Printer says printer is busy

[irishrose70]

5740 office jet printer says printer is busy.  I did a hard shut down.  It usually works.  Did not this time. Help please.

[Sneha_01]

Hi @irishrose70,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

If your HP OfficeJet 5740 is displaying a "Printer is busy" message and a hard shutdown didn’t resolve the issue, here are several steps you can take to troubleshoot and resolve the problem:

1. Check for Pending Jobs

Cancel Print Jobs:

• On the Printer: Navigate to the printer’s control panel, find the print queue, and cancel any pending jobs.
• From Your Computer:
  • Windows: Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers, right-click on your printer, and select See what's printing. Cancel any pending jobs.
  • Mac: Go to System Preferences > Printers & Scanners, select your printer, and open the print queue to cancel jobs.

Clear Print Queue:

• Restart your computer to ensure no print jobs are stuck in the queue.

2. Restart Devices

Power Cycle the Printer:

• Turn off the printer and unplug it from the power source.
• Wait for at least 60 seconds before plugging it back in and turning it on.

Restart Your Computer:

• Restart your computer to clear any temporary issues that might be causing communication problems.

3. Check for Paper Jams and Obstructions

Inspect for Paper Jams:

• Open all access doors on the printer and carefully check for any jammed paper or foreign objects.
• Remove any obstructions carefully.

Check Paper Path:

• Ensure the paper trays are properly seated and the paper path is clear.

4. Update Printer Firmware and Drivers

• Visit the HP support website and check for any available firmware updates for your printer.
• Follow the instructions to download and install the latest firmware.
• Ensure you have the latest drivers installed for your printer.
• Download and install the latest drivers from the HP support website if needed.

5. Perform Printer Self-Test or Diagnostics

• Use the printer’s control panel to run a self-test or diagnostic check if available.
• Print a test page to see if the issue persists.

6. Check Network and Connection

• Ensure the printer is properly connected to your network (if using a wireless connection) or to your computer (if using a USB connection).
• If using a wireless connection, reconnect the printer to your network by following the printer’s wireless setup instructions.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

Rachel571

HP Support