Printer always offline or asleep.

[St-John]

HP 6870 All-in-one S/N [personal info removed] windows 11 New HP laptop VFL5KMHC. All wireless network tests "Pass" or "Excellent" as seen by the printer "desktop".  Latest software and drivers downloaded and installed as per HP Smart instructions. But all apps (e.g. MS excel) see printer as "offline" or "asleep". All remedial steps (firmware and software downloads power recycling etc) suggested by HP Print Scan Doctor and HP Smart taken. Printer found on network if IP address entered manually but not found automatically. This printer worked fine with Windows 7 on a previous HP laptop and initially worked with the new set up. But now it will not come online. Help!!

[A_Gayathri · Accepted solution]

Hi @St-John ,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

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

It sounds frustrating to deal with printer connectivity issues, especially when everything seems to be set up correctly. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and hopefully resolve the issue:

1. Ensure Printer and Laptop Connectivity:

• Check Wireless Connection: Confirm that both your printer and Windows 11 laptop are connected to the same wireless network. Sometimes, devices can connect to different networks (like a guest network), causing communication issues.
• Signal Strength: Even though the network tests show "Pass" or "Excellent," ensure that the signal strength is consistently strong where the printer is located.

2. Verify Printer Settings:

• Printer Status: On the printer's control panel, ensure that it is not in sleep mode or offline mode. If it has a sleep mode, wake it up and check its status.
• Network Settings: Verify that the printer's IP address is correctly assigned and matches the subnet of your wireless network.

3. Windows 11 Settings Check:

• Device Settings: Go to Windows Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners. Check if the printer is listed there. If it shows as offline, you might be able to click on it and select "Manage" to see more options.
• Printer Properties: Right-click on the printer and select "Printer properties." Ensure that there are no errors shown and that it's set to use online status.

4. Update Printer Firmware (if possible):Update the firmware on an HP printer

• Visit the HP support website for your printer model and check if there are any firmware updates available. Sometimes, firmware updates can fix bugs related to connectivity.

5. Firewall and Security Software:

• Temporarily disable any firewall or security software on your laptop to see if they are blocking communication with the printer. If disabling resolves the issue, you may need to add the printer as an exception.

6. Reinstall Printer Drivers:

• Completely uninstall the printer drivers and software from your laptop. Then, download the latest drivers from the HP website specifically for Windows 11 and reinstall them.

7. Reset Printer Network Settings:

• If other steps fail, consider resetting the printer's network settings to default. This often clears up any network configuration issues the printer might be having.

Refer to this document:  HP OfficeJet Pro 6970 All-in-One Printer series - HP Support

HP printer is offline or unavailable

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. 

[St-John]

T hank you Gaya1239 The printer is now working. The problem seems to have been that the printer name (HP Office jet pro 6970) was not recognised by the windows 11  pc (HP LAPTOP-VFL5KMHC).  Despite entering the IP address, this could not be corrected until I had removed the printer from the list and added it back as a new printer again using the IP address. The printer is now listed as HP453853! But is working as the default. 

[A_Gayathri]

HI @St-John,

That's great! I am happy to hear that the issue has been resolved. If you need further assistance feel free to reach out to us. 

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the Accept as Solution on the public post, that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!

Have a great day ahead!

Gaya1239 

HP Support