Lexmark Printer Offline — How to Get It Back Online
By Ryan Green · Updated July 2026 · Independent guide · PrinterCare USA LLC (not affiliated with any printer manufacturer)
It's frustrating when your Lexmark sits right there on your desk, powered on and ready, yet Windows or Mac insists it's offline and won't print. This isn't usually a hardware failure—it's almost always a communication breakdown between your operating system and the printer, typically caused by driver conflicts, stale print jobs, or network misconfiguration.
The good news: you can fix this yourself in under 15 minutes using the steps below. We've ordered them from easiest to most thorough, so start at the top and work down only until your printer comes online.
How to fix it — step by step
- Power cycle both devices. Turn off your Lexmark printer completely and unplug it from power for 30 seconds. While it's unplugged, restart your computer. After 30 seconds, plug the printer back in and power it on, then wait two full minutes for it to fully boot before printing a test page.
- Check physical connections. If using USB: unplug the cable from both the printer and computer, inspect both ends for damage or bent pins, then reconnect firmly. If using network (Ethernet or Wi-Fi): verify the cable is seated or that the printer shows a connected Wi-Fi network on its display panel and restart your router.
- Clear the print queue on Windows. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, find Print Spooler, right-click it and select Restart. If that doesn't work, open Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners, select your Lexmark printer, click Remove Device, then restart your computer before re-adding it.
- Clear the print queue on macOS. Go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners, right-click your Lexmark printer and select Delete. Open Finder, navigate to /Library/Printers/, delete the corresponding Lexmark folder, then restart your Mac. Reconnect the printer afterward.
- Reinstall or update the Lexmark driver. Visit the Lexmark support website, search for your specific printer model, download the latest Windows or Mac driver, then uninstall the old driver through Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features (Windows) or Applications folder (Mac). Restart, install the new driver, and restart again.
- Set printer as default and check status. On Windows: Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners, click your Lexmark printer and select Set as default. On macOS: System Settings > Printers & Scanners, click the lock icon to unlock, select your printer from the dropdown. Then print a test page to confirm the offline status changes.
- Reset printer network settings (for network printers). On the printer's physical control panel, navigate to Settings or Network, look for Reset Network Settings or Restore Defaults, and confirm. Your printer will reboot. Then manually reconnect it to your Wi-Fi network via the printer's menu or the Lexmark mobile app.
- Verify printer IP address matches network. Print a network configuration page from your Lexmark printer (usually Settings > Reports or Network). Note the IP address shown. On Windows, open Command Prompt and run ping [IP address]; on Mac, open Terminal and run the same command. If you get no response, the printer and computer are on different networks—reconnect the printer to the correct network.
Still stuck? A technician can fix it remotely today.
Independent remote support — you watch every step, and you pay the flat $49 only after your printer is working. $0 if we can't fix it.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my Lexmark printer say offline when it's clearly on?
The offline status means your operating system has lost communication with the printer, not that the printer is actually powered down. This happens when the driver crashes, the print spooler freezes, or the network connection drops. The printer itself is fine—it's a software communication issue on your computer.
Should I reinstall the entire Lexmark software or just the driver?
Only install the full Lexmark software suite if the driver alone doesn't work and you need advanced features like scanning or faxing. The full suite can sometimes introduce more conflicts, so keep it minimal.
Does resetting the printer delete my saved Wi-Fi password?
Yes, a network reset on the printer itself erases all saved Wi-Fi credentials and custom settings. Have your Wi-Fi password ready before you reset, so you can immediately reconnect. You won't lose anything on your computer—this only affects the printer's internal memory.
How do I know if it's a driver problem or a hardware failure?
If the printer prints a test page directly from its control panel without error, the hardware is fine and it's definitely a driver or OS issue. If it can't print a self-test, or if the offline status persists after all these steps, contact Lexmark support or request remote assistance—hardware failure is less common but possible.