Printer Not Printing — First Checks

ℹ️ This article walks you through the most common print problems and how to fix them yourself before submitting a ticket. Most issues fall into a few categories — try the matching section below.

🍽️ If this is about a Squirrel POS receipt printer, kitchen printer, or cash drawer, please see the Squirrel POS troubleshooting article instead — those are managed differently and supported by Squirrel directly.

Print problems usually have one of a small number of causes. Walk through this article in order — the Quick Diagnostic below tells you which section is most likely to fix your issue.

⚠️ Quick Diagnostic: Where Is the Problem?

Before doing anything else, answer these two questions:

Question 1: Is anyone else at your site able to print right now?

• ✅ Other people are printing fine → The problem is with your computer or how you're sending the print job. Continue to "Single User Troubleshooting" below.
• ❌ No one can print → The printer itself or the network it's on is the issue. Skip to "Printer or Network Problem" below.

Question 2: When you press Print, does anything happen at all?

• 🟡 Nothing happens — no error, no print → See "Print Job Disappears Silently".
• 🟡 Error message appears → Take a photo of the message and continue to the relevant section.
• 🟡 Job appears in the print queue but never prints → See "Print Job Stuck in Queue".
• 🟡 Printer says "offline" or "not connected" → See "Printer Shows Offline".

Your answers to these questions tell you which troubleshooting path to follow — and they're the most useful information you can include if you do submit a ticket.

Single User Troubleshooting

You're trying to print but nothing happens

Step 1: Make sure you selected the right printer

This is the single most common cause of "nothing prints." Argus computers often have many printers configured, and the wrong one may be the default.

1. In your application, click File → Print (or press Ctrl+P).
2. Look at the printer name at the top of the print dialog.
3. Is this the printer physically near you, or the one you intended? If not, click the dropdown and choose the correct one.
4. Try printing again.

Printer names at Argus typically follow a convention like:

• Property + location (e.g., "Eldorado-Reception-Kyocera")
• Department + model (e.g., "Accounting-HP-LaserJet")

If you're not sure which printer is which, look at the small sticker on the printer itself — it usually has the printer's network name on it.

Print Job Stuck in Queue

If you can see your print job in the queue but it never actually prints:

Step 1: Cancel and retry the job

1. Click the Start button and type Printers & scanners.
2. Open Printers & scanners settings.
3. Find your printer in the list, click it, then click Open queue.
4. You'll see pending print jobs. Right-click yours and choose Cancel.
5. Wait 30 seconds.
6. Try printing again from the application.

Step 2: Restart the print spooler service

If jobs keep getting stuck:

1. Restart your computer (Start → Power → Restart, not shut down).
2. After restart, send a small test print (a single page).
3. If it works, the queue was the issue.

If the spooler keeps choking on every job, the printer itself may be the problem — see "Printer or Network Problem" below.

Printer Shows Offline

A printer showing "offline" usually means your computer can't reach the printer over the network.

Step 1: Check the printer is actually on

Walk over to the printer. Is the display lit? Are there any error messages on the printer's display? If the display is dark:

1. Check the power cable at the back of the printer.
2. Check the power outlet (try plugging a phone charger into the same outlet to confirm it has power).
3. Power-cycle the printer: turn it off, wait 30 seconds, turn it back on.
4. Wait 2 minutes for it to fully warm up before trying to print.

Step 2: Check the network connection on the printer

Most Argus printers connect via Ethernet cable, not WiFi.

1. Look at the back of the printer for the network cable (looks like a phone cable but thicker, with a small plastic clip).
2. The cable should be seated firmly into the network port. Unplug and reseat it.
3. Check that the small LED next to the network port on the printer is lit. If it's off, the network cable or wall jack may be bad — submit an IT ticket.

Step 3: Tell your computer to retry the connection

1. Click Start → Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners.
2. Click the affected printer.
3. Click Open queue.
4. In the queue window, click Printer in the top menu and uncheck Use Printer Offline if it's checked.
5. Try printing again.

Print Job Disappears Silently

Sometimes pressing Print produces no error, no queue entry, and no printed output. This usually means the application sent the job to a printer that no longer exists or has been removed.

Step 1: Re-open the print dialog and verify destination

1. File → Print (or Ctrl+P).
2. Look at the printer dropdown. Is the printer you want actually there?
3. Some applications "remember" a default printer that may have been removed from your computer.
4. Manually select a known-good printer and try again.

Printer or Network Problem (No One Can Print)

If everyone at your location is affected, the printer itself or the local network is down.

Step 1: Look at the printer's display

• Paper jam message: open the printer doors (usually marked with green levers/handles), look for paper inside, remove it carefully. Close all doors fully.
• Out of paper: refill the paper tray. Don't overfill — printers come with line indicators showing the maximum.
• Toner low / replace toner: most printers will keep printing for some time after this warning. Order a replacement toner if you don't have a spare on site.
• Network error or "Cannot connect": the printer has lost its network connection. Check the Ethernet cable on the back.

Step 2: Power-cycle the printer

If the display is showing an unhelpful error or the printer is unresponsive:

1. Turn off the printer using its power button (not by yanking the plug).
2. Wait 30 seconds.
3. Turn it back on.
4. Wait 2 full minutes for it to warm up and reconnect to the network.
5. Have one person try a test print.

Step 3: If a power-cycle didn't help

Submit an IT ticket. Multiple people unable to print is usually a problem requiring IT investigation (printer hardware issue, network port problem, server-side issue).

Paper Jam Quick Guide

1. Open the printer's doors as indicated by green levers or handles. Most modern printers (especially Kyocera) have clearly marked access points.
2. Look for visible paper inside the printer. Pull it out slowly and in the direction of normal paper flow (don't pull backwards — it can damage the rollers).
3. Check ALL access points, not just the obvious one. Jams often have small fragments of paper in places the user didn't expect.
4. Close all doors firmly. If even one is slightly open, the printer will report "door open" instead of jam-cleared.
5. Power-cycle the printer after clearing the jam.

If you can't find or remove the jam after a careful look, submit an IT ticket. Don't use force or tools — printers are easy to damage and expensive to repair.

Toner / Cartridge Replacement

Most Argus printers use Kyocera or HP toner cartridges. Replacement procedure:

1. Check the printer's display for the specific cartridge that needs replacing (some printers have multiple cartridges — black, cyan, magenta, yellow).
2. Locate spare toner. Properties usually keep spares in IT closets or storage rooms.
3. Open the toner access door (usually clearly marked).
4. Remove the empty cartridge — follow the printer's on-screen instructions or labels inside the access door.
5. Unbox the new cartridge. Shake it gently side-to-side a few times to distribute the toner. Remove any sealing tape.
6. Insert the new cartridge until it clicks into place.
7. Close the access door. The printer will calibrate (this takes 1–2 minutes).

If you have no spare toner on site, submit an IT ticket for a replacement order. Note the printer model and cartridge color needed.

Print Quality Issues

• Faded or streaky prints → toner is low, or print drum is dirty. Replace toner first; if that doesn't help, submit a ticket.
• Smudged ink/toner on prints → may indicate a damaged drum or fuser unit. Submit a ticket.
• Lines or stripes across pages → most often a drum or developer issue. Submit a ticket.
• Garbled or random characters printing → the wrong driver may be installed. Submit a ticket.

When to Submit a Ticket

Submit an IT ticket if:

• You've gone through the relevant section above and the printer still doesn't work.
• The printer is showing a hardware error you don't recognize.
• The printer is offline and the network connection appears intact.
• You need toner ordered or hardware replaced.
• Print quality is degraded and replacing toner didn't help.
• Multiple people at the location are affected (a multi-person ticket gets priority).

What to Include in Your Ticket

To resolve this quickly, please tell us:

1. The printer name as it appears in your print menu (or the physical location — "Eldorado front desk printer" / "Manteo back office Kyocera").
2. The printer's asset tag number — this is a small Argus IT label or sticker on the device, usually on the front, side, or top. If one is present, please include it. Asset tags identify the exact device in our inventory and speed up resolution.
3. What you were trying to print from — Outlook, Word, OPERA, a website, Squirrel reports, etc.
4. What exactly happened — error message (photo if possible), nothing at all, job stuck in queue, etc.
5. Can other people print to the same printer right now? Yes / No / Unknown.
6. Was the printer working before today? When did this start?
7. What steps have you already tried from this article?

Related Articles

• Squirrel POS Terminal Not Working — First Checks (for receipt printers / kitchen printers / cash drawers)
• How to Request New Hardware (laptops, monitors, accessories)
• Connecting to Corporate WiFi by Site

KB-20001 | Created: May 20, 2026