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5 Ways to Fix Printer in Error State on Windows PC

Find out what experts recommend as a fix

6 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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The printer plays a critical role for users who require taking a physical copy of their documents, pictures, or other forms of data. But, someWindowsusers encountered thePrinter in an error statenotification when trying to use it.

This prevents you from executing the print job or accessing the printer in general. And this is quite infuriating for many, having a printer right beside you and being unable to use it.

As is the case with any issue, thePrinter in an error stateproblem too can be easily fixed. But before we head to that, let’s find out why you are encountering it in the first place.

What causes the printer to be in an error state?

There are various reasons why you may be encountering the error, and here are the most common ones:

Also, here are some of the printers you are likely to encounter the issue with:

In order to help you to fix thePrinter in an error stateissue, we compiled a list of solutions that worked for most users.

These solutions will fix printer in error state in Windows 10 and 11 as well as devices like HP, Canon, and Epson.

How can I fixPrinter in error statemessage?

1. Make ports settings changes

Once done, reboot the computer for the changes to come into effect, and verify if thePrinter in an error statemessage disappears.

2. Make sure that your printer is Online

After changing the status, verify if thePrinter in an error stateproblem is fixed. In case you still see the notification, head to the next solution.

3. Reinstall the printer driver

You may update the outdated driver manually, but we trust that using the automatic technique will save you time and provide reliable results.

Choose a decent driver updater program, such asOutbyte Driver Updater, to automatically update your drivers on Windows 10.With this powerful and feature-rich software, you can update missing and outdated drivers like a pro. It has a thorough scanning mechanism that searches your device for faulty drivers, looks for compatible and up-to-date drivers, and updates them quickly.

Outbyte Driver Updater

4. Set the Print Spooler service run automatically

Once done, restart the computer for the changes to apply and verify ifPrinter in an error stateproblem is resolved. If not, head to the last solution.

5. Update Windows

If the previous methods didn’t work, you should install the latest Windows Update since it is, most likely, incompatibility to be blamed here. After you are done installing the latest version of the OS, thePrinter in an error stateproblem will be fixed for good.

Because most of today’s modern cross printers have wireless capabilities, they become an attack gateway and are vulnerable to viruses and malware.

In this regard, we strongly recommend that you choose areliable antivirus programthat you can use to secure your printer and, ultimately, your activities.

How can I fix Printer in error state on Windows 11?

The solutions forPrinter in an error statein Windows 10 and 11 remain pretty much the same. So we recommend you first try the ones listed in the previous section.

Also, run the built-inPrintertroubleshooter as it automatically identifies the underlying cause and suggests a solution for it.

In addition to these, you mayupdate the printer driverand make sure to verify that the right one is installed. Also, look for programs that may create conflicts with the functioning of the printer andremove all such apps.

And if none of these work, there’s always the option toperform a system restore, in case the printer worked fine until a few days ago. Just make sure to choose a restore point created before the problem first occurred.

By now, you would have gotten a hang of thePrinter in an error stateproblem and the solutions for both Windows 10 and 11.

Also, learn what to do if you see theError printingmessage while using the printer. For those of you looking to purchase a new one, find out thebest printers compatible with Windows 11.

We hope that our solutions helped you fix this printer issue. If you liked this article, feel free to leave a comment in the comment section below.

5 Ways to Fix Printer in Error State on Windows PC#

What causes the printer to be in an error state?#

How can I fixPrinter in error statemessage?#

1. Make ports settings changes#

2. Make sure that your printer is Online#

3. Reinstall the printer driver#

Outbyte Driver Updater#

4. Set the Print Spooler service run automatically#

5. Update Windows#

How can I fix Printer in error state on Windows 11?#