HP site says cannot print but printer is online

[ChuckM47]

My WiFi light is solid blue but orange attention light is blinking. Printed report says “unable to print” and “sign in to your account”. Since I am out of warranty, my account won't connect me with any support options. The Instant Ink web page shows 0 of 50 plan pages used even though I did some printing this billing period. I have no way to call, email, or chat with HP to get this fixed.

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @ChuckM47 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! 

Thanks for posting your query! We're here to help you get back up and running.

I'd like to help you with your Instant Ink issue.

Not to worry I'll do everything I can to help get this sorted for you. 😊

In order to locate your account, please provide either your registered email address or your Instant Ink account ID or the printer serial number in a private message, and I'll look into this. 

To access your private messages, simply click the private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Support Community profile, next to your profile name. 

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye

Note: Do not share any of your personal information in public, such as serial number, phone number, email ID, etc.

[ChuckM47]

Thank you for the reply Hawks_Eyel Below is what my top right corner looks like. I don't see anything called a private message icon. Sorry.

[ChuckM47]

@Hawks_Eye,

i figured I'd come back and give it another look-see - still can't find a way to send you a private message.  By the way, in my original post I said the WiFi light was staying on solid blue.  True then, but blinking now.  I think the way I stopped it last time was to uninstall the HP Smart app from my PC and re-install it. I don't think that should be necessary, so I'm not trying that again.  The guy at Best Buy yesterday talked real fast and then ended up selling me a USB cable to go directly from PC to printer. Problem is... No place to plug it in on a "HP LaserJet MFP 140we".  I'll just wait for you.  (I obviously don't know how to change your userid into a link like you did with mine.)

[ChuckM47]

Sorry to be a nuisance, but I need to figure out if printer (only 2 YO) can be rescued or if I need to buy a new one.  I can provide email address, membership number, and serial number but I will abide by your recommendation not to do that in this public space.  If I buy a new printer is it easy to transfer my Instant Ink membership to it?

[ChuckM47]

Ok, one last attempt...  I finally found the private message icon you told me to use.  When I tried to send a message with my identifying information, it came back with "Access Denied  You do not have sufficient privileges for this resource..."  Drat! Maybe that's because I'm out of warranty. But why should I be denied printing because something appears to be broken down in my communications with HP?

I'm going to break protocol and give you this:  Serial Number:  VND4951278

[Hawks_Eye]

Thanks for replying @ChuckM47

Thanks for laying everything out so clearly—it’s completely understandable how frustrating this has been, especially when your printer is online, the Instant Ink plan is active, and yet you’re blocked from printing due to account validation issues. You’ve done everything right, and I appreciate your patience.

Here’s a focused path to help restore printing on your HP LaserJet MFP 140we:

1. Reconnect the Printer to Your HP Account

The blinking orange light and “sign in to your account” message suggest the printer has lost its Instant Ink entitlement or cloud connection. Let’s re-establish that:

• Open the HP App on your PC or mobile device.
• Select Add Printer if it doesn’t appear.
• When prompted, sign in with the same HP account used for Instant Ink.
• If the printer appears as “offline” or “not connected,” tap Reconnect or Restore Connection.

If the printer is already listed but not responding:

• Remove it from the HP App.
• Re-add it using Wi-Fi setup (not USB).

 

2. Restore Wi-Fi Connection

Since the Wi-Fi light is now blinking, the printer is no longer connected to your network:

• On the printer, press and hold the Wireless button until the light blinks rapidly (this resets Wi-Fi).
• On your PC or phone, connect to the printer’s temporary Wi-Fi (e.g., HP-Setup-140-LaserJet).
• Open the HP App and follow the Wi-Fi setup wizard to reconnect it to your home network.

Once connected, the Wi-Fi light should turn solid blue again.

 

3. Check Instant Ink Status

• Visit https://instantink.hpconnected.com and sign in.
• Confirm that your printer is listed and shows as active.
• If it shows “not connected” or “offline,” click Troubleshoot or Reactivate.

If the page still shows 0 of 50 pages used despite recent prints, it confirms the printer hasn’t synced with HP’s servers.

 

4. Can’t Print Without Internet (HP+ Model)

The HP LaserJet MFP 140we is an HP+ model, which means:

• It requires an internet connection to validate cartridges and print—even over USB.
• If the printer is not connected to the internet and signed in to your HP account, it will refuse to print.

 

5. Transferring Instant Ink to a New Printer

If you decide to replace the printer:

• Sign in to https://instantink.hpconnected.com.
• Click Change Printer under your account settings.
• Add the new printer and follow the prompts to transfer your plan.

Your unused pages and billing cycle will carry over automatically.

Let me know how the printer responds after reconnecting to Wi-Fi and re-signing into your HP account. I can guide you further if the Instant Ink status doesn’t update or if the printer remains blocked.

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye

[ChuckM47]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I was able to get the blue WiFi light to stopped blinking by using your "add new printer" steps. However, I have looked everywhere (or so I thought) for links saying "Troubleshoot" or "Reactivate" - I can't find them. I found an HP help video that said use the wrench icon. Once I found that and ran Diagnose and Fix, it came back with "Print Queue issue is not fixed." I clicked on something else and got "Internal Server Error".  I got scary messages when I clicked on "remove printer" so I cancelled out of that.  Bottom line is I still have the blinking orange Attention light (!) and I still cannot print.  

[ChuckM47]

Hawks_Eye,

I poked around enough on the HP website until I eventually found a link for an online chat. I had an excellent experience with that support. After asking some questions, Rai eventually connected in to my PC. He did lots of things that i couldn't keep up with but I didn't need to.  He got my Attention light to stop blinking and I was able to print a test page. If you have a way to close out this issue, you may do so.  Thank you for your help.

[Hawks_Eye]

Thanks for the update, and I’m genuinely glad to hear that your printer is now working and the Attention light has stopped blinking. You navigated a complex situation with persistence and clarity, and I appreciate you sharing the outcome.

Since the issue is resolved and printing is back to normal, there’s nothing further needed on this thread. If anything changes or you run into new challenges with your HP LaserJet MFP 140we, feel free to reach out—I’ll be here to help you through it.

Wishing you smooth and uninterrupted printing ahead.

Regards,

Hawks_Eye