Windows 10: printer not printing

My printer is just churning out blank pages. It is connected to wifi and goes through the printing motions but just blank pages. there is plenty of ink and I am tearing my hair out

:)

 

Windows 10 Home Won't Print to Remote Printer


I have three computers.
Machine 1: Windows 10 pro, has the USB Brother HL-5040 printer
Machine 2: Windows 10 pro, prints OK to the remote printer.
Machine 3: Windows 10 home, Used to print, but not anymore (THIS IS THE PROBLEM).
I’ve tried everything that I can think of, and would appreciate any suggestions.
I did these steps on Machine 3 that did not work.

1. Remove the printer device.
2. Add a