Windows Cannot Connect to the Printer – Here’s What You Can Do!

Wireless printers have somewhat replaced wired PCs due to their convenience. Since you can instantly connect with your printer via Wi-Fi, it is more advantageous for other devices to interact with the printer, making the system more user-friendly. However, that also means that more users are now prone to facing issues. The most common among them is Windows cannot connect to the printer.

Discovering that the PC cannot detect or connect with the printer can be frustrating after pressing the Ctrl+P command. This not only interrupts the flow of work but also creates a situation that needs to be addressed immediately. 

The question that arises is how this can be fixed. What can you do if Windows cannot connect to the printer? A few things may help overcome this issue, and we will discuss them in this post! Keep on reading to find out ways to fix your PC-Printer connection. 

How to Fix Windows Can’t Connect To Your Printer Error

One of the most common issues that cause this error is the visibility of the printer. So, before we begin with the troubleshooting, make sure that the following preliminary steps are completed – 

• Ensure your printer is connected to power sources and turned ON.
• Check the Printer status to find out if it is connected to your Wi-Fi network.
• Try restarting the printer and your PC to re-create the connection from scratch.

If these three things resolve your issue and allow you to connect the PC to the printer, that would be good for you. If not, do not worry—we have a few methods that may help you out!

Fix 1 – Try Adding the Device Again

If you have used the device only once on your PC, the chance of it being removed from the paired list is high. This can be why you are unable to connect to the printer. To fix it, check the list of existing printers and scanners on your PC and Add the device again if you cannot find the concerned printer. 

Here’s what you need to do – 

Step 1 – Press Win+I to open system settings.
Step 2 – From the Left Pane, select Bluetooth & Devices.

Step 3 – In the opened Settings menu, click on Printers & Scanners.
Step 4 – Check the list of connected devices. If you can find them, click on Connect. Else, click on Add device.

Step 5 – Make sure that your printer is visible for connection.

Once the scan is complete, you will find the device on the list. Connect to it and start using the printer again. This will either reset the connection or add the device again to your device list. 

Fix 2 – Run the Troubleshooter for Printer

If the printer is showing under the list of devices but you are unable to connect, try running the internal troubleshooter found in the settings. This will help you identify and fix the issues. 

Step 1 – Navigate to Printers and Scanners settings as shown in the above method.

Step 2—Select the printer from the list of devices and click on it to open the extended menu.

Step 3 – In the extended menu, you may find the option to run a troubleshooter. Click on it to initiate the process. 

Now, wait for the troubleshooting to finish. If it finds something, the troubleshooting will fix the error. Overall, you may rely on this method if you feel something has gone wrong while using the printer or if a glitch on your PC is causing the error. 

Fix 3 – Update Printer & Wi-Fi Adapter Drivers

If you are still struggling to connect to your printer, the drivers for your wireless printer and connectivity may be missing or outdated. Having said that, updating multiple drivers or simply checking whether they are outdated might take a lot of effort manually.

That is why we recommend using Advanced Driver Updater. A third-party tool developed by Systweak Software that scans your PC for outdated drivers and shows the latest and most compatible updates. 

Step 1 – Download and install Advanced Driver Updater.

Step 2 – Run a quick scan to identify outdated drivers.

Step 3 – Once the scan is over, click Update All to start the update process. 

Now, restart the PC to apply changes. If you have system and hardware details, you can download the driver update from the manufacturer’s website or use Device Manager. 

Read Also: How To Fix Printer’s “Driver is Unavailable,” Error

Fix 4 – Restart Print Spooler Service

Sometimes, you might face connectivity issues when the Print Spooler service is not running. The best way to remove these glitches is to restart the print spooler service. 

Here’s how you do it – 

Step 1 – Press Win+R to open the run search.
Step 2 – Use command services.msc and hit enter.

Step 3 – Scroll down to find the Print Spooler service and right-click on it to restart it.

After the service restarts, wait and then try connecting to the printer. 

If none of the methods work, you may have a range or service issue with your Wi-Fi and printer. Call a professional hardware specialist who can help you out with this. If you are worried about performance issues, feel free to try these steps, as they will help. That will be all for this post. Thanks for reading, and good luck!

Read Also : 

How to Solve a Printer Not Recognized Error