How to Fix the “Printer in Error State” in Windows 10

1. Ensure the Printer Is Properly Connected to Your PC

The first thing to check is the connection between the printer and the PC.

If you are using a wired printer, make sure that the cable is firmly connected to the computer and the printer. Make sure that the cable is not damaged.

If you are using a wireless printer, you must connect the printer to an available Wi-Fi network. It should also be assigned an IP address.

To check whether your PC correctly recognizes your printer, please do the following:

1. Input Control Panel in the Start menu search bar and select the Best match.
2. In Control Panel, from under the Hardware and Sound options, click View devices and printers.
3. You can now see the installed devices on your PC. Look for your printer here and select it.
4. At the bottom bar, your printer’s Status field should say Ready. This means your PC recognizes the printer and can communicate with it.

2. Reboot the Printer

Restarting the device can help resolve many temporary problems, as does the printer. If your PC reports that your Printer in Error State, it is worthwhile to turn the printer off and then on again.

Related: How to Fix a Media Creation Tool Stuck on “Checking for Updates”

For most printers, you can do this by pressing the power button on the printer itself. Then wait about half a minute, and then press the power button again.

Your PC should no longer display error messages.

3. Verify the Paper and Cartridge Ink Levels

Your PC says that one possible cause of your printer’s problem is that your printer is low on ink and/or there is not enough paper in the paper tray.

Technically, this is caused by your printer and not your PC.

First, load the paper into the printer tray. Then turn on the printer and check the ink level in the ink cartridges. If these values ​​are low, replace the ink cartridge.

4. Reinstall the Printer Drivers

Your printer driver defines how it connects to your computer. If these drivers are out of date or malfunctioning, please reinstall them and see if that solves the problem.

It is very easy to install, delete and reinstall the driver in Windows 10. Here is how to do it:

1. Disconnect the printer from your PC.
2. Launch Control Panel on your computer.
3. Select the View devices and printers option beneath Hardware and Sound.
4. Find your printer in the devices list.
5. Right-click your printer and select Remove device.
6. A prompt appears asking if you really want to remove the selected printer. Select Yes in the prompt to continue.
7. Connect the printer to your PC and your PC should automatically install the drivers.

If the driver is not installed automatically, visit the printer manufacturer’s website and download and install the driver manually.

5. Automate the Print Spooler Service

It is worth setting the printer spooler service to automatic mode to see if this can solve the “printer error condition” problem on your PC.

1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Find the Print Spooler service in the list, right-click it, and select Properties.
3. Click the dropdown menu next to Startup type and choose Automatic.
4. Click Apply followed by OK at the bottom.
5. Reboot your PC.

6. Update Windows 10

Needless to say, you should always keep your Windows 10 PC up to date. Running an older version of the operating system can cause many problems, including “the printer has an error” message.

Updating Windows 10 is very simple, you can proceed as follows:

1. Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings app.
2. Click Update & Security on the Settings screen.
3. Select Windows Update from the sidebar on the left.
4. Click Check for updates on the right.
5. Install the available updates.

Resolve the “Printer in Error State” Error in Windows 10

You cannot print when your printer is in an error state. Fortunately, you can use the above methods to get your printer out of this state and use it to reprint your documents.