Xerox Printer Error State, Explained

That "error state" label comes from Windows, not from Xerox. Windows applies it when the printer reports a problem, or when Windows can't get a clear answer from the printer at all. On your screen it might read Error, Error - Printing, or just show a printer that isn't responding.

The frustrating part is that Windows never says what went wrong. It could be a jam, a stuck print job, a bad port, or a driver that's stopped cooperating. The steps below start with the quick checks and only get technical if they have to.

Basic Fixes to Try First

None of these need a download or a settings change, so do them before anything else.

Fix 1: Look at the printer itself

Windows only reports what the printer tells it, so a real fault at the machine can show up as an error on your PC. Before you touch the computer:

• Read the display. If there's an alert, fault, or supply message, deal with that first.
• Open every cover and door, then close each one firmly. A door that isn't latched all the way is easy to miss.
• Check for a paper jam, including the back panel and the output area, and pull out any torn scraps.
• Confirm the trays have paper and the toner isn't empty.

Fix 2: Power cycle the printer, then restart your PC

1. Turn the printer off and unplug the power cord from the wall.
2. Wait at least a minute. Some Xerox support articles ask for five minutes, and waiting longer costs you nothing.
3. Plug the cord straight into a wall outlet, not a power strip or UPS, then turn the printer on.
4. When the printer says it's ready, restart your computer with Start > Power > Restart.

Fix 3: Check the connection

USB: Push the cable in firmly at both ends and try a different USB port on the PC. Skip hubs and docks while you test. If the cable is bent, frayed, or old, swap it.

Wired or Wi-Fi: The printer and your PC need to be on the same network. The quickest test is to type the printer's IP address into a browser on your PC. If the printer's built-in web page loads (on many Xerox models it's called CentreWare Internet Services), the network path is fine. That page often lists active faults too, which helps if the printer's own display is hard to read.

Don't know the IP address? Look for a Reports or Information Pages option on the printer's menu and print the Configuration Report. The address is in the communication settings section. Menu names change from model to model, so check under Settings or Device if you don't see it right away.

Fix 4: Clear the print queue

One stuck job can hold up everything behind it.

1. Go to Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. On Windows 10 it's Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Select your Xerox, then choose Open print queue.
3. Right-click each job and choose Cancel.
4. In the queue window's Printer menu, make sure Use Printer Offline and Pause Printing aren't checked.
5. Send a one-page test print.

Advanced Fixes When the Basics Don't Work

Start with a two-minute test that saves a lot of guessing: try printing from a different computer. If that fails too, the trouble is with the printer or the network, so go back over Fixes 1 to 3. If the other computer prints fine, the problem lives on your PC, and Fixes 5 to 9 are where to look.

Fix 5: Restart the Print Spooler and empty its folder

The Print Spooler is the Windows service that holds your documents while they wait for the printer. When it hangs, jobs can stick around even after you cancel them.

1. Press Windows key + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Find Print Spooler, right-click it, and choose Stop.
3. Open File Explorer and go to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS. Delete everything inside, but leave the folder itself.
4. Back in Services, right-click Print Spooler and choose Start.

This wipes every waiting job, not just the stuck one, so resend anything you still need. Want the gentler version first? Right-click Print Spooler and choose Restart instead.

Fix 6: Swap a WSD port for a Standard TCP/IP port

A port is the route Windows uses to reach the printer. This one is easy to skip, and it matters most for network printers.

1. Open Control Panel > Devices and Printers, right-click your Xerox, choose Printer properties, and open the Ports tab.
2. Look at the checked port. If it starts with WSD, Windows found the printer through automatic discovery instead of a fixed address. Xerox support articles recommend replacing a WSD port when a printer keeps showing offline, and the same swap is worth trying for error messages.
3. Click Add Port, choose Standard TCP/IP Port, then New Port. Click Next, enter the printer's IP address, click Next again, then Finish. If Add Port is grayed out, an administrator controls it.
4. Make sure the new port is checked, click Apply, and send a test print.

One tip: If your router hands out addresses automatically, the printer's IP can change later and break this port. Ask your router admin or IT team to reserve that address for the printer.

Fix 7: Turn off SNMP status and bidirectional support

SNMP is how Windows polls a network printer for its status. When that conversation goes wrong, Windows can misreport a healthy printer. Xerox's own articles for several WorkCentre and VersaLink models list this as a fix for printers that show as offline or unavailable.

1. On the Ports tab, select your Standard TCP/IP port and click Configure Port. The button only appears for Standard TCP/IP ports.
2. Clear the SNMP Status Enabled box and click OK.
3. Back on the Ports tab, if Enable bidirectional support is checked, clear it too and click Apply.
4. Send a test print.

Windows just stops asking the printer for status updates. Your jobs still go through.

Fix 8: Reinstall the Xerox driver

A corrupted or mismatched driver is a classic cause, and installing over the top of it rarely helps. Start clean.

1. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, select your Xerox, and choose Remove.
2. Press Windows key + R, type printui /s /t2, and press Enter. On the Drivers tab, select the Xerox driver, click Remove, and choose Remove driver and driver package.
3. Restart your PC.
4. Go to support.xerox.com and search for your exact model. Open its Drivers & Downloads page, pick your version of Windows, and download the driver.
5. Run the installer, choose how the printer connects (USB or network), and let it finish without interruption.

If you can't find a driver for your model, Xerox also publishes a Global Print Driver in PCL6 and PostScript versions. It recognizes fully supported Xerox devices and falls back to basic printing on others. Supported models can also use the free Xerox Print and Scan Experience app from the Microsoft Store on Windows 10 and 11.

Fix 9: Run the Windows printer troubleshooter

It can't repair a hardware fault, but it's quick to run and it fixes what it can find.

• Windows 11: Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters, find Printer, and click Run. Microsoft has been moving its old troubleshooters into the Get Help app on newer Windows 11 versions, so it may open there.
• Windows 10: Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners, select your Xerox, click Manage, then Run the troubleshooter.

Apply anything it suggests, then send a test print.