HP printer not responding is one of the common queries among the HP printer users. It generally occurs due to the glitches in the printer’s software. If you stuck with this issue, then you can continue with this article. This article will provide you with helpful methods, the application of which can fix the problem in an efficient manner.
What causes HP Printer not responding Error?
Searching for the problems which are causing the HP printer not responding issue? Then, this is the section where you will get the probable reasons which are responsible for it. According to the printer expert’s, below are the causes of the not responding issue of the HP printer.
- Loose wire connections: Printer device wires connection is one of the initial things which needs to be OK, to run a printing job. However, if it gets loose, then this can affect the printing job and probably this becomes the main cause for the HP printer not responding issue.
- Antivirus conflict: If you are using a wireless printer, then an antivirus software can be the cause for this error. If this is the case, then you need to check and disable your antivirus software. Further, it is better to uninstall that antivirus tool which is responsible for the error.
- The corrupt or outdated printer driver: Incomplete presence of the printer driver can restrict you to perform a printing job. Instead, it will pop-up the HP printer failing to respond error message window. If this is the case, then you can fix it with the help of the basic troubleshooting technique. To learn more about the process, continue the below sections of this article.
- Printer Settings: A wrong printer settings can also take part in the printer not responding error.
If this is the reason, then check out this article thoroughly till the end to learn the steps to fix it.
Frightening with an error will not resolve the problem. In place, if you add some of your efforts to follow these below instructions, then hopefully you can fix the HP printer problem efficiently.
Proven Methods to Fix the HP Printer not responding Issue
Facing an error is always certain and also brings a new challenge to you. It is better not to skip the problem, and let it fix with the help of the proper methods. Printer not responding is a very common issue, as said earlier. Thus, to fix it you can check out these below methods which are explained with the complete steps. So. let us begin.
Method 1: Verify your Printer’s Connection
Before beginning with the software fixing steps, it is better to check out the hardware connections at first. First of all, turn off both of your printer and its connecting devices. Next, check the USB plugs, whether connected properly or not. If you find that anything is wrong with the USB plugs, then change it with a different one. After ensuring that every connection (Computer or laptop, Wi-Fi) with the printer device is OK. Turn on both the devices and check if the problem gets resolved. If still, the problem persists, then proceed to the next method.
Method 2: Disable the Antivirus Software
This is the method to ensure that if the antivirus software is causing the error. The steps to follow to disable the antivirus software is very easy. In order to learn it, check out these below lines.
- Go to the antivirus icon from the taskbar (the small band, which is at the lowest portion on the desktop screen) menu. In case, if you do not find the antivirus icon at the top-screen of the taskbar, then hopefully you wil find it inside the taskbar tray. Near to the right-hand side below section, you will get an upward arrow symbol, which is termed as taskbar tray.
- Now, as you visit the antivirus icon from the top-screen of the taskbar or taskbar tray, right click on it. After that, from this appearing menu window, navigate the cursor to the “antivirus shields control” section. By doing this, you will visit a window gets open beside to it (antivirus shields control).
- This time you need to navigate the cursor beside the opening window of the antivirus shield control. Next, from these available options, select the time period for which you want to keep the antivirus software is in the disabled condition.
After, disabling the antivirus software, try to run your printer device. This is to check if the HP printer not responding problem gets sorted. If yes, then it is better to uninstall the antivirus software.
Method 3: Run the Printer Troubleshooter
After disabling the antivirus software, if you find that the problem still lingering on your PC, then with the help of the troubleshooter, you can fix this glitch. The steps to run the troubleshooter is very easy and are as follows.
- First of all, take the cursor to the Window icon, which is placed at the extreme left-hand side below-corner, then right-click on it.
- After that, from the appearing menu window, select the Settings option.
- Further, as the Settings window gets open, from the available options, click on “Update & Security”.
- Next, go to the left-hand side panel of this opening window and click on “Troubleshoot”
- Then, from the right-hand side panel, tap on the Printer option and click on “Run the troubleshooter”.
- After doing this, you need to keep patience, until the scanning is done.
- Then, from the troubleshooter result, follow the on-screen instructions to fix the generated issues.
Method 4: Update the HP Printer’s Driver
In case, if all these above methods do not solve the HP printer not responding issue, then continue with this method. This is comparatively a more time-consuming method but also an effective one.
So, to begin with, first, open the Device Manager window. Press the Windows key and the letter R at the same time. This will generate the Run bar window at the extreme left-hand side below portion, of the screen. After that, on this activated Run bar type “devmgmt.msc”, without using quotations. Next, click on OK or just hit the Enter button, this will open the Device Manager window.
Now, under this Device Manager window search for the Printer device, by scrolling down the window. After you get the printer device, right-click on it and select the “Update driver” option. Then, it will open up the “How do you want to search for drivers?” window, with the two options, which are as below.
- Search automatically for updated driver software
- Browse my computer for driver software
Search automatically for updated driver software: This option will help to get the latest version of the driver automatically, via the internet. As the downloading process gets completed, follow the on-screen instructions to install the updates successfully. In case, if you visit any restrictions from this process, then your job becomes tougher to fix the issue. That is you need to download the updated printer driver from the manufacturer’s website to solve the glitch.
Browse my computer for driver software: To select this option, you need to previously arrange the updated version of your printer driver. After having the latest version of your printer driver on your PC, you need to navigate to the file location by clicking on the Browse option. Then, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
Method 5: Set up your HP Printer as Default
Sometimes, it is seen that after fixing the printer device as default, the problem gets resolved. To do this, at first, you need to open the Control Panel window. Press the Windows key once to activate the search bar. Then, on the search bar type control. After doing this, you will visit the top-most search result as Control panel, click on it. Then, go to the right-hand side top-most portion of this Control Panel window and check if the “View by” is set into Large icons. If not, then set the “View by” into Large icons by dropping down the menu list, which is present beside to it.
Next, from the available options under this Control Panel window, click on “Devices and Printers”. After that, from this opening window, go to the Printers section and right-click on your HP device from the available options. Then, as the menu window gets open, select “Set as default printer”. After that, from the next, prompted window click on Yes, to confirm. By doing this, you will visit a green tick mark on your HP printer, which indicates that it is successfully set as default.
After performing this method, try to use your HP printer to check if the issue gets resolved.
Method 6: Restart the Print Spooler Service
A certain problem with the Print Spooler can cause the HP printer not responding issue. The method to follow to fix this is quite simple. Just check out these below lines to learn it.
- At first, tap the Windows key to activate the search bar.
- Then, on this search bar type run and hit on the Enter button, this wil open the Run bar window.
- Then, on this Run bar type services.msc and click on OK.
- After doing this, you will see that the Services window gets open. Now, under this window, go to the Printer Spooler option and hit twice on it.
- Next, you will visit that the Printer Spooler Properties window gets to appear on the screen.
- Under this, Printer Spooler Properties window navigate to the Startup type section and set it to Automatic.
- After that, click on the Start button from this same window and then hit on OK, to keep these changes.
After completing with all these steps, restart both the printer and the PC device. Next, this time hopefully you will able to use your HP printer without any problem.
Method 7: Ensure that the Printer is Configured Properly
A wrong with the printer configuration can be the culprit for the printer not responding error. If this is the case, then the method to follow to solve it is very simple and are as follows.
- Open the Run bar window with the help of the WIndows and the letter R key at the same time.
- Then, under this Run bar type control and hit the Enter key, this will bring up the Control Panel window on your PC screen.
- After that, go to the Devices and Printers section by setting the View by into Large icons.
- Next, under this opening window, right-click on the HP Printer from the Printers section. Then, choose the “Printers properties” option.
- After doing these above steps, you will get the HP printers properties window gets open. Now, under this window, tap on the Ports tab. Then, ensure that the proper port is selected.
- Then, click on Apply> OK, to confirm these changes.
After following all these above methods, hopefully, you can get the HP printer not responding glitch fixed. These methods are so efficient that this can fix some other issues of your HP printer also. But unfortunately even after trying a lot, you fail to fix this technical glitch by going through the above procedure, then it is advised to get in touch with an expert.
