HP Printer in Error State – How to Fix

"Printer in Error State" is a Windows status message that appears when communication between Windows and the HP printer breaks down. The printer itself may be fine.

Fix 1: Check the Printer for Physical Issues

• Open all trays and doors — check for paper jams
• Ensure ink or toner cartridges are properly seated
• Look for any blinking lights or error messages on the printer display

Fix 2: Restart the Printer and Computer

Power off the HP printer, restart your computer, then power the printer back on. Let it fully initialize before trying to print.

Fix 3: Clear Printer Error State (Windows)

1. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners
2. Select your HP printer
3. Click Open print queue
4. Click Printer in the menu bar
5. Uncheck Use Printer Offline and Pause Printing

Fix 4: Run HP Print and Scan Doctor

HP's free diagnostic tool automatically finds and fixes most printer errors. Download it from HP's support site, run it, and follow the guided fixes.

Fix 5: Reinstall HP Printer Driver

1. Remove the HP printer from Printers & scanners
2. Open Device Manager, find the HP printer, and uninstall it
3. Download the latest HP Universal Print Driver from HP's website
4. Install and restart

Fix 6: Clear and Restart Print Spooler

net stop spooler
del /Q /F /S "%systemroot%\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*.*"
net start spooler