Spent 45 minutes trying to connect my printer, turns out it was unplugged the whole time

I was getting so mad at my WiFi printer yesterday because my laptop couldn't find it on the network. I restarted the router, reinstalled the drivers, even yelled at the thing a little. After 45 minutes of pure rage, I noticed the power cord had come loose from the back and the printer wasn't even on. Has anyone else had a tech fix that was so stupidly simple it made you feel like a total goof?

3 comments

3 Comments

theawest1mo ago

Hold on, let me push back a little. It actually makes total sense to check the router and drivers first. A loose power cord at the back of a printer isn't the most obvious thing, especially if the front power light is hidden or broken. Most people would assume the device is on and working, so the real problem has to be the network or software. My brother had a similar issue and he spent over an hour replacing ink cartridges before realizing the USB cable was halfway out on the back of his computer. The simple fix is only obvious after you've tried everything else, so don't feel bad about it.

linda_butler281mo ago

Yep, I once fixed mine by just unplugging it for thirty seconds and plugging back in.

wesleyjohnson1mo ago

Don't you think part of the reason people jump to router and drivers first is because printer error messages are so useless? Half the time the error on the screen just says "offline" or "error" with no hint that it's a power issue. I get what you're saying @theawest, but the real problem is these companies design the troubleshooting to send you in circles. They want you to run their stupid diagnostic software that never finds anything. Maybe the simple fix is obvious after the fact, but the front power light being hidden or broke is a design flaw that manufacturers should fix.