POS Printer is not printing

Owned by Bryan Alborough
Mar 30, 2023
2 min read

1. Check the hardware

Checking the hardware itself should always be the first action in troubleshooting - very often hardware problems can be traced to cables, faulty hardware or power.

Checks

Suggestion

Is the printer switched on?

Switch the printer off and on again.

Are cables plugged in correctly at the back of the printer?

Unplug the cables and plug them in again - The cable may appear to be in, but loose.

Are cables plugged correctly into the computer?

Unplug the cables and plug them in again - The cable may appear to be in, but loose.

Are there any error lights on the printer status panel?

A red Error light indicates a hardware problem and may require repairing or replacing the printer. A red Paper Out light may indicate a paper jam, or the printer not closed properly, or the paper is not inserted correctly.

Does the paper feed?

If the printer doesn’t feed, the button, paper or mechanism may be jammed. Try re-seating the paper. If that does not work, the printer may need to be repaired or replaced.

Does the printer print a Self-Test Page?

Print a self-test page by holding down Feed, turning the printer off, and turning it on again. Release Feed when the red Error light flashes. If the test page prints correctly, the printer itself is functional. Some printers require you to press Feed again after the test page completes.

2 - Check Windows setup

If the printer hardware is correctly connected and functional, you will need to check the printer’s driver settings. On the computer the printer is connected to,

 

Click Start > search and open “control panel” > select the Printers and Hardware category

 

Check the following:

Are printers displaying correctly? Make sure that the printer is listed in the Printers Window in Control Panel. If the printer is not here, the drivers are likely not installed. Install the printer drivers, or set up a new printer.

 

Is the Printer online and ready? Check the status of the Printer. Depending on the status, take the following actions:

  • Ready: No action needed. The printer is detected and ready
    Unable to Connect: The printer is a network printer, and the computer is unable to connect to the host PC. Check that the computer the printer is connected to is switched on and that the printer is accessible over the network. If not, refer to the Network Troubleshooting Solution to resolve the network problems first.

  • Offline: The computer is not detecting the printer. The printer may be disconnected, the wrong port selected, or simply set offline.

  1. Check the cable connections and printer power again.

  2. Right-Click > Use Printer Online to bring the printer online.

    Are there documents in the queue?Pending documents are shown as a number above or beside the Status. if the number is 0, the print queue is clear. If it is not, Right-Click and select Cancel All Documents. If the documents do not completely clear, the computer may need to be rebooted.

    Does the printer print a Windows Test Page?