My printer is always off line when I go to print, how do I fix this please

[cybergranny]

My printer is always off line when i try to print a word document. How can I fix this Please.

cybergranny

[Repairatrooper · Accepted solution]

How are you connecting to the printer, USB or Network. The issue you are having is often caused when windows installs a network printer using a WSD port instead of a TCP/IP port. Often a printer connected by WSD will drop off due to a communication issue and never reestablish connection until the power is cycled. The way to check this is to do the following: On your computer, go to control panel>devices and printers and then right click on the icon for your printer and select "printer properties" from the drop down menu. Then click on the ports tab and check what type of port. A WSD port will have a port name like WSD-(followed by random letters and numbers) and the description will be WSD port, as in highlighted port below. 

To change to a standard TCP/IP port, you will need either the IP (network) address of the printer or the printer network name, Example above in green square. Click the add port button and select Standard TCP/IP, click new port. Click next on the new window that opens, then enter the IP address or printer network name in the box and click next, the installer will establish connection with the printer. Click finish, then close and then apply and confirm that the new port you created is checkmarked.