How to make your printer online in Windows 8 and Windows 7

 
Just got a new printer and you did install the printer driver okay, but your printer is offline in Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 7. We have noticed that this problem occurs specially in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 computers. We have investigated about the solution, and here we have few things that you can try to fix this printer offline issues of Windows. Let’s do it.
 

1. Turn on “Network Discovery” and “File and Printer Sharing”

Go to “Control Panel” – Go to “Network and Sharing Center” – Click “Change Advanced Sharing Settings” – Select “Network Discovery” & “File and Printer Sharing”

 

2. Uncheck “Use Printer Offline”

Go to “Control Panel” – Go to “Devices and Printers” – Right click the offline printer – Click “See What’s Printing” – Click “Print” menu – Unselect “Use Printer Offline”

 
 

3. “Turn Off Firewall of Anti Virus Program You Have”

If above method did not work, try this, we have seen many of third party anti-virus firewalls cause this “Printer Offline Issue in Windows 8.1, Windows 8, and Windows 7”

!!! TRY TO TURN OFF ANY FIREWALL OF THIRD PARTY ANTI-VIRUS PROGRAMS !!! It will work ! 🙂 🙂 🙂

4. RESTART YOUR ROUTER OR MODEM (IF YOUR PRINTER IS ATTACHED TO A NETWORK)

If your printer is attached to a network(connected to a router or modem), try to restart your router or modem. Sometimes, this printer offline may caused by a router’s malfunction.
 

5. DELETE & RE-INSTALL YOUR PRINTER DRIVER

Try to delete your printer driver, and re-install the driver. In most cases, this could resolve the printer offline issue as well as many other printer issues. You can delete your printer in “Devices and Printers” Go to “Control Panel” —> “Devices and Printers” —> find and right click your printer —> “Remove device”. Download your printer driver from printer manufacturer’s website, and install the printer driver again.
 

6. FOR WINDOWS 7 – When you first connect to your Wi-Fi, Choose “Home Network” instead of “Work Network” and “Public Network”

How to change the network type ?

– Click Windows start button

– Type in “cmd” in the search bar and click command prompt

– Now, the command prompt will open. type netsh wlan show profiles

– You will see all the wired and wireless networks you have connected before

– Delete the network you are using now. type netsh wlan delete profile name=”YOUR NETWORK NAME HERE“

– Try to connect to your network again, and choose “Home Network”

We hope everyone resolved the printer offline issue in Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 7. If you have any questions, leave a comment here, and we will do our best to help you. 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Thank you!