How to: Fix a network printer suddenly showing as offline in Windows Vista, 7 or 8
This post has become quite popular – so I’ve updated it with a bit more detail, plus some people’s experiences from the comments. If you find it useful then please leave a comment – or, even better, if I’ve saved you time and money then donate a bit to cover my hosting costs.
You may find, as I have done recently, that a network printer installed on a Windows Vista starts suddenly showing as Offline even when other machines on the network can access it fine. I originally thought it would be an IP address issue, but it turned out not to be anything to do with that. In fact, the solution was far simpler – but also slightly strange…
It turns out that Windows Vista automatically enables SNMP support for networked printers, and if it can’t get a response to a SNMP message then it assumes the printer is offline. SNMP stands for Simple Network Management Protocol and is a way of getting information from network devices (such as routers, servers and printers), mainly for the purposes of finding out if there are any problems with the devices. A number of networked printers implement SNMP, and will respond to SNMP queries with information, but some don’t. My printer (a fairly old Lexmark T640) is one of the ones that doesn’t implement it – so of course Vista will never get a response to a SNMP message. The result of which is that the printer will start showing as offline at a seemingly random time because Vista has just sent a SNMP message to it, and it hasn’t responded.
Thankfully there is a simple way to fix this – and it just involves telling Vista not to try and communicate with the printer via SNMP. Simply right-click on the printer in the Printers window, choose the Ports tab, and select Configure Port. At the bottom you will see a checkbox saying something like SNMP Status Enable. Untick that, and the printer should start showing as online again.
That should be it…but here are a few other tips/observations from people who’ve commented on this post:
- This has been found to work on a variety of versions of Windows including
- Windows Vista
- Windows 7
- Windows 8
- Windows 8.1
- Windows 10
- Windows Server 2003
- Windows Server 2008
- Windows Server 2012
- You could need to be logged in as an administrator before you can change the SNMP status
- If you’re running Windows 8 then this could be the problem instead (thanks Gompo)
- If you find that this solves it for a bit but it keeps going offline again then editing the registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print and adding a new DWORD called SNMPLegacy with the value 1 and restarting may solve it (thanks Coxy)
- The issue can be caused even when the printer does support SNMP, but somehow the SNMP communications aren’t getting through – for example, due to a firewall or port configuration issue somewhere on the network (thanks Jonathan)
- Setting the SNMP ‘group name’ to “public” can also help (thanks PP)
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This post originally appeared on Robin's Blog.
Categorised as: Computer Help, Computing, How To, Windows
This was the best solution to my problem which started after the last Windows 7 update. I have three difference printers shared on a network and the older printer was always having this “offline” issue while the other two were random (going offline then back online when SNMP check worked – my guess). Didn’t like the hotfix solution from Microsoft so I am really happy I found this blog post. Such an easy solution which has worked like a charm after extensive searches on this issue. Thanks a million!
Thank you so much for posting this solution. Your solution was the one that finally worked, and as you said, it was quite simple. Thank you for sharing, you’re a wonder!!
It works ! fixed a problem with Samsung CLP360 & Windows 8.1
Your solution worked GREAT!! Thank you so much for the help.
Your solution fixed issue we had with Lexmark CX310dn – Thank you!
hi guys
i have a user that cannot print to a network kyocera Taskalfa 3500i.. the printers are manage on a print server with universal drivers.
when a user wants to install a printer it intalls the driver auto.
PROBLEM
I got 14 users printing to the same printer, but recently one of that 14 users experienced a issue with printing “could not connect to printer”. I tryd reinstalling the printer with user privillege it does’nt work(which normally works).. i log on as admin and installs the printer it works, but then all other users cannot print, same error”could not connect to printer” for all other users, i also have tryd reinstalling with user privillege(which normally works. as soon as i add the other users to print to that network printer it kicks the one particular user off, and the user cannot print
but the weird thing is that the specific user can print when he is alone connected to the printer but as soon as i reconnect the other users as in i start just by one user thats not having this issue it bombs out and disconnect the other user who origanlly reported the issue.
weird!!!!!
Thank you sir and stay blessed…
hi, i have the same problem, but i’m having trouble to fix it with this solution, the thing is when i click configure port, it displays a warning saying: an error ocurred during port configuration. this operation is not supported.
i did the registry DWORD and does not work in my case.
need help please.
I have windows 7, both the printer and the computer are in the same network, it happened just a few changes in my computer, uninstalled team viewer, removed user password, and installed an update from microsoft.
I came across your blog by searching the web. Finally the right solution for my problem! And so easy… 🙂 Thanks a lot!
Finally something worked! Thank you for posting this fix!
Thanks for your post. It worked . My comp is 64bit hence I have chosen “QWORD (64 BIT)” after restart it worked for me.
