It is hard to come across an office that has no printer. These devices are crucial as they help us to transform documents from soft to hard copy. The most common types of printers used are HP models, and in some cases, they are unable to print, leaving us confused about what to do next. 

Very often, you will see forums and message boards packed with people asking, “why won’t my hp printer print?”. We will look into a few of the common problems that affect printers to help you understand what might be stopping you from printing your documents normally. 

Basic Troubleshooting

The first thing you should do is some basic troubleshooting on the printer. Start by checking the connection between the printer and the computer. Check the cable connecting the two and also double-check the connection settings in your computer settings.  

Restart your computer and do the same to your printer and then see if anything changes. In some cases, simple issues with the settings might be resolved by doing this. However, if these quick fixes don’t work, here are a few other options you can try.

Install New Printer Drivers

 One of the more common reasons a printer won’t print is due to bad or missing printer drivers.  The drivers are the software that connects the printer and computer and tells the printer to print. Without the right drivers installed, you simply cannot print. 

Drivers are constantly improved and updated, so it’s advised that you always use the latest versions. Most computers come with printer drivers already installed for some of the more popular hp printer models. But if you do need to find a new driver,  you can always find them on the HP website. 

Reinstall the drivers and ensure that you are using the latest version before trying to print again. If this does not work, look at the next option.

Set Printer as Default 

If your computer has been connected to several printers, it might just not be printing to the correct device. Depending on the type of computer you’re using, navigate to the printer settings. Find the printer that you’re trying to print to and right-click on it. Now, click the option to set the printer as the default printer.  Now all the new print jobs should be automatically assigned to the default printer.

Clear the Print Queue 

If you continually send printing jobs to a printer, its queue will get clogged, and this will make it unable to complete any other printing job. This way, it helps to check the printing queue by right-clicking on the printer icon. Clear all the pending tasks and allow the printer to refresh before sending in any more printing jobs.

Reset The Connection Entirely

If all else fails, you can always reinstall your printer entirely. Delete the printer from your computer, unplug it from your computer entirely, and then unplug it from the wall. Next, restart your computer.  Once the computer restarts, plug the printer back into the wall and back into your computer.  

Most modern printers are “plug and play” so you should see the printer automatically start its install process.  If it doesn’t start automatically, download the latest drivers from the HP website and start the manual installation process over again.