Printer in Error State? How to Clear It
“Printer in error state” is one of the least helpful messages Windows shows, because it is not one fault — it is a bucket. Windows puts a printer “in an error state” for paper jams, open covers, empty ink, connection drops, driver failures, and more. The real error is almost always visible on the printer itself. Here is how to find it and clear it, step by step.
1. Read the printer’s own screen and lights first
Before touching the computer, look at the printer. A message or code on its screen, or a pattern of blinking lights, names the actual fault: jam, door open, ink, paper, or a specific error code (write the code down — the manufacturer’s support page explains each one). Fixing what the printer is actually reporting clears the Windows “error state” message with it.
2. Clear the physical causes
Work through the physical checklist: remove any jammed paper — check the rear access door as well as the front, because half-fed sheets hide at the back. Confirm paper is loaded, all covers and doors are fully closed, and no ink or toner message is being ignored. A laser printer reporting a toner or drum warning will sit in an error state until it is dealt with.
3. Do a full power cycle
Turn the printer off, unplug it from power for a full 60 seconds, then plug it in and switch it on. Wait until it finishes its start-up routine and shows a ready state. Error states often persist through quick restarts because the printer never fully powers down; the unplugged minute is what clears them.
4. Check the connection
For USB printers: reseat the cable at both ends and try a different USB port on the computer. For Wi-Fi printers: confirm the printer still shows as connected to your network on its panel; if it dropped off, rejoin the network from the printer’s settings. If the printer also shows as “offline”, our Printer Offline guide covers the connection fixes in depth.
5. Clear the print queue and restart the spooler
A corrupted job in the queue can hold a printer in an error state. On Windows: Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → your printer → Open print queue → cancel every document. If a document will not delete, open services.msc, find Print Spooler, and choose Restart — then clear the queue again.
6. Take the printer out of “Use Printer Offline” mode
In the same print queue window, open the Printer menu and make sure Use Printer Offline and Pause Printing are unticked. While you are there, set this printer as your default (Printers & scanners → your printer → Set as default) so jobs are not going to a different, broken printer entry.
7. Run the Windows printer troubleshooter
Go to Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters → Printer → Run. The troubleshooter restarts services, checks for driver problems, and fixes several common configuration errors automatically. It will not fix a hardware fault, but for software-side error states it is genuinely useful.
8. Update or reinstall the driver
If the error state returns after every fix above, the driver is the likely cause — especially if the problem began after a Windows update. Remove the printer and its driver from your system, restart, and install the current full driver package from the manufacturer’s official support site for your exact model. Our main guide covers the reinstall process: Printer Not Printing? How to Fix It.
HP printers: use Diagnose & Fix in HP Smart
If an HP printer is in an error state, open the HP Smart app and run its Diagnose & Fix tool (in the printer’s tools/settings area). It checks the connection, queue, and driver automatically and applies the standard fixes — worth running before the manual driver reinstall in step 8. HP-specific stoppages are also covered in HP Printer Not Printing? 10 Fixes to Try First.
When it is a hardware fault
If the printer’s own screen shows the same error code after a full power cycle, with paper paths clear and consumables replaced, the fault is inside the machine — a sensor, the printhead, or the paper-feed mechanism. Search the exact code on the manufacturer’s support site: some codes have a documented reset procedure, and the rest are service jobs. Check your warranty status before paying for a repair.
The short version
Read the printer’s screen → clear jams/covers/consumable warnings → full 60-second power cycle → check USB/Wi-Fi → clear the queue and restart the spooler → untick “Use Printer Offline” → run the Windows troubleshooter → reinstall the official driver. The Windows message disappears when the printer’s real fault does.
