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HP Recommended
Envy 4500, 5520 Officejet 86X0
Microsoft Windows 8.1 (64-bit)

 

Windows 8/8.1: Printer Offline Problems

 

Are you getting an error that your network or wireless printer is offline when you try to print?

 

When you print to your network printer, does it fail, and when you check the printer status it says Offline?

 

Do you have problems printing to your wireless printer after your PC has been asleep?

 

If you answered YES to any of the above questions, then you have a problem with your network printer being offline.  After some investigation into this problem, we recommend updating windows.  Run Windows update to check that your version of Windows 8 is up to date.

 

There are a few windows updates that may help with this problem

 

1)    Install this Microsoft patch to make sure this private-public-private network issue does not reoccur. It is part of the April 2014 Windows Update package for Windows 8.1 and Server2012 R2 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2919355).

 

2)      Install this Microsoft patch for the WSD service.  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3000461

 

If this does not help, then please follow the steps list below which will give you a Workaround that may help with this problem.

 

Assign the printer a static IP address

 

An IP address is an Internet network address that the computer can use to communicate with the printer. Enter a static IP address to make sure that the wireless connection remains stable. Follow these steps to assign the printer a static IP address.

  • Get the printer IP address.
    • Press the Wireless button on the printer control panel to view the network settings.
    • Access the Network menu on the printer control panel.
    • Print a Network Configuration Page or Wireless Test Report page.
  • Once you have the printer's IP address, open a new web browser window or tab.
  • Type the IP address in your web browser's address bar, and then press Enter.

Make sure that you type the IP address into the browser's address box. If you type it into a tool bar search box, the EWS will not open.

  • If the message 'There is a problem with this website's security certificate' appears in the web browser when you try to open the embedded web server (EWS), or when you navigate within the EWS, click 'Red X.gif Continue to this website (not recommended)'.

 note:

Choosing 'Red X.gif Continue to this website (not recommended)' will not harm your computer while you navigate within the EWS for your printer. If you encounter this error outside of your printer's EWS, your computer could be at risk.

 

If the browser fails to open the EWS after you click 'Red X.gif Continue to this website (not recommended)', refresh the browser window.

 

The Embedded Web Server (EWS) for the printer opens and confirms that the printer is on the same network as the computer.

  • In the EWS, click the Network tab.
  • In the Wireless section, click the Network Address (IP) or IPv6 configuration, depending on your network setup.
  • Click Manual IP, and then click Suggest a Manual IP Address. A manual IP address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway displays.
  • After the manual IP address populates, click Manual DNS Server.

 note:

Keep a record of the manual IP address for reference.

  • On the Network Configuration Page you printed earlier, locate the DNS Server addresses, type the DNS addresses in the Manual Preferred DNS Server and Manual Alternate DNS Server fields, and then click Apply.

If the DNS addresses are not listed on the Network Configuration Page, or if you have trouble accessing the network or Internet with the original DNS addresses, use one of the following methods to obtain DNS addresses.

 

    • Method one: Use publicly available DNS server addresses

Configure the printer using publicly available DNS server addresses. To find available DNS server addresses, search online for 'public DNS servers'.

After you find public DNS server addresses, type the addresses in the Manual Preferred DNS Server and Manual Alternate DNS Server fields, and then click Apply.

 

    • Method two: Get the network DNS information via your computer

Select your operating system, and then use the following directions to obtain the DNS server addresses.

      • Right-click the Start button (Start button.gif) or the lower left corner of the screen, click Run, type cmd, and then press Enter.
      • When the command window opens, type ipconfig /all, and then press Enter. Information about the computer's network displays.
      • Scroll to and locate the DNS Server addresses.
      • In the EWS, type the DNS addresses in the Manual Preferred DNS Server and Manual Alternate DNS Server fields, and then click Apply.
  • Print a test page to make sure that the printer's IP address is the same as you assigned.
  • Right-click the Start button (Start button.gif) or the lower left corner of the screen, click Search, type HP and click your printer in the results. Click Utilities, and then click Update IP address to update the address in the software.

 

Adding a Wireless Network Printer using Control Panel

 

Go to Control Panel and choose Devices and Printers

Click on Add Printer

 

Picture 1.jpg

 

 

The PC will search the local network and display the network printers.

Choose the printer and select Next

 

Picture 2.jpg

 

The system will then try and auto select a compatible driver

 

 Picture 3.jpg

Select the current driver and Click Next

 

 

 Picture 4.jpg

The system will then ask for a name for the printer. The user can change the name and then click Next

 

Picture 5.jpg

 

 

 

The User can then choose to share the printer

 

Picture 6.jpg

 

 

 

The user can select to make this new printer the default and then click Finish.

 

 

The new printer is now setup but this printer may be using the In OS driver (Class) rather than the HP Full Function driver.

To change the printer to use the HP Full Function driver follow the following instructions. I would recommend changing the driver to the HP Full Function driver as the User can then use features such as Custom paper sizes.

Go back into Control Panel and choose devices and Printers, right click on the newly created printer and choose Printer Properties

 

 

 Picture 7.jpg

 

 

 

Choose the Advanced Tab

 

 

 Picture 8.jpg

 

 

 

Click on the driver section drop down and choose the Driver for the printer that does not have the words Class driver after it.

 

 

 Picture 9.jpg

 

 

 

 

Click apply and then OK and the driver will be changed to the HP Full Function driver for the printer.

The user should try this configuration and see if they still experience problems.

 

Please Note:

 

DO NOT Remove the Original Printer Icon from Devices and Printers as the HP Printer Assistant will stop working.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JonW

I work for HP
17 REPLIES 17
HP Recommended

I have the printer offline problem. It started when I ran out of toner. I have now installed a new toner cartridge.

 

Your solution does not help me because I have tried to install Win8.1 and it failed.

 

I would just reinstall my printer but I have a long list of items in my print queque and I don't want to lose them.

 

Is there another solution? 

 

Or is there a way I can save the print queue?

 

Mike

HP Recommended

I uninstalled the printer and then reinstalled.

 

Mike

HP Recommended

I have this same problem with a new HP laptop (Model 15-go23cl) that has Windows 7 Pro installed.  The printer is an HP L7555 that is on my network and connects to two other macines on the same network.  This new computer keeps placing the printer offline.  So far the only solution I have found is to check the printer status before printing, and if it is offline deleting the printer and reinstalling it.  Can this be a hardware issue, not software, since it seems to happen with Win 8 (as reported) and happens with Win 7.  Again, I have two other computers--a Dell Inspirion and a very old Toshiba Satellite--neither of which have this problem either when wirelessly connected to my network or wire-connected to my network.  The Dell is running Win 7 Pro and the Toshiba is running XP.  Any ideas?

HP Recommended

Hi Jon,

 

I am having a problem with my HP OfficeJet Pro and Windows 8.1. When I print, scan, etc. the screen comes up and tells me that my printer is offline.  Most of the time the document prints or scans anyway. I tried your instructions above trying to change the driver setting without the words Class Driver, however that option did not appear.

 

I suppose I could just uninstall and reinstall the drivers, but I am not sure that will change anything.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thanks for your help!

HP Recommended

My photosmart premium C309g-m printer shows offline. I have 8.1 and have installed a new router which I have connected the to. help

HP Recommended

I have Windows 7 but having same problem.  I'm not a techy.

Went through many troubleshooters and forums without luck until I found one that worked.

 

As follows:

 

Check printer.  If it  says Off Line,  Open Printer  and on the printer TASKBAR ABOVE  where you see printer underlined right click it and this will allow you to change the off line to online by unchecking the offline .

 

See if that works, if not...

 

 

Go to start menu

Type in    CMD

Then type net stop spooler (may need to write it again)

Reboot computer

 

Then check printer again. 

If it still says Off Line,  try again to reset NOW by: Open Printer  and on the printer TASKBAR ABOVE  where you see printer underlined right click it and this will allow you to change the off line to online by unchecking the offline

 

 

Seemed to work for me!  Good luck!

HP Recommended

Just to help the community out... I am seeing cases in other areas of this forum for "Printer offline" in Windows 8 where removing the SNMP Status Enabled in the Configure TCP/IP Port Monitor has worked for some people.

I am an HP employee expressing my own opinion.
Please post rather than send me a message. It's good for the community and I might not be able to get back quickly. - Thank you.
HP Recommended

Ive been having this problem for some time now, also the printer ,in multi page prints pops up an error and stops printing after a page and a half.

My question is this, WHY THE HELL AFTER SPENING PLENTY OF MONEY ON YOUR PRODUCTS, DO I THEN HAVE TO SPEND A DAY CONFIGERING AND MESSING WITH SETTINGS WITH ROUTERS AND EVRYTHING ELSE ON MY NETWORK. I BOUGHT AN HP PRODUCT, HP SHOULD BE MAKING IT WORK, ITS NOT A KIT!!!!

i am now so annoyed with this 4630 piece of junk after 4-5 software uninstalls/reinsatalls. turning it off then back on every single time i need to use it, then having to print every page indiviually that if it doesnt get thrown through the window, its definately the last time i EVER buy a HP product.

iPads/phones dont suffer this issue just our 2 HP Pavilion laptops both running windows 8.1

ITS AN ISSUE WITH HP SOFTWARE, IT NOT MY JOB TO SORT IT, ITS HP's

HP Recommended
I could not agree more. This forum is laughable. Here we are trying to create a Rube Goldberg solution to a serious problem with HP laptops! That HP can't make a laptop that works with its own printers is a joke! Where is HP in this? Nowhere so far as I can tell. Why haven't they created and distributed a patch to fix this that requires zero customer effort to implement? Likely because they can't! Some technology company!
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