Locally connected Printer shows as offline on Windows 7 network after initially working

Anonymous
2010-02-06T13:46:55+00:00

Ok, have checked similar threads wihich got no successful answers.

I have a PC with Epson printer connect directly via USB. Print driver installed correctly.  Works fine. 

Windows 7 Ultimate (32 bit) no security other than windows firewall and microsoft security essentials.

Laptop connected wirelessly to PC.  On same network and homegroup, file and media sharing all working fine.

Laptop running Windows 7 Ultimate (32 bit) same security as PC.

When I add a network printer it finds printer on PC and correctly installs driver etc.  Printer appears in devices and will print the first couple of times.

However, by the next day the network printer shows up as "offline" in the print spooler on the laptop.  Documents simply stack up.

The PC does not go to sleep and is left on all of the time except for the monitor which is switched off.  Printer works fine on PC, indeed with docs stuck on the laptop I can still print directly from the PC - even this does not show the printer as online on the laptop.

Have checked that the printer spooler on laptop is running and set to automatic.

Epson unable/unwilling to help - have found a similar thread with no answer - anybody any guesses as to what to try?

Many thanks

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Internet and connectivity

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Anonymous
2010-05-03T09:50:43+00:00

I had a similar problem and for me  the Problem is with the EPSON driver.  

My printer was connected wirelessly to my network, I had IP address and could ping it but WIN 7 showed it as OFFLINE.

I then went and had a look at the printer driver, (start, Devices and printer, selected the epson printer then under printer management, customise printer, ports then configure port)

And noticed that for Standard TCP/IP Port it was pointing to a different IP than that what my printer currently had. I edited it to match what the printer was and it came ONLINE.

When you turn your printer off, its IP address goes back in your routers pool to be reassigned.

The Epson windows driver still has the old IP. You turn your printer on and your router happens to give it a different IP from last time. It now doesn't match with what the Epson driver stored before and tells you it is OFFLINE.

For me,  rather than changing the IP in the driver each time this happend I assigned a static IP (fixed host ) address in my router to match my printers MAC address. This way it always gives my printer the same address everytime and no more fake OFFLINE messages appear in Windows.

This is an Epson driver problem, not a windows problem.

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Anonymous
2010-05-28T07:49:43+00:00

Set the IP address of the printer to a static address as stated earlier in this thread.  If you add the printer again by browsing the network, the Standard TCP/IP port will only work as long ast the printer retains the same IP.  If the print device support DNS or WNS name registration you can add a Standard TCP/IP Port using the hostname rather than a transient IP address for DHCP enabled print devices. 

Alan Morris Windows Printing Team; Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here: http://support.microsoft.com/search/Default.aspx?adv=1

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-07-02T18:43:28+00:00

    it makes sense if the driver is provided by the manufacturer and they are late in submitting it to Microsoft to be tested.

    why blame Microsoft?

    you say they put the new driver on their web site and it took 2 year to get it submitted to Microsoft.

    why did it take that long?

    could it be that the driver they provided on their web site was not finish so that they could submit it to Microsoft?

    or that it did not pass the test?

    and that it took them 2 year to make it pass the test?

    what you don't get is that it is not Microsoft that make the device driver for the manufacturer it is the manufacturer that take care of that part or they pay a third entity to make it for them.

    the only thing Microsoft provide is a basic driver to make your device basic fonction work when the device manufacturer did not make any driver for their device. that is made so that the device can work when you connect it and the driver for the device does not exist yet.

    look I have often talk with support people and when they have no fix for their device they put the blame on Microsoft driver not being good. that is a lie since the driver for their device (company that make the device)they are the one that submit it to Microsoft.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-07-02T18:26:23+00:00

    I would say that something is blocking you. is the computer set to share file with other pc on the network? check the setting.

    1: this could be find in the file sharing option of the shared network.

    2:also another place to look is in the setting of the pc security setting if it is set to allow other pc to connect to this computer.

    3: another thing that could block you is firewall you will have to find in the firewall setting what you are trying to do and where it is block and set to allow.

    something more easy for you then transfer file over the network would be to copy your file to a usb memory stick or hard drive. then plug it on the other computer and send those file where you need them.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-07-02T17:30:24+00:00

    simple Microsoft even in window xp time add manufacturer submit  their driver to make sure it was working with windows xp. in windows xp update in other update it would offer you the manufacturer software update driver patch etc. now it is the same except that the computer find it automatic and install it automatic when you connect a device.

    so if the driver is not up to date is because of the manufacturer since they are the one that submit their software to Microsoft.

    to put it simple

    1 the manufacturer make  driver or other software to make their device work.

    2 they send it to Microsoft to be tested and sign as approve by Microsoft.

    so blaming Microsoft as their driver or software being not good for a manufacturer product make no sense.

    since the manufacturer is the one that provide the driver software in the first place. even if it comes from Microsoft on the web.

    and when the manufacturer does not make a driver for their device Microsoft provide one for basic fonction. of course having the manufacture software can give you more option on your device.

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