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Printers & Scanners

Offline printers, stuck jobs, jams, poor quality, and scanning to email or OneDrive.

The printer is not working or shows as offline

A network or desk printer will not print, appears offline, or never wakes up.

ModerateAbout 10 minutes4 steps

You might notice

  • Status is Offline or Error
  • Jobs sit in the queue
  • The printer screen is dark
  1. 01

    Look at the printer itself

    Confirm it is powered on, shows a ready state, and has paper and toner. Clear any jam message. A red light or “paper out” will keep every job waiting.

  2. 02

    Confirm you are on the right network

    Staff Wi-Fi or Ethernet is required. Guest Wi-Fi and many home networks cannot see office printers. From home you usually need VPN plus a follow-me print queue.

  3. 03

    Remove stuck jobs and reprint

    Open the print queue, cancel everything, and send a single test page. If the printer is offline, right-click it and use See what’s printing → Printer → Use Printer Online.

  4. 04

    Remove and re-add the printer

    Forget the device and add the official queue from the company printer list. Do not install a driver from a random website.

How to add a network printer

Install the correct office printer or follow-me queue on a Windows or Mac laptop.

EasyAbout 6 minutes4 steps

You might notice

  • The printer you need is missing
  • You moved desks or floors
  • Prints go to the wrong building
  1. 01

    Use the company printer list

    On a managed Windows PC, open the Software Center or Start menu printer portal and install the queue by building and floor. On a Mac, use the Self Service item if one exists.

  2. 02

    Add from Windows settings if needed

    Go to Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → Add device. Choose the official name, not a similar Bonjour or WSD copy.

  3. 03

    Set it as default only if you will use it daily

    Follow-me or secure-release queues are better defaults than a single floor printer. You release the job at any compatible device with your badge.

  4. 04

    Print a test page

    Send one page and collect it. If the job vanishes with no error, you added a stale queue.

A print job is stuck in the queue

One document will not print and may be blocking everything behind it.

EasyAbout 7 minutes4 steps

You might notice

  • Queue shows Error or Printing forever
  • Later jobs never start
  • You cancelled the job but it remains
  1. 01

    Cancel the stuck document

    Open the printer queue, select the job, and cancel it. Wait 30 seconds. If it says Deleting, restart the laptop’s print spooler next.

  2. 02

    Restart the print spooler on Windows

    Press Win+R, type services.msc, find Print Spooler, and restart it. This clears a hung local queue without rebooting.

  3. 03

    Turn the printer off and on

    If the job is already in the device memory, power-cycle the printer after the screen is dark for 10 seconds.

  4. 04

    Resend a smaller test

    Print one page from Notepad. If that works, the original file may be corrupted or too complex. Export a PDF and print the PDF.

Jobs are going to the wrong printer

Pages appear on another floor, or Windows keeps selecting an old device.

EasyAbout 5 minutes3 steps

You might notice

  • You walk to the nearest printer and nothing is there
  • A coworker hands you your printout
  • The default printer keeps changing
  1. 01

    Look at the printer name before you click Print

    Expand the printer drop-down. Names usually include building and floor. Choose the follow-me queue if you want to release at any device.

  2. 02

    Set a sensible default

    In Printers & scanners, open the correct queue and set it as default. Turn off Windows “manage default printer” if it keeps picking the last device you used in another building.

  3. 03

    Remove printers you no longer use

    Old queues from a previous desk are a common trap. Remove them so they cannot be selected by accident.

The printer is printing blank pages

Paper comes out with nothing on it, or only a header and no body.

ModerateAbout 8 minutes4 steps

You might notice

  • Blank sheets for every job
  • Toner is low but not empty
  • Only one application prints blank
  1. 01

    Check toner, ink, and sealing tape

    Replace empty cartridges. On a new toner, remove the protective tape. Shake a nearly empty laser cartridge only if the vendor instructions allow it.

  2. 02

    Print the printer’s own test page

    Use the menu on the printer glass or LCD. If the hardware test page is also blank, the device needs service. If the hardware test is fine, the problem is the job or driver.

  3. 03

    Print as image or from a PDF

    Some Excel and browser jobs send blank output. Save to PDF and print the PDF, or in the driver enable Print as image.

  4. 04

    Reinstall the official driver

    Remove the printer and add the company queue again so you are not using a generic driver.

How to clear a printer paper jam

The printer reports a jam, even if you cannot see the paper at first.

EasyAbout 8 minutes4 steps

You might notice

  • Jam message on the screen
  • Paper wrinkled or torn
  • The message remains after you pulled one sheet
  1. 01

    Follow the printer’s jam map

    Open the trays and doors the screen highlights. Pull paper slowly in the direction of the path. Do not yank against rollers.

  2. 02

    Look for scraps

    Torn corners left on a roller will immediately jam the next page. Check the duplex area and the fuser door if the guide shows them.

  3. 03

    Reload paper correctly

    Fan the stack, load below the fill line, and set the guides snug. Curled or damp paper jams more often.

  4. 04

    Close every door firmly

    A slightly open tray keeps the error on. After the ready message returns, print one test page.

Print quality is streaky, faded, or dirty

Pages have lines, pale text, toner spots, or the wrong colors.

EasyAbout 8 minutes4 steps

You might notice

  • Vertical streaks
  • Faded text
  • Speckles or ghost images
  1. 01

    Print a quality report from the device

    Use the printer menu to print a cleaning or configuration page. If the defect is on that page too, it is hardware or consumables, not your file.

  2. 02

    Replace or reseat the cartridge

    Low toner causes fade. A poorly seated cartridge causes streaks. Run the device cleaning routine if the vendor provides one.

  3. 03

    Try a different file and paper

    Print a simple Word page on official paper. Labels, envelopes, and recycled stock often smear. In the driver, pick the matching paper type.

  4. 04

    Stop using the printer if it is smearing toner

    Loose toner can damage the fuser. Put an “out of order” note on the device and call facilities or IT.

How to scan a document to email or OneDrive

Turn a paper document into a PDF and send it to yourself or a shared library.

EasyAbout 6 minutes4 steps

You might notice

  • You have a signed form to file
  • The scanner asks for a destination
  • A scan never arrived in email
  1. 01

    Badge in on a multifunction printer

    Tap your badge or sign in so the device knows your email and OneDrive. Guest scans without sign-in often go nowhere.

  2. 02

    Choose Scan to Me or Scan to OneDrive

    Place the page on the glass or in the feeder, choose PDF, and pick one-sided or two-sided. Start with a single test page.

  3. 03

    Check junk mail and the scan folder

    Scans may land in Junk or in a OneDrive folder named Scans. Search your mailbox for the printer name.

  4. 04

    Do not scan highly sensitive paper to a shared inbox

    HR, payroll, and health documents should go to the approved secure location, not a team mailbox.