Centuries ago, the concept of an electronic printer did not exist. Electricity was not even discovered yet! However, these days, it is not uncommon to find homes and offices with a printer. It has become convenient and easy for people to produce top-quality printouts. After all, it only takes a few minutes to get your printed file precisely the way you want it. That said, printers still have some drawbacks.
Printers also experience a host of issues, including paper jams, delayed response, and more. Even if you’re not an IT professional, it will still be useful if you know how to troubleshoot these common printer problems. What if a printer prints blank pages in between printed pages? Well, there are many reasons why this issue can occur. Moreover, the solution will depend on what caused the problem in the first place. In this post, we will teach you how to stop a printer from printing extra blank pages.
Why Does a Printer Print Blank Pages?
There are various reasons why printers generate blank pages randomly. Here are some of them:
- Empty Ink Cartridge – Without ink, a printer will not be able to produce a printout. You need to check the toner/ink levels to ensure that there is enough ink for the printer to use. Otherwise, you need to replace the cartridge with a new one.
- Incorrect Cartridge Installation – You also need to ensure that the cartridge is installed properly. Even if it is full of ink, if you do not connect it to the printer correctly, you will still end up with blank pages. So, remove the cartridge, then try to reinstall it.
- Clogged Nozzles – Occasionally, the ink hardens up and starts to clog the nozzles. In this case, you need to clean the ink cartridges. We will show you how to do this in the instructions below.
- Wrong Paper Size – Perhaps, you’ve set a default paper size for your printer. So, if you insert the wrong paper size, it is likely for the machine to not produce any printout. In this case, you need to ensure that you tweak the printer settings accordingly before starting the procedure.
- Printer Driver Issues – It is possible that you have an outdated or corrupted printer driver. To resolve this problem, all you need to do is update the driver.
- Software Problem – In some cases, the issue lies with the printer software itself. When this happens, your best bet is to use your computer’s printer troubleshooter.
Do not panic if you encounter the same issue. No matter what the root cause of the problem is, we will be able to show you how to stop a printer from printing extra blank pages.
Solution 1: Restarting Your Printer
When it comes to tech devices, a simple restart can usually fix common issues. So, it would not hurt if you tried the easiest solution first. You can proceed by following the steps below:
- Press the Power button of your printer and wait until it completely shuts down.
- Unplug the power cable of your printer from the outlet, then wait for three minutes.
- After a few minutes, plug the printer cable back into the power outlet.
- Turn on your printer, then try printing multiple pages.
Solution 2: Fixing Ink Cartridge Issues
As we’ve mentioned, it is possible that there are problems with your ink cartridge. So, we recommend that you perform the steps below to ensure that you have a fully functional ink cartridge:
- Check if you have adequate ink/toner levels on your printer. If necessary, replace your cartridges.
- Remove the cartridges to see if any of them is damaged. If you find defective cartridges, replace them immediately.
- Ensure that the cartridges are properly installed. To do this7, remove the cartridges and reinstall them correctly.
- To fix clogged nozzles, check if your device has a ‘Print Head Nozzle Check’ option. Select this option, then let your printer clean the nozzles. The printer system will get rid of the blockage automatically, allowing the ink to flow smoothly.
Once you’ve ensured that all your ink cartridges are working properly, try to print multiple pages and see if there are any blank pages in between. If the problem persists, move on to the next solution.
Solution 3: Updating Your Printer Driver
It is possible that you have an outdated or corrupted printer driver. So, we suggest that you update your driver to resolve the issue. One of the ways to do this is to download and install the driver manually. However, this option can be tedious and complicated. You’d need to go to the printer manufacturer’s website, then find the driver that is compatible with your operating system version and your processor type. You need to pay close attention to this detail because if you install the wrong driver, you might end up dealing with system instability issues.
On the other hand, there is an easier and more reliable option for fixing the problem. You can automate the process and update your printer driver with the help of Auslogics Driver Updater. When you use this tool, all you’ll need to do is click a button. It will automatically search for the latest driver for your printer. Moreover, it will download and install the version that is suitable for your operating system and processor.
As a bonus, Auslogics Driver Updater will improve the overall performance of your PC. It is worth noting that this software program deals with all driver-related issues. So, it will fix all the problematic drivers on your computer. Once the process is complete, you will see that most processes will run faster and more efficiently than before.
Solution 4: Running the Troubleshooter for Your Printer
One of the excellent things about Windows 10 is that it has built-in troubleshooters for common tech issues. There’s also one specifically designed to fix printer issues. So, we recommend that you run that tool to get rid of the problem. Here are the steps:
- Launch the Settings app by pressing Windows Key+I on your keyboard.
- Once you’re on the Settings app, click Update & Security.
- Now, move to the left-pane menu and click Troubleshoot.
- Go to the right pane, then select Printer.
- Click Run the Troubleshooter.
Let the troubleshooter identify and fix any printer issues. After the process, try printing a document to see if there are any blank pages.
Solution 5: Configuring the Print Spooler Service
Another reason why printers generate blank pages is because of damaged Print Spooler files. In this case, you need to configure the service associated with Printer Spooler to get rid of the problem. To proceed, follow the instructions below:
- On your keyboard, press Windows Key+R. Doing so will open the Run dialog box.
- Inside the Run dialog box, type “services.msc” (no quotes), then click OK.
- Once the Services window is up, scroll down until you find the Print Spooler service.
- Double-click it, then click Stop on the new window.
- Click OK to save the change you made.
- Now, open File Explorer by pressing Windows Key+E on your keyboard.
- Navigate to this folder location:
C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS
- Remove all the contents of the folder.
- Open the Services window again, then double-click Print Spooler.
- On the new window, click Start.
- Do not forget to set the Startup Type to Automatic.
- Click OK to proceed.
After configuring the Print Spooler service, try printing several pages again to see if the problem has been resolved.
What do you think about this article?
Let us know how we can improve this blog post by commenting below!
