Usually, the traditional way of connecting a printer to the computer is by the means of a USB port. The latest printers are coming in various connectivity options, however, still many people are using the USB port to connect their printer to the computer.
Technical issues are most common in computers. One of the most common issues that come when you use the USB port to connect the printer to the computer is the “Port in Use” error.
If you are facing a “Printer port in use” error, this article is for you.
What means the “Printer port in use, please wait” error?
The Printer port in use, please wait error message is the most common error when Windows 10 detects that the printer isn’t ready to receive another print request.
Usually, it happens when the printer is unable to process your next command to queue the print job. Before going to follow the below steps, make sure if the printer appears offline use these methods to fix the printer offline error.
1. Restart the printer and Windows 10 system
It is the best and simple solution to fix the “Printer port in use, please wait” error. However, it is not a big technical step to resolve the issue, but in many cases, a simple restart of both machines works well.
- Turn off the Windows and printer and plug off from the power port.
- Leave both the devices unplugged for at least 5 minutes.
- Now, turn on both devices by connecting them to the power source.
- Now give a print command to the printer from your Windows 10 PC.
- Check the issue is fixed or not.
2. Uninstall and reinstall the printer
If the above method is not worked for you, then try the next method. In this method, we uninstall and reinstall the printer to solve the issue.
- Go to the Devices by opening the Settings panel.
- Select the Printers & scanners tab.
- Select the printer and click Remove device.
- Now disconnect the printer and unplug it.
- Plug-in the printer again and connect it to your system.
- Windows 10 will automatically install the printer after the restart.
3. Update USB device drivers
Every connected device to a computer communicates through driver software. USBs also use the same method to work with a computer. Sometimes outdated drivers on the computer cause this error. It is simply resolved by updating the drivers.
- Open Device Manager and expand USB Serial Bus controllers.
- Now, right-click the USB port and select Update Driver from the context menu.
- Click on Search online for driver updates.
- Install the updates if available.
- Restart the system and the printer.
Conclusion
The printer job mostly went smoothly. If any issue happens, there must be an error behind it. If you are facing a “Port in Use” Error on Windows 10, try the above methods to fix the issue.
Let us know which method is worked for you in the comment section below.