Waiting for printer connection

Anonymous
2023-12-14T05:51:25+00:00

“Waiting for printer connection” pop up started coming up a couple of weeks ago and has been causing multiple issues.

Excel and Word randomly do not open, and then when I open the program again it tells me the file is already in use yet nothing is open. Task manager shows nothing open or running. I have to restart my computer each time to use the document or workbook and I sometimes I need to do this more than once before it will decide to randomly work.

I cannot print new documents or workbooks, it becomes unresponsive and then the program has to close. I can only print from saved documents, which o can’t always open!

MYOB cannot print now, I have to save as a pdf and then print. I know MYOB isn’t “Microsoft” but this only started when this pop up started. I have never experienced this issue before.

This is happening on all four computers and started at the exact same time.

I have tried turning off all network sharing connections and still no change.

This is really impacting my day to day operations ans these programs are all I use. It causing a significant loss of time.

Can someone please help?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Performance and system failures

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

47 answers

Sort by: Newest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2024-11-21T18:13:12+00:00

    I believe, after 2 years, this worked for me too. I still see it occasionally, but it goes away on it's own.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2024-11-21T17:14:30+00:00

    Thanks John I will try it.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2024-11-21T15:16:24+00:00

    I think I resolved it by removing a printer that is on a network which is not currently accessible.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2024-11-13T21:37:36+00:00

    Hi Neil,

    Thanks very much for your reply. Yes, once I realized it would only print a PDF I switched the default back to my original printer. Unfortunately, upon doing that, the problem came back. It seems at least in my case that my Windows 11 computer is having trouble reading and interpreting the documents I'm trying to print as fast as my computer is accessing the document. And they aren't anything exotic, just simple .rtf documents I have. I don't see any fix for me, and honestly today was the first day I noticed it. I'd guess at it being a Windows Update gone wrong, but don't know for sure. I tried updating printer drivers, and even went to HP to get their software for my printer. Nothing works. Why does it show this popup only when I open my .rtf files.

    I toyed with the idea of rolling back my system in "restore" to an earlier date to see if it goes away. My Windows 7 computer to this day has ZERO issues printing, so it's clearly a Windows 11 connection issue. If it were only HP printers having this problem, then maybe I'd say the printer software. The problem somehow rests in Windows.

    Thanks very much for getting in touch, I appreciate it!

    Russ

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2024-11-13T21:09:52+00:00

    You did both of the following:

    1. Turned off the "Allow Windows to manage my default printer" setting?
      and
    2. Switched your "default" printer back to your regular printer from the PDF printer after switching "Microsoft Print to PDF"?

    Because from your description is seems like one of the settings is still forcing it to go to PDF. You don't have 2 instances of your printer driver installed by any chance do you?
    If both of those points have been addressed and you've confirmed your printer is online (which it would be if you are able to print the PDF's there) and there's only one instance of your printer and you can categorically confirm that when you print from word the correct printer is selected in the print dialogue, then I suspect you have a printer driver problem and may need to reinstall the driver.

    Was this answer helpful?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments