"Printer Offline" - will not print until reset by "run the troubleshooter"

[Carol92]

I ran “HP Print and Scan Doctor” to fix intermittent “printer offline” msg, then tried  a reinstall of the drivers.  I can temporarily bring  printer online by:  Windows settings, devices, printers & scanners, choose the LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdw, manage, run the troubleshooter.  That fixes the problem (maybe by restarting the spooler?). My family is a little impatient with the need to do this, often several times a day.    

Note that I DID NOT check the box “Let Windows Manage my default printer”.  In past months I had such trouble getting scans done that I have let the HP software manage as much as possible.   (Maybe I should let Windows manage?)  Two computers use the printer, the new LG Gram and the 3 year old Lenovo Yoga.  Both encounter the same problem. 

Thanks for looking at this.  

[ShlomiL]

Hi,

when you launch the HP Print and Scan Doctor, which exact version number is listed on the loading bar?

There are two Print and Scan Doctor version, once for any standard print and scan issues (version 5.3) and one specifically made to resolve Printer Offline conditions (version 5.0.5).

Please clarify the exact PSDR version you are using.

Shlomi

[Carol92]

Reply – I HAD used version 5.3.  Took your suggestion & downloaded & ran version 5.0.5. Interestingly, after the changes, the device page list two devices, EXACTLY as follows, on the Windows 10 devices page:

HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdw (A3AD71) (copy 1)    

SCAN ONLY - HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdw (A3AD71)-DO NOT DELETE

The printer works. 

But, I tried “HP Scan” app & got error msg “CLJM477 Scan Not Found” 

So I then tried an app called “SCAN”   – can’t tell if it’s HP, but was able to make it work, although not as nicely a the CLJM477 HP app. 

Will wait eagerly to see if the 5.0.5  fixes the “Printer Offline” issue.  Will be worth it to use a different scan ap, if needed.  My family will quit whining!

Thanks for your kind reply!  Will follow up with a big thank-you if this stops the Printer Offline!

Carol

[Repairatrooper]

If you are having a printer offline issue that can often be caused by the type of port that the print driver is configured to use. Windows loves to set printers on WSD ports. These have proven to be less than reliable. The most reliable connection method is to give the printer a static IP address and to use a Standard TCP/IP port as the port type for the driver on your computers. 

To check your ports, on your PC go to control panel>devices and printers and right click the icon for your printer. From the drop down menu select Printer Properties, then click the port tab. A WSD port be WSD followed by seemingly random numbers. TCP port appears as in the picture below. Note I have edited the displayed ports for security.

Yours would typically be something like 192.168.1.51

[Carol92]

Thanks to you, I’ve just begun to learn about the ports, & how to determine what port is being used!  After I ran Scan Doctor 5.0.5, two entries were created in “devices, printers & scanners”.  For the “HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdw (A3AD71) (copy 1)”, Ports shows a TCP/IP entry and the printer offline issue was cured. 

BUT – the Scan Doctor 5.0.5 created a second entry in the device list:

“ SCAN ONLY HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdw (A3AD71)-DO NOT DELETE”

Checking ports (as you have just taught me), I found the SCAN ONLY is connected to a WSD port.

(And the HP Scan app no longer works, must use another HP Scan app, & a few other issues)

It may be that Scan Doctor 5.0.5 has to be run separately on the scanner software to create the correct port.  Scan Doctor 5.0.5 seems to treat the 477fdw as 2 machines. 

Must get back to work, but future plan when I get sometime is to play with the Scan Doctor 5.0.5 & see if it can fix the scanner part of the printer/scanner.  Then I must teach myself how to create the port connection, or maybe that’s not so simple.  I’m gonna get into trouble here. 

This is probably more info than you want/need!  Again, thank you! 😊