Troubleshooting Print Jobs Not Printing to Local Printer | CompTIA A+ Core 2 Exam

Troubleshooting Print Jobs Not Printing to Local Printer

Question

A user notices recent print jobs are not printing to the local printer despite printing fine yesterday.

There are no errors indicated on the taskbar printer icon.

Which of the following actions should the user take FIRST?

Answers

Explanations

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A. B. C. D.

B.

When a user notices that recent print jobs are not printing to the local printer despite printing fine yesterday, there are several steps they can take to resolve the issue. The FIRST action the user should take depends on the specific circumstances of the problem, but generally speaking, the following steps should be taken in order:

  1. Check that the printer is powered on and properly connected to the computer. This may seem obvious, but sometimes a printer may become unplugged or disconnected without the user realizing it. Make sure all cables are securely connected and that the printer is turned on and ready to print.

  2. Check to ensure the printer selected is the default printer. If the wrong printer is selected, the print job may be sent to a printer that is not connected or not functioning properly. To check the default printer, go to the Control Panel, then click on Devices and Printers. The default printer should have a green checkmark next to it.

  3. Check that the printer is not in offline print mode. If the printer is in offline mode, it will not be able to receive print jobs. To check the printer status, go to the Control Panel, then click on Devices and Printers. Right-click on the printer in question and select "See what's printing." If the printer is in offline mode, select "Printer" from the menu and uncheck "Use Printer Offline."

  4. Cancel all documents and print them again. If there are multiple print jobs in the queue, it may be helpful to cancel all of them and try printing the documents again. To cancel print jobs, go to the Control Panel, then click on Devices and Printers. Right-click on the printer in question and select "See what's printing." Select all print jobs and click "Cancel."

  5. Check the status of the print server queue. If the printer is connected to a print server, there may be issues with the print queue. Check the print server queue for any error messages or stalled print jobs. This step may require the assistance of a network administrator or IT professional.

In summary, the FIRST action the user should take when recent print jobs are not printing to the local printer despite printing fine yesterday is to check that the printer selected is the default printer. If that does not resolve the issue, the user should proceed with the other troubleshooting steps listed above in order.