How to turn off printer OFFLINE SETTING in Windows?

Question

How to turn off printer OFFLINE SETTING in Windows?

FRANK Gerstenecker 0

I need to print a document that has been created on a Dell Inspiron 17 Laptop with Windows 11 for an HP OfficeJet 200 Mobile Printer. The laptop screen has the status as OFFLINE. I'm told to "turn off 'use printer offline setting in Windows' What are the key strokes necessary to accomplish this?[PII Removed]

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3 answers

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Answer 1

Dio Xavier 298.2K Volunteer Moderator

Hello,

Welcome to the Microsoft Windows Community.

Good evening, @FRANK Gerstenecker . To provide more precise assistance, please let us know the make and model of your printer. In the meantime, if you have already installed the printer drivers for Windows 11, go to Win+i -> Bluetooth & devices -> Printers -> Troubleshoot printer issues, and follow the on-screen prompts.

Standing by...

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Answer 2

Hi, @FRANK Gerstenecker

If you haven't tried anything yet, you can turn off the "Use Printer Offline" setting using your keyboard:

Press Windows + R.
Type control printers and press Enter.
Use the arrow keys to select your HP OfficeJet 200 printer.
Press Shift + F10 to open the context menu.
Select "See what's printing" and press Enter.
In the print queue, press Alt + P to open the "Printer" menu.
Select "Use Printer Offline". If it has a checkmark beside it, press Enter to clear it. Also check that "Pause Printing" is not enabled.

Once done, try printing your document again.

If the printer still shows as Offline, check that it is powered on and properly connected to your laptop. For USB, reconnect the cable. For Wi-Fi, make sure both devices are connected to the same network.

Microsoft's guide: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/printer/troubleshooting-offline-printer-problems-in-windows

If the problem continues, is your HP OfficeJet 200 connected through USB or Wi-Fi?

Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Thanks!

Answer 3

Windows 11 does not consistently show a Use Printer Offline switch; open the HP printer’s queue first and clear it only if that command appears.

Turn off the setting

Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
Select Bluetooth & devices.
Select Printers & scanners.
Select HP OfficeJet 200 Mobile Printer.
Select Open print queue.
In the queue window:
- If there is a Printer menu, open it and click Use Printer Offline to remove its check mark.
- Also remove the check mark from Pause Printing, if selected.
- If the newer queue has an … button instead, open it. If Use Printer Offline is not offered, continue below rather than looking for a separate Windows 11 switch.

Microsoft’s current Windows 11 procedure does not document the old Use Printer Offline menu command. It instead directs users to check the connection, clear the queue, restart the Print Spooler, and reinstall the printer if necessary.^1^

If it still says Offline

Confirm the connection
- Turn on the OfficeJet 200.
- If using Wi-Fi, connect the laptop and printer to the same Wi-Fi network.
- If using USB, reconnect the cable securely.
Clear pending documents
- Return to Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → HP OfficeJet 200 → Open print queue.
- Select … → Cancel all, if jobs are waiting.^1^
Restart the Windows printing service
- Press Windows key + R.
- Type services.msc and press Enter.
- Find Print Spooler.
- Right-click it and select Restart.^2^
Set the HP printer as the default
- Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners.
- Turn off Let Windows manage my default printer if necessary.
- Select the HP OfficeJet 200, then select Set as default.^1^
Reinstall only if the preceding steps fail
- Go to Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners.
- Select the OfficeJet 200 and choose Remove.
- Ensure the printer is powered on and connected.
- Return to Printers & scanners, select Add device, and follow the prompts.^1^

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