Lazerjet 5 and a 5N showing up between ports, connected directly but still won’t print. Tried everything!I know it’s an old printer but it’s a great printer. No help from HP from a 1996 printer… Anybody any su I know it’s an old printer but it’s a great printer. No help from HP from a 1996 printer… Anybody suggestions?? I love this Brenner I’ve tried everything I’m using XP
i got the ip address of xerox printer, went to printer properties, port tab, found the port it was using, then pushed configured button, typed in ip address, yellow exclamation point on printer icon changed to green check.
This was an awesome and easy fix. The SNMP setting was what did it for me. Thanks!
Thank you. Great and very easy fix!
THANKS a lot for for that but may i ask you is this SNMP blocking me from accessing my UBNT nano station via its default IP(192.168.1.20)..PLEASE HELP
OK – I must have the strangest computer. Doesn’t work for me – completely. Yes – it will show that it is no longer “offline” – but still won’t print. This problem began about 3 weeks ago. It will work fine in the office until I go home and print. Then it’s trouble all over again.
I tried this fix but it will not let me make any changes it is grayed out and I am logged in as administrator on min win 7 64 bit laptop trying to print to shared printer on my wifes lenovo win 8 printer worked fine til couple weeks ago not am unable print and unable to use above fix
This worked and was so simple…THANK YOU!!
I was tearing my hair out trying to figure out why my beast of a Lexmark C510 was stubbornly showing as offline, no matter how many times I checked all the connections and routers. Your solution fixed the (stupid, stupid) issue. Thank you!
Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou.
I spent hours trying to figure out why it would not work on my HP C5180 Printer that worked previously before.
Such a simple solution!!!!
Problem solved! Thanks.
My SNMP box was already unchecked, but I toggled it and it worked!!!
Thank u so much dude…………
Its working……….
Simple fix. Much appreciated. Cheers, mate!
Thank you for the information. It is simple but effective. From 2 days I am suffering but your solution relieved my pain immediately. Once again thanks a lot.
Apparently a Vista update caused the printers to stop working and just hang. Nothing seemed to work until I found HP Print and Scan doctor and it resolved the problems.
Thank you for the help!
I followed the steps up to configure the port but I can’t click on it. How do I get over that?
Thank you so much! This worked for me as well and I didn’t lose my documents.
This worked like a champ. Thanks so much !! Have been having major issues and it resolved my problems. So awesome.
You…are…a Golden God! Worked like a champ!
This worked for me! I struggled a long with my Brother network printer and it seemingly to go “offline” at random intervals. I thought i had it resolved once I had the port configured and set to static IP, but the problem persisted. Once I unchecked the SNMP box, it came back online immediately! Thank you!
Worked for our Us. Many Thanks
Wow! This worked – Disabled the SNMP box
Thank you!
This is the best solution for the offline problem. (my printer is KM-1820). Thank you so much for the post.
found informative.
Fixed problem with 8.1 also using 570 Xerox. Best solution for me. Many Thanks
THANKYOU! FiXed..so simple.. you are a genius!! I was getting so mad with my husband cos it seemed to happen every time he sent something to print from his computer!! so grateful ..
That was the ticket. After 6 hours of “$50 per hour tech research” this did the trick in under 3 mins. Not counting the 5 mins for “Google” time.
Thank you very much
JB
Thanks…It saved me hours of frustration.
Hello everybody
Good solution, I had another problem. All printers just disappeared from devices and printers. The problem is under services.msc print spooler make some issues. restart the service, printer start working. Why is happening I don’t know yet. If some one have some idea, I would to here from it.
Thanks.
Thank You…what a simple fix, that worked. Everybody and their brother (all computer techs) have been pulling their hair out trying to get my HP Officejet Pro L7680 All-in-One to communicate on the network and all have given up…this worked!!!!
Great! Worked for Windows10
One more grateful visitor. It worked! What a relief. Note: my husband (on the wireless network) needed to “run as administrator” and also go into Printers, right-click the Brother and toggle the “Use Printer Offline/Online” option. One nitpick: in your instrux, there’s a *missing step*: “Simply right-click on the printer in the Printers window, *choose Properties,* choose the Ports tab . . .”
YES!!!! That was it
Have the same issue on W8.1 with a Brother network printer. I tried the steps but get stuck at “an error occurred during port configuration This operation is not supported”. I am not sure how to perform this operation as an Administrator, because I am the administrator, and logged in as such.
BTW, right-clicking on the printer in W8.1 and choosing Properties does not give you the Ports tab. Only when you right click ->See whats printing and then click Printer->Properties you have the Ports tab, among a lot more.
Still no fix for me though (no, that update-package from the Microsoft website did not fix the issue since my system tells me that fix has already been installed).
I have a Brother wireless printer. In Windows 8.1, the port shows as ‘WSD’ and configuring the port was disallowed.
I added a port (standard tcp) using the button at the bottom of the ports screen using the ip address of the printer. That enabled snmp but I could disable it again by going back in and editing the port.
The printer shows as offline now, but it prints regardless.
Amazing how an OS can screw things up still after decades.
You are the MAN!! Thanks a lot!