Printer Cannot Print. A system problem has occurred and you will be unable to print until issue is r

[ma740988]

HP LaserJet MFP M140w printer is showing error:  "Printer cannot print.  A problem has occurred, and you will not be able to print, except for printer reports, until the issue is resolved.  Check your HP account for more information".

Checked the HP Smart app and it shows:

Printer Cannot Print. A system problem has occurred, and you will be unable to print until issue is resolved

Wireless status on the report shows connected, Signal Strength Excellent yet.    Unclear what to do as resets and restarts doesn't seem to work

[Max3Aj]

@ma740988, Welcome to HP Support Community. 

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you. 
Based on your HP LaserJet MFP M140w symptoms and the HP Smart message, it seems like the printer is being blocked by a system-level restriction, most likely related to HP+ or an account/subscription issue. Here’s a step-by-step guide to troubleshoot and potentially fix it:

Check HP+ or Instant Ink Status

• Go to: https://www.hp.com/account and sign in.
• Look for:
  • Any notifications about your printer.
  • If it's an HP+ printer, confirm whether Instant Ink is active, expired, or suspended.
• If Instant Ink was canceled or expired, HP+ printers will block regular printing until the account is resolved or the printer is deactivated from HP+ (which isn’t always reversible).

Reset HP Smart & Re-add Printer

1. Open the HP Smart app.
2. Remove the printer from the app.
3. Uninstall HP Smart if needed.
4. Reinstall it, sign in again, and re-add the printer.
   • This sometimes clears account sync issues.

Factory Reset the Printer

Steps:

1. Power off the printer.
2. Hold the Wireless and Cancel buttons.
3. While holding both, power the printer on, and keep holding for ~10-15 seconds until the attention light blinks.
4. Release both buttons. The printer should factory reset.

Then, reconnect it using HP Smart.

Double-check Firmware

HP may have pushed an update that caused the problem. You can:

• Go to HP Software & Drivers.
• Enter your printer model (M140w).
• Download and install the latest firmware update manually. 

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. Select "Yes" on the bottom left to say “Thanks” for helping! 

Max3Aj

HP Support