"Printer Not Responding" on Windows or Mac: How to Get It Printing Again

"Printer not responding" means a request went out and no answer came back in time. Either the computer can't reach the printer, the printer's own processor has hung, or the app you are printing from froze while waiting for the printer driver. A 60-second power reset fixes many cases. If it doesn't, two quick tests below show which side is stuck, and each side has a different fix.

Quick fixes first

1. Look at the printer. If its screen or buttons don't respond, unplug it from the wall for 60 seconds, then plug it back in.
2. If an app froze when you clicked Print, give it a full minute before closing it. A driver request can take that long to time out.
3. Open the print queue, cancel every job, then send one short test page.
4. Check that the printer's panel shows a Wi-Fi or network connection, or that the USB cable is firmly seated at both ends.
5. Restart the computer, which also restarts the Windows Print Spooler or the Mac printing system.
6. Try printing from a phone. If that works, the printer is fine and the problem is on the computer.

What does "printer not responding" actually mean?

The phrase shows up in several places, and it means something slightly different in each. Where you saw it is the fastest clue to the fix you need.

First, find out which side is stuck

Two tests take about two minutes and save you from fixing the wrong thing.

1. Print a report from the printer's own panel, such as the network configuration page or printer status report. If the panel responds and the page prints, the printer itself is working.
2. Check the network path. Take the IP address from that page. On Windows, open Command Prompt; on a Mac, open Terminal. Type ping, a space and the address, for example ping 192.168.1.40, and press Enter. On a Mac, press Control-C to stop it. Replies mean the computer can reach the printer; "Request timed out" or "Destination host unreachable" means it can't. You can also type the address into a web browser: if the printer's own web page opens, the network path is fine.

• Panel frozen: the printer has hung. Go to the frozen-printer section.
• Report prints but ping fails: the computer can't reach the printer.
• Report prints and ping works: the problem is the driver, the queue or the app.

When the computer can't reach the printer

This is the same root problem as a printer that shows Offline, so there is no need to repeat that whole fix list here. In short, the printer's IP address changed, the printer dropped off Wi-Fi or went into deep sleep, or the computer is on a different network, such as guest Wi-Fi or a VPN.

• If the printer's IP address differs from the one shown in Printer properties › Ports, remove the printer and add it again by IP address. Our printer offline guide covers port editing, SNMP status and IP reservation in full, and fix printer offline in Windows 11 has the Windows-only version.
• If the printer's panel shows no Wi-Fi connection at all, fix the printer's network first. Printer keeps going offline covers sleep settings and routers that hand out new addresses.
• On USB, plug straight into the computer rather than a hub, dock or monitor, and try another cable. USB printer not detected covers Windows and Mac.
• Turn off any VPN, and make sure the computer is not on a guest network.

If the printer answers ping but Windows still says it isn't responding, the port or driver is the problem. Remove the printer in Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners, restart the PC, and add it again with Add device. If it doesn't appear, choose Add manually and enter the IP address.

Why does Word freeze when I click Print?

Office apps and many others talk to the default printer's driver all the time, not only when you print. Word uses it to lay out pages, and the print dialog asks the driver for paper sizes, trays and status. If the default printer can't be reached, or its driver has hung inside the spooler, the app waits, and Windows labels the window (Not Responding).

1. Wait 60 seconds. Many freezes clear on their own once the driver request times out. Forcing Word closed risks losing unsaved work.
2. Switch the default to a local printer. In Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners, turn off Let Windows manage my default printer, set Microsoft Print to PDF as the default and restart Word. If Word stops freezing, your real printer's connection or driver is at fault.
3. Remove printers you no longer have. Old office printers, previous home printers and duplicates such as "Copy 1" are all queried, and each unreachable one adds delay.
4. Test a different document. Save the file as a PDF and print the PDF. If only one file freezes, a font or image in that file is the trigger.
5. Restart the spooler. Press Windows key + R, type services.msc, right-click Print Spooler and choose Restart. If the spooler keeps stopping, a driver is crashing it; print spooler keeps stopping shows how to find and remove it.
6. Repair Office if only Office apps freeze. Go to Settings › Apps › Installed apps, click the three dots next to Microsoft 365 or Office, choose Modify, then Quick Repair.

"The printer is not responding" on a Mac

On a Mac, the message appears in the printer's queue window, often with a note that macOS will keep trying. It means the Mac can't reach the printer at the address it saved when you added it.

1. Open System Settings › Printers & Scanners, select the printer and click Printer Queue. If the queue is paused, click Resume. Delete any stuck jobs.
2. Check that the Mac and the printer are on the same network, with no VPN running.
3. Remove the printer, then add it again with Add Printer, Scanner or Fax. If your printer supports AirPrint, choose AirPrint in the Use menu; it is usually the most reliable option.
4. If you print or scan through a brand app on macOS Sequoia or Tahoe, check System Settings › Privacy & Security › Local Network and make sure that app is allowed.
5. As a last resort, Control-click in the printer list and choose Reset printing system, then add the printer again. This removes every printer and queue on the Mac.

If the problem started right after an update, see printer not working after a macOS update.

When the printer itself is frozen

A printer can hang like any small computer. The signs are a screen stuck on one menu, buttons that do nothing, a printer stuck on the logo or an "Initializing" message, or a power button that won't turn it off.

1. Do a power reset. Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet and from the printer, and wait 60 seconds. If it was on a power strip or surge protector, plug it straight into a wall outlet for the test.
2. Start it with the cables out. Disconnect USB and Ethernet cables, then power on. A faulty cable, or a computer resending a corrupt job, can hang the printer again as soon as it starts.
3. Clear the queue before reconnecting. Once it reaches the home screen, cancel queued jobs on the computer, then reconnect.
4. Look for a physical cause. If it hangs on the same screen every time, check for a jam, packing tape or a carriage that can't move. With the power off, look along the carriage path.
5. Be patient with firmware. If the screen says a firmware update is in progress, leave it for at least 30 minutes before unplugging. Interrupting an update is a common way to leave a printer stuck at start-up; printer firmware updates covers recovery.

A printer that freezes again within minutes of every restart, whichever computer it is connected to, usually has a failing main board or power supply. On a consumer inkjet that repair rarely makes sense, and is it worth repairing a printer sets out the numbers.

Not responding vs offline, not printing and spooler errors

These problems overlap, and each has its own full guide on this site. Use this table to pick the right one rather than working through all of them.

If it still isn't responding

If the printer works from a phone but not from one computer, even after you remove and re-add it, the problem lives in that computer's print system: a crashing driver, a damaged spooler or a security tool blocking local network traffic. If nothing can print and the printer hangs on its own, the printer needs a hardware assessment.

Brand tools that do the diagnosis for you

Each of the big four makes a free tool that tests the connection from the computer's side and often names the failing link.

• HP: HP Print and Scan Doctor (Windows) checks the connection, spooler and driver, and reports which one failed.
• Epson: Epson Printer Connection Checker tests the network path and suggests fixes.
• Canon: the IJ Network Device Setup Utility, from the Canon download page for your model, finds the printer on the network and can diagnose the connection.
• Brother: the Network Connection Repair Tool on Brother's download page for Windows updates the port when the printer's IP address has changed.

If you would rather not chase this yourself, our independent remote printer support plan covers every printer in your home or office on Windows, Mac, ChromeOS, iPhone, iPad and Android. You watch every step of the screen share and can end it at any time.