Troubleshooting Printer issues deal with some experience and basic knowledge about them. Printers,  like any piece of electronic equipment, can experience errors. Often these errors are related to the loss or lack of the communication between the printer and computer. Pinpointing the problem can sometimes prove difficult.However, if you consider a number of different possibilities, you will more than likely be able to troubleshoot your printer’s connectivity problems. Below are five tips for troubleshooting Printer issues.

Troubleshooting Printer Issues in Five Easy Ways.

1.Print a Test Paper.

First, you need to find out if it’s actually the connection between the printer and the computer that is causing the problem. You need to find out if your printer is operating correctly on its own. One way you can do this is by printing a test page.

How to print out a test page can vary depending on the model of printer. The procedure should be outlined in any instructions or manuals that came with the printer. However, for many printers, this can be done by holding in the power butt for a few seconds. If the printer correctly prints out the test page, it is probably a sign that the printer is operating properly and the real problem is the computer-printer connection. This can be one of the simple ways of Troubleshooting Printer issues.

2.Reform The Physical Connection

The next thing you should try troubleshooting Printer issues is to reform the physical connection that exists between your printer and computer. To do this, first, unplug the printer cable both from the port on the back of the printer and the port on the computer.

Next, simply plug it back into the appropriate ports on both the printer and the computer. However, be careful that both ends of the cable are pushed into both ports securely. If it’s a USB link, make sure you pushed it in on the correct side. Once you are sure the connections are secure, try to send another print job.

3.Troubleshooting Printer issues With A Restart

Sometimes, other programs or processes running on your hard-drive may be causing the connection to fail. This may be the case, for example, if your computer’s memory is being eaten up by other programs. The best way to see if this is not the case is to start over fresh.

Simply, power both your computer and printer off. Next, restart them both. There is a chance that the connection will work again after the programs or processes that were causing the connection problem are removed by a restart.

4.Try To Contact The Printer Through The Control Panel

If the connection still fails, you may want to attempt to contact your printer through the Windows control panel. The menu you need to access in the control panel to do this is the one labeled “Printers and Faxes.” In Windows 7, however, this folder is named “Devices and Printers.” It includes all external devices installed on a computer including all printers. This folder can also be accessed directly from the start-up menu.

Once inside the menu, check to see if the icon for your printer is there. If it is not, it has not yet been installed on your machine. If you do see the icon, right click on it. Choose the properties option. Within the window that pops up, click to print a test page. If the connection still works, the print job should send. Generally troubleshooting Printer issues can be sorted here itself.

5.Try To Reinstall The Printer’s Drivers

Another strong possibility that may be causing connection problems is that your printer’s drivers may have been corrupted. Drivers are programs that allow an external device to communicate with a computer. Over a period of time, these programs can become corrupted for a multitude of different reasons. Thankfully, reinstalling a printer’s drivers so they work as they once did is quite simple.

Simply visit either the “Printers and Faxes” or “Devices and Printers” menu depending on the version of Windows you have installed. Find the icon for you printer. When you see it, right click on the icon. From the list of different options, there should be an option to uninstall the printer. Use it.Next, all you have to do is reinstall the printer to reinstall the drivers as new. You can do this by running the CD that came with the printer. However, many times, simply unplugging the printer from the computer and then plugging it back in again will be enough for it to reinstall.