow this down, does the same printer work from Word, Notepad, or a PDF when Excel gives that error? Also, is the printer added as a Wi-Fi printer, or through a shared printer from another PC?

    Since it happens often, it may be a printer connection/driver issue rather than Excel itself.

    Please try these first:

    • Restart the printer, the PC, and the router.
    • In Excel, go to File > Print and make sure the correct printer is selected.
    • Try printing from another app, like Notepad or Word.
    • Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, select the printer, and set it as the default printer.
    • Remove any stuck print jobs from the print queue.
    • Restart the Print Spooler:
    • Press Windows key + R, type services.msc press Enter, find Print Spooler, right-click it, then choose Restart.

    If the issue only happens in Excel, please also try opening Excel in safe mode:

    • Press Windows key + R, type: excel /safe
    • Then try printing again.

    Please let me know if other apps can print normally, and what printer model you are using.

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    2 people found this answer helpful.

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