How to Fix If HP Printer Not Printing Properly

Paper jams on the HP printer which prevents you from printing.
Outdated/corrupted printer driver.
Cables may be damaged.
Faulty computer printer connection.
Outdated Windows OS.

So, these are some of the common issues that may cause your HP printers not to print properly. Therefore, with our below-mentioned steps, you are easily able to resolve the problem with your HP printers that may prevent you from printing. So, head over to our mentioned solutions below.

Fix HP Printer Not Printing Properly Issue

As mentioned earlier, there are various reasons why your HP printer is not printing properly. Make sure to point out what reasons prevent you from printing the documents. However, we have mentioned a number of solutions which you can easily try in order to resolve the problem. So, let’s check it out.

Fix 1: Check Your Printer Status

The first thing we would recommend you do is to check the status of the HP printers you have. However, it defines checking the printer hardware and software to ensure everything is in good condition. Generally, the hardware components of the HP printers vary in placement according to the model. Make sure to check your HP printer’s status by following the steps below:

Make sure the HP printer cartridge is in good condition.
Check whether the paper tray is firmly attached to your HP printers.
Make sure there is enough ink, paper, and toner.
Make sure to check all the cables and connections from your PC to the HP printer.

Once you’re done with the above-mentioned points that describe the hardware components on your HP printers and everything looks well connected, try printing out with your printer and if your HP printers are still not printing properly, head over to the below solutions.

Fix 2: Check the Cable and Connection

As mentioned above, you also have to check the cable and connection of your HP printer if it’s not printing properly. However, there may be a chance that your HP printer’s cable is damaged or cut, preventing you from printing anything with your HP printer machine. In such cases, you must ensure your power cord is properly plugged to the power outlet on the wall socket and printer. If not, try plugging it again carefully.

Fix 3: Run the Troubleshooter

The Windows OS (operating system) gets in with easy access to troubleshoot the menus, and it’s easy to handle. Troubleshooting is the systematic process that is mainly used to locate the significant cause of a fault on your system and with this, it’s easy to correct the software and hardware issues that appear while scanning the problem. To run the troubleshooter on your Windows PC, follow the steps below.

Head over to your Windows Settings by pressing the Windows + I key on the keyboard.
Choose the “Bluetooth & devices” option.
Click the “Printers & scanners” option.
Scroll down and click the “Troubleshoot” option.
Let your computer scan the problems on your HP printer.

Once the troubleshoot is finished, it will recommend fixes to apply on your printer if a problem is detected. Simply, select the “Apply this fix” option and it will automatically resolve the problem on your HP printer. If the problem persists, try moving on to other solutions.

Fix 4: Power Cycle Your Printer

The other most straightforward solution is to power cycle your HP printer to resolve the not printing issue. There may be a chance that the bugs in the HP printer are the main cause that prevents you from getting the print from your HP printer machine. Make sure to power cycle your HP printer as they might help you to get the issue resolved.

By doing the power cycle your HP printer is the straightforward way and you can easily resolve it without any difficulties. Therefore, it is suggested you power cycle your printer and check the results again. Here’s how to do it.

Just unplug all the cables and connection of your HP printer from the wall socket and printer.
Wait for a few minutes before plugging the cables back.
Again, plug the power source and cable back to the wall socket and printer and turn the switch back on.
Now check if the issue has been resolved by printing anything on your HP printer.

Fix 5: Restart Your Device

It is also recommended that you restart your computer you have connected to your HP printer. Occasionally, the cached data error may be the cause of this kind of issue. So, if your HP printer is not printing properly or showing an error, the issue can be resolved by removing the caches files.

Generally, the most dominant way to flush the RAM is to restart your computer. With this, you may be able to resolve the problem since this removes the cache files on your system. So, it is suggested that you restart your computer. Here’s how to do it.

Unplug the power source and output cables from the wall socket of your computer.
Wait for about 2-3 minutes before plugging in back.
Again, plug the power source back to the wall socket and attach all cables that you have unplugged in.
Once done, turn the switch back on and check if the printer is working by printing anything to check the result.

