HP Printer in Error state? How You Can Fix It

Gibsonweley
5 min readAug 2, 2023

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You must have encountered the printer error status while sending documents to print. There are many reasons for that. One of which is your printer turned off or you simply do not have connectivity to a WiFi network, among others. HP printers tend to be the most reliable printers. However, it is facing criticism for HP printer in error state in Windows 10. It usually happens while upgrading the new operating system. At that time, the printer drivers tend to be incompatible with the new updates to your system.

In this post, we will discuss what are the causes of such errors and what methods you can apply to fix HP printer in error state.

Why does my HP printer say error?
Your printer’s screen shows an error that says “HP Printer in error state”, which means that your printer is not working as it should. It could be due to outdated drivers for your printer. In such cases, it is recommended to reinstall the HP printers software to make it work.

The HP printer says it is in an error state! Let’s find out the possible reasons for it.
When you try to print some documents, your HP printer won’t let you do it. The reasons behind these problems include:

  • little ink
  • Insufficient papers in the printer input tray
  • stuck state
  • Open the printer cover
  • Printer badly connected to a system
  • Damaged printer driver

5 Ways to Fix HP Printer Error Status in Windows 10

Run troubleshooter
Always run troubleshooters with your printing device if your HP printer is in an error state. Do the following to run the troubleshooter:

  • Make sure the printer is turned on and the cables associated with it are properly connected to the computer.
  • Click Start and type “Troubleshoot” in the search field.
  • From the list of available options, click ‘Troubleshoot’. A new window will open, click on View All and then scroll down to the Printer option.
  • From the new window that appears, click on the Advanced option to run the troubleshooting for your printer.
  • Click Run as administrator and then the Next button to start troubleshooting your printer which will start to detect the problems in your system to resolve the printer in error state.
  • If the troubleshooter can’t find any problems, your printer may need to update the drivers. See Solution 2 for that.

Update printer drivers
Due to outdated drivers, your printing device is not working properly. This is why this ‘HP Printer in Error State’ issue is creating a problem.

Follow these steps to overcome this error:

  • To see if you have received notification updates for the new printer driver, click the Start button and type “Device Manager” in the field box.
  • Select the ‘Expand Printers’ option and check if one of your HP printer models is listed.
  • Right-click on your HP printer model and then choose the ‘Update Driver’ option to run a new update for your HP printer driver.
  • Once the driver is updated, restart the system and the printer. Try printing a test page to see if it works fine.
  • If your printer continues to experience “HP Printer in Windows 10 Error State”, try the solutions below.

Set the spooler service to automatic mode
Print Spooler often stops and does not allow any HP printer to work well. It is one of the reasons why HP printer has error status issue on its system. In such cases, you should change the state of the Print Spooler Service of your printer to Automatic mode.

A software program that manages all print jobs assigned to the print device that is Print Spooler. Allows any user to delete or manage print jobs waiting to be printed.

To resolve the HP printer in an error state, set the Print Spooler service to automatic mode by following these steps:

Launch the Run app by pressing the Windows and R keys together.
Type ‘service.msc’ in the search field and click OK.

In a new window, right click on the ‘Print Spooler’ option to go to Properties.
A new window will appear. Select the Startup Type to be Automatic and the Service Status to be in ‘Running’ mode.

Click the Start button now and then click Apply to save the changes.
Now reboot the system to check if the issue is resolved or not.
If not, please do all the methods mentioned below to resolve the “HP printer in error state” issue.

Are there enough pages in the input tray of the HP printer?
One of the common observations that we find from all of our users, as they are mostly neglected, is not loading enough stack of sheets in the input tray. That is why the HP printer control panel displays the HP printer error status message. There must be at least 25 sheets in the input tray.

Once loaded with the sheets, restart your printer. Wait for the printer to be idle and silent before giving any print commands. Try testing your printer now to see if it works fine. If not, check another solution below.

Check to see ink levels
One of the most common reasons behind the ‘HP Printer in Error State’ error is low ink levels in the cartridge. Always check the ink level icon on the control panel display. If the ink levels are getting low, it’s time to change the ink cartridge to keep the printer running smoothly.

HP printer in error state can be found in any HP model. For your reference, we have selected certain models to help you determine if your device is on this list, and you should follow the exact same solution mentioned above to get rid of the problem. Check if the HP printer in an error state persists on any of the following models:

Also, if your HP models are not on this list, the solution will remain the same. But if you still want additional information on how to fix HP printer in error state, regardless of the model you are using, feel free to contact us on our support line to speak with our technical experts. You can reach us through the chat support system that is available 24 hours a day to provide you with uninterrupted services. Whether you are facing an HP printer fuser error or HP printer says out of paper, or any issue related to your printer, always count on us. We always strive to empower our customers by allowing them to step up to fix any printer issue on their own.

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