Posted by One of the most annoying technical issues is the Epson printer offline. The problem indicates a lack of proper connection between the printer and the PC. It arises due to weak internet signals, issues in settings, or obsolete printer drivers. Sometimes, your printer can also be in an offline mode. Both Windows and Mac users face this issue quite often. But after reading this guide, you will be able to troubleshoot this problem independently.
7 Steps to Fix Epson Printer Offline issue
Begin with simple troubleshooting approaches and move on to advanced ones if the problem persists.
Step 1. Set your printer online
If you are wondering why is my Epson printer offline, check if it is set offline.
- Restart your printer.
- Plug in the printer and check if there’s a good internet connection.
- Log into your PC as a local admin.
- Go to ‘Control Panel.’ Hit the ‘Devices and Printers’
- Right-tap your Epson printing device from the list.
- Choose ‘See what’s printing’ from the drop-down.
- Tap on your printer and uncheck ‘Use printer offline.’
- Now the Epson printer will come back online.
Step 2. Reinstall your printer
If you still find the Epson printer offline Windows 10 issue, remove and reinstall your printer.
- Using the Windows key and R, open the ‘Run’ box in Windows 10 system.
- Enter ‘devmgmt’ and hit ‘OK.’
- The ‘Device Manager’ window will show.
- Choose ‘Printer’ followed by ‘Printer Queues.’
- Right-click your Epson printer and tap ‘Uninstall.’
- Now head to ‘Devices and Printers’ and choose the ‘Add a printer‘ option.
- Pick ‘The printer that I want isn’t listed.’
- Hit ‘Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname.’
- Tap ‘Next.’
- Input your printer’s IP address and port name.
- Restart your computer.
- Your Epson printer won’t show an offline status.
Step 3. Restart the printer spooler service
If the printer spooler service is not working, the Epson printer offline problem will occur. Restart the service as follows.
- Trigger the ‘Run’ box and input ‘services.msc.’
- In the ‘Service’ window, visit the ‘Print Spooler’ option.
- See that its status is ‘Running.’
- If it shows ‘Stopped,’ right-tap ‘Print spooler’ and select ‘Start.’
- Exit the window.
- Check whether your printer is online.
Step 4. Update outdated printer driver and firmware
If you are unknowingly using outdated printer drivers, you may find that the Epson printer keeps going offline. So, get the latest printer drivers.
- Download the Epson Software Updater utility by clicking this link.
- Click ‘Start’ on Windows 10 and then select ‘Epson Software.’
- Now choose ‘Epson Software Updater.’
- If you use other Windows versions, go to ‘All Programs’ followed by ‘Epson Software.’ After that, choose ‘Epson Software Updater.’
- Select your Epson printer from the list, and choose ‘Firmware Updater.’
- Click ‘Install items.’
- Agree to the terms.
- When the Epson Software Updater opens, click ‘Start.’
- Click ‘Finish’ when the firmware update ends.
- Lastly, tap ‘OK’ and check for the issue.
Step 5. Disable SNMP to bring Epson printer online
When the Simple Network Management Protocol or SNMP gets a disturbing signal from a device, it makes it offline. So, if you find your Epson printer offline, disable this protocol.
- Head to the system’s ‘Control Panel’ section.
- Then go to ‘Programs and Features.’
- Tap ‘Turn Windows features on or off.’
- Next, disable the ‘Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)‘ option and tap ‘OK.’
- See if the printer shows online.
Step 6. Clear the print jobs
If the print queue is stuck and there are many printing tasks, you must clear it. Follow these steps to clear stuck printing jobs.
- Launch the ‘Run’ dialog box in the Windows system.
- Go to the Service window by typing ‘msc’ in the search field.
- Launch the ‘Print Spooler’ service.
- Right-click it and tap ‘Properties.’
- Tap ‘Stop’ followed by ‘OK.’
- Next, visit Windows File Explorer. Here, input this command: %windir%\System32\spool\PRINTERS
- Choose the files in the Printer folder.
- Remove all of them to clear the queue.
- Head back to ‘Print Spooler.’
- Right-click it and tap ‘Properties.’
- Tap ‘Start’ followed by ‘OK.’
- Restart the PC after clearing the print jobs. Your printer will come online.
Step 7. Set Epson printer as default
An easy fix for the Epson printer offline Windows 10 issue is checking if the printer has bees set as default.
- In the Windows system, navigate to ‘Control Panel.’
- Next, go to ‘Devices and printers.’
- Select your printing device from the list and right-tap it.
- Place a check of ‘Set as default printer.’
- Your printer will become online.
How to Fix Epson Printer Offline on Mac
Do you find the printer offline message when you try to print using Wi-Fi? Try these measures.
1. Re-add your printer
- Open the Apple menu.
- Select ‘System Preferences.’
- Pick ‘Print & Scan’ and ‘Print & Fax.’
- Pick your printer. Tap the ‘–‘ symbol to delete it.
- Now tap the ‘+’ sign to add it.
- Choose your printing device and select ‘Add.’
- Now try to print.
2. Remove the additional printer and set your printer as default.
Sometimes the Epson printer offline Mac issue arises when there is more than one printer added.
- Head to the Apple menu and pick ‘System Preferences.’
- Go to ‘Printers and Scanners.’
- Delete the additional printers from the list that appears.
- Click on the printer and choose ‘–.’
- Now configure your printer as the default printing device.
3. Disable the firewall temporarily
A firewall or security software can hinder the connection between the Epson Printer and Mac. So disable it temporarily.
- Head to ‘System Preferences’ on Mac.
- Click ‘Security & Privacy.’
- Click the ‘Firewall’ tab.
- Now disable it.
- If there’s firewall software on your system, turn it off.
- After printing, enable the firewall.
Final Words
Hopefully, this lengthy guide will function as a handy resource when you find your Epson printer showing offline. Windows and Mac users can use it to bring their printers online quickly. Contact a printer technical expert if you need more assistance to fix printer errors.
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