How can I print a printer test page when Windows says the printer is offline?

Question

How can I print a printer test page when Windows says the printer is offline?

Levi Desaillly 0

Hi everyone,

I’m having an issue with my printer on Windows. The printer is turned on and connected to my computer, but Windows keeps showing it as offline. Whenever I send a document to print, it stays in the print queue and nothing comes out.

I’d like to print a basic test page first to determine whether the problem is with Windows or the printer itself. I’ve already checked the USB/network connection and restarted the printer, but the problem is still there.

Is there a way to print a test page directly from Windows Settings → Printers & scanners when the printer is showing as offline?

Also, if the Windows test page doesn’t work, what would be the best way to check whether the printer itself is functioning correctly?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

0 comments

2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Hi, @Levi Desaillly

If Windows shows the printer as Offline, the Windows test page will usually not print because Windows is not communicating with the printer.

First, check:

Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners
Select the printer > Open queue
Make sure "Use Printer Offline" and "Pause Printing" are not checked
Then go to Printer properties > Print Test Page

If the test page still does not print, try printing a self-test or configuration page directly from the printer itself. This does not use Windows.

If the printer can print its own test page, the issue is likely with Windows, the driver, or the connection.

To narrow this down:

What is the exact printer make and model?
Is it connected by USB, Wi-Fi, or Ethernet?
Can it print its own self-test page?

Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Thanks!

Answer 2

Yes. A Windows test page can be printed from Windows, but if the printer is currently shown as Offline, first bring it back to Ready status, then print the test page.

Open Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
Select the printer, then select Open queue.
In the queue window, select Printer and:
- select Set As Default Printer
- clear Pause Printing
- clear Use Printer Offline
Cancel any stuck jobs in the queue: under Document Name, select each job, then select Document > Cancel.
Restart the print service:
- search for services from the taskbar
- open Services
- find Print Spooler
- right-click it and select Restart
Restart the PC.

After the printer shows Ready, print a Windows test page:

Select Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
Select the printer.
Select Manage > Printer properties.
On the General tab, select Print Test Page.

If the Windows test page does not print:

Remove and reinstall the printer from Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Printers & scanners > select the printer > Remove.
Add it again with Add device or Add a printer or scanner.
If Windows does not find it automatically, use Add manually and follow the manual setup path.

If the printer still stays offline after reinstalling:

Make sure the PC and printer are on the same Wi‑Fi network if it is a wireless printer.
If there are multiple printers installed, set the correct one as the default printer.
For a USB printer, reconnect the USB cable to an available USB port and turn the printer on.

To check whether the printer hardware itself is working correctly, use the Windows test page first. If Windows cannot print the test page, the issue is with printer communication or driver setup in Windows and the next steps are reinstalling the printer and resetting the spooler.

Caution: clearing spooler files deletes pending print jobs. If deeper reset is needed, stop Print Spooler, delete files in %WINDIR%\system32\spool\PRINTERS, then start Print Spooler again and set its Startup Type to Automatic.