Your printer keeps printing blank pages? This is extremely annoying and you’re certainly not the only one who faces this issue! Many Windows users are reporting it. But the good news is that you can fix it. This article gives you 5 solutions to try.
Table of contents
You may not have to try them all. Just work your way down the list until you find the one that works for you.
Fix 1: Restart your printer
A restart wipes away any code that’s stuck in a misbehaving state. So if you haven’t done so, try this easy fix first to see if it resolves the issue:
1) Press the power button on your printer to shut it down.
2) Unplug the printer power cable and wait for 3 minutes.
3) Plug the power cable back into the power outlet.
4) Restart your printer and try printing a page.
If the printed output is still missing ink, try the next fix.
Fix 2: Check your ink cartridges
Most printer issues occur when the cartridges installed are not working correctly. To see if that’s the problem for you, follow the instructions below:
Ensure ink cartridges are not empty
Your printer might not be able to produce a printout when the ink level is too low. So you need to check the ink/toner levels to ensure that there’s enough ink for it to work. Or, you’ll need to replace the cartridges.
Rule out ink cartridges clogging
Over time, the ink hardens up and starts to clog the nozzles. The blocked or clogged ink cartridge can prevent your printer from printing properly. In this case, you can clean your ink cartridges from the printer control panel or clean them manually.
Check for incorrect cartridge installation
Defective or disconnected cartridges will prevent your printer from working properly.
To see if that’s the problem for you, remove your cartridges to check if any of them are defective. If you find any damaged cartridges, replace them.
If all your cartridges are in good condition, reinstall your cartridges.
Make sure your cartridges all work properly, then try printing a page. If your printer still won’t print, move on to the next fix.
Fix 3: Update your printer driver
Printer problems are likely to occur when the printer driver isn’t installed correctly on your PC, or it gets corrupted somehow. To fix it, try installing the latest driver for your printer. There are two ways you can get the right driver:
Option 1 – Download and install the driver manually
The manufacturer of your printer keeps updating drivers. To get them, you need to go to your printer manufacturer’s website, find the drivers corresponding with your specific flavor of Windows version (for example, Windows 32 bit) and download the driver manually.
Once you’ve downloaded the correct drivers for your system, double-click on the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver.
Option 2 – Automatically update your printer driver
If you don’t have the time, patience, or computer skills to update the printer driver manually, you can do it automatically with Driver Easy.
Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to risk downloading and installing the wrong driver, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing.
You can update your drivers automatically with either the FREE or the Pro version of Driver Easy. But with the Pro version it takes just 2 clicks:
1) Download and install Driver Easy.
2) Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
3) Click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system (this requires the Pro version – you’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All).
If you need assistance, please contact Driver Easy’s support team at support@drivereasy.com.
4) Try printing a page to test your issue.
If your printer still won’t print normally, then try the next fix.
Fix 4: Run the Windows printer troubleshooter
Windows has built-in troubleshooters for common tech issues. If you run into any printer issues, we recommend that you run the tool to see if it can help you get rid of the problem. Follow the instructions below:
If you’re on Windows 7 or 8
1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key, and then type troubleshooting.
2) Select Troubleshooting.
3) Click Use a printer.
4) Click Next.
5) Wait for your computer to automatically detect your printer issue, and then follow the on-screen instructions to fix it. When the troubleshooting process is complete, print a page to see if your printer works correctly.
If no printer issue is identified, try fix 5.
If you’re on Windows 10
1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and type troubleshooting.
2) Select Troubleshooting settings.
3) Click Printer, and then click Run the troubleshooter.
4) Try printing a page after the troubleshooting is complete.
If your problem persists, read on and check the fix below.
Fix 5: Configure the Printer Spooler Service
In some cases, damaged Printer Spooler files might be the reason why your printer keeps printing blank pages. If this is your problem, configuring your Printer Spooler service can help. Here is how:
1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and type services.
2) Select Services.
3) Double-click Printer Spooler.
4) Click Stop, and then click OK.
5) Open Windows File Explorer (on your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and E at the same time).
6) Go to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS, then delete all files in this folder.
7) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key. Then type services and select Services.
8) Double-click Printer Spooler
9) Click Start. Then, make sure the Startup type is set to Automatic and click OK.
10) Try printing a page to test your problem.
Hopefully, this article helped in resolving your problem. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment below.