Fix 6: Set Your HP Printer As Default

If you have restarted your HP printer and computer at a time and cannot print with your HP printer, try setting your HP printer as a default setting. However, when incessantly using the same printer for a long time, it is essential to set it as a default state of your printer to save you. As you know, the hassle of selecting a printer every time when you try to create a document or print from an installed application.

Most times, the HP printer will misbehave if it’s not set as the default state. However, setting your HP printer to a default state is too easy, and you can quickly do it. Here are the steps that you can follow to set your HP printer to a default printer.

Open the control panel on your computer.
Click the “View devices and printers” option.
Again, right-click on your current HP printer and select “Set as the default printer.”

Once you’re done with that, try printing with your HP printer and check if the issue has been resolved. If the issue persists, try moving on to other solutions.

Fix 7: Update Your HP Printer Drivers

In most cases, HP printer drivers are the main reason for this issue when everything appears fine with the printer. However, each HP printer model has its drivers and ensures that you have the correct driver installed for your HP printer, as it is essential while printing the documents. Well, if your HP printer driver is outdated and using the older version, the printer won’t print the documents when prompted by the PC.

Therefore, it is essential to update your HP printer drivers to the latest one. By updating the drivers, you may easily resolve the problem. To update the driver, follow the steps below:

Press the Windows + X key on the keyboard and select “Device Manager” from the pop-up menu.
Look for the printer model you are using with your computer and expand the printer category by clicking the arrow icon on the right side.
Right-click on the printer model you’re using.
Select the “Update drivers” option.
Click the “Search automatically for drivers” option.

Now your PC will automatically search for available drivers, and once you find the driver, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process of your new update driver. However, if you are unable to find any driver updates on the screen, you need to restore your computer to download and install the latest drivers for your HP printer.

Once you have updated and installed the driver for your HP printer, restart your computer and try printing on your HP printer to check if the issue has been resolved. If the issue still persists, try uninstalling and reinstalling the driver. You can also download the drivers directly from the official HP website.

Fix 8: Canceling All Print Jobs

If you have updated your driver for your HP printer and still you are unable to print, try canceling all print jobs. However, sometimes jobs often get stuck in the printer queue. Occasionally, jobs will automatically get stuck when one job encounters an error and fails to print, causing all other jobs not to print till the error gets resolved. But, the point is that it can be easily fixable by canceling all print jobs in the print queue. Here’s how to do it.

Open the control panel on your computer.
Click the “View devices and printers” option.
Again, right-click on your current HP printer and select “See what’s printing”.
Again, open the printer menu and select “Open as administrator”.
After that, open the printer menu again and select “Cancel all documents”.

Once you have successfully canceled all the print jobs and ensure the HP printer preferences are correct, try printing again to check if the issue has been resolved.

Fix 9: Try Repairing the System Files

If you have tried the above solutions and still you are unable to solve the printer not printing properly issue, there may be an issue with your Windows operating system itself. In such a case, you should want to run Windows repair, which will automatically repair the system files if it interferes with your normal performance of your Windows OS. You need to repair the system files by running the SFC (system file checker) in Windows. Here’s how to do it.

Press the Windows key to open the menu on the screen.
Search for “Command Prompt.”
Right-click on it and select “Run as administrator.”
Type “sfc/scannow” and hit Enter.
Wait for a moment to detect and replace the corrupted files on your computer.
Once done, restart your computer ensure your HP printer is connected, and try checking the results.

Fix 10: Contact Support Team

If none of the above workarounds works for you to resolve the HP printer, not printing issue, you must contact the support team for further assistance. Explain everything to the team that you’re having issues with your printer. Afterward, they will provide the best ways in which you may easily try to resolve the problem you’re encountering. You can also visit the local repair shop or nearby service center if any damage seems on the printer.

Wrapping Up

HP printer is known for the popular electronic products on the market that have a huge impact. However, the HP printer not printing issue is annoying, especially when you’re trying to print any documents you want urgently and at that time, you’re unable to do it with your printer.

Therefore, with our mentioned solutions, you can easily resolve the printing issue on your HP printer. Make sure to follow each step carefully. I hope you have found this article helpful. If you have any other queries, let us know in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!