How to fix 'Windows cannot connect to the printer'?

When encountering the problem of "Windows cannot connect to the printer", you can usually solve it through the following steps: 1. Make sure the printer and the computer are connected to the same network, check whether the IP address matches, or try to replace the USB cable; 2. Make sure the printer is online and not offline, enable file and printer sharing; 3. Update or reinstall the printer driver and operate through the Device Manager; 4. Check and restart the Print Spooler service to ensure that its startup type is automatic. Troubleshooting according to the above methods can usually solve the connection problem. If it still cannot be solved, there may be hardware failures or network restrictions. It is recommended to check further or contact support.

I encountered the problem of "Windows cannot connect to the printer", usually there is a problem with the network, driver or system settings. The key to solving this problem is to check several common reasons: whether the network is normal, whether the printer status is ready, whether the driver is matching, and whether the system services are running normally.

Here are some practical solutions:

1. Make sure the printer and computer are on the same network

If you are using a wireless printer, first make sure it is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your computer. If one is connected to 2.4GHz and the other is connected to 5GHz, it may also cause the connection to fail.

• Check the network status on the printer screen (if there is a display)
• Open the command prompt on the computer and enter ipconfig to see if the first few digits of the IP address of the machine are consistent with the printer
• If it is a printer connected via USB, make sure the connection is stable and try changing the data cable to test

2. Check if the printer is online and shared correctly

Sometimes the printer is on, but may be "offline" or not shared correctly.

• Open Control Panel > Devices and Printers to see if the target printer icon is grayed out or displays Offline
• Right-click the printer icon and uncheck "Use printer offline"
• If it is a shared printer, make sure that the host on which the printer is located has file and printer sharing enabled:
  • Open Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change Advanced Sharing Settings
  • Enable File and Printer Sharing

3. Update or reinstall the printer driver

Outdated or damaged drivers are also one of the common reasons.

You can try the following steps:

• Go to the official website of the printer brand to download the latest drivers (such as HP, Canon, Epson, etc.)
• Update drivers using Device Manager:
  • Win X → Device Manager → Print Queue → Right-click to select Printer → Update Driver
• If it doesn't work, you can completely uninstall and reinstall:
  • Right-click the printer → delete the device
  • Then add the printer again (Search "Add Printer" in the Start Menu)

4. Check whether the Windows Print Service is running

Windows relies on some background services to handle printing tasks, one of which is "Print Spooler".

• Press Win R to enter services.msc to enter
• Find "Print Spooler", right-click and select "Restart"
• If the service is disabled, change its startup type to "Auto"

In addition, some users report that turning off Spooler and then enabling it can solve the problem, and you can also try it.

Basically, these common investigation directions. In most cases, by following the above method step by step, you can solve the problem of "Windows cannot connect to the printer". If it still doesn't work, it may be because of a hardware failure or router settings restrict communication, then further inspection or contact the manufacturer for support.

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