My printer is working but not printing

[Dayna75]

My printer is working but not printing.  I did basic troubleshooting including turning printer off and then back on.  Checked printer queue and it says "unknown status".  What is going on?  

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @Dayna75,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

I understand your HP printer is powered on and working but not printing, and the printer queue shows “unknown status.” Let’s go through a few steps to check what could be causing this.

Restart Printer and Computer

Turn off the printer and your computer for 30 seconds, then turn both back on.

This often resolves temporary communication glitches.

Check Printer Connection

For Wi-Fi: ensure the printer and computer are on the same network.

For USB: try a different cable or port to rule out connection issues.

Clear and Reset the Print Queue

Open Devices & Printers, right-click your printer → See what’s printing → cancel all jobs.

Restart the Print Spooler service in Windows Services to refresh the queue.

Reinstall or Update Printer Driver

An outdated or corrupted driver can cause “unknown status.”

Download the latest full-feature HP driver from HP.com for your model and reinstall it.

Check Printer Status on HP Smart App

Open HP Smart → see if the printer shows “Ready” or reports any errors.

Sometimes HP Smart can detect issues not shown in Windows.

Run Printer Self-Test

Print a Printer Test Page directly from the printer control panel.

If it prints, the issue is likely with the computer connection or driver.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,