HP Printer Does Not Work

Printers are arguably the most commonly used computer peripherals, apart from keyboards and mice. Due to the sheer number of printers in use, they are also the source of some of the most commonly encountered computer issues.

If you have an HP printer and it is giving you trouble when trying to print, or simply outright refuses to print out a page, there are several things you should try before panicking.

First of all, check all cable connections. In a lot of similar cases, the issue is due to a cable that has come slightly loose so that the data or power connection has been disrupted. Check both the power cable of your HP printer, as well as the data cable connecting your computer and the printer.

Sometimes cables that are kept under a lot of strain and in awkward positions may end up having broken strands of wire inside them. Just to be sure you can rule out a cable problem, try connecting a new power and data cable to your HP printer and try again.

If that fails, your next step should be reinstalling the printer's drivers. You can do that in the cleanest possible way by first removing the old driver.

Open your start menu, type in "Device Manager" and click the app's icon. In the device manager window, find and expand the category that contains your printer. Right-click the printer and select "Uninstall device". You may be prompted to reboot your PC once the driver is uninstalled.

Next, download the appropriate driver package for your specific model of HP printer. If you are unsure which package you need, consult the printer's manual.

Run the driver package installer and wait for the process to finish. In most cases, you will not be required to reboot your system at this point. The printer should already be ready for normal operation.

Try printing a document again. If the problem persists with no specific error messages, you may need to take your printer to a qualified technician and have it examined for mechanical faults.