Unable to Print

Network Printers

Failure to print to a network printer could be a number of reasons, follow the checks below to eliminate possibilities.

Your first question should be – Can other people print or is it just me? If it’s more than one person, you can assume it’s a wider spread issue.

Check if anyone has printed a bad job that has lodged in the queue, often caused by printing from applications, such as Paint3D or photos.

Check network resources are available:

Do you have network connection i.e. can you get a shared network drive, can you access the internet?
Is the school server turned on? Sometimes the printer is set up to print via the server
Some printers are connected via Internet services ie. Microsoft Universal Print, so an internet outage may impact them

Check the following on the printer:

Is it turned on?
Is the cable connecting the network point to the printer plugged in securely?
Is the cable connecting the network printer in the correct panel on the wall? If it is in the wrong one it can impact printing.
Where the network cable plugs into the printer, are the lights displayed?
Are there any error messages displayed on the printer’s control panel display?
Check for jams or empty toner cartridges. These would normally be displayed on the printer control panel display
Can you print a test page?
Is there a Job history function available so you can check if your print made it to the printer?

On your device that you’re trying to print from:

Check the printer you’re trying to print to is in your list of available printers
Check the printer is set to your default printer. If it isn’t then right click and choose "Set as Default"
From the system tray area on your device (bottom right hand corner of your screen), double click the printer icon - this will display the printer queue. There may be an error whilst printing a previous document, right click the document in the list and choose cancel document. Try printing again

Local Printers

Carry out the following checks:

Is the printer switched on?
Check any error messages that the printer may be displaying. It could be the ink has run out or there is a paper jam, for example
Check the printer you’re trying to print to is in your list of available printers
Have you got the relevant drivers on your device to communicate with it?
Check the printer is set to your default printer. If it isn’t then right click and choose "Set as Default"
Check the cable connecting your device to the printer, ensure that it’s secured. You could always try swapping the cable if you believe it is faulty
From the system tray area on your device (bottom right hand corner of your screen), double click the printer icon - this will display the printer queue. There may be an error whilst printing a previous document, right click the document in the list and choose cancel document. Try printing again

If this information does not resolve your issue then please contact ICT Solutions for further advice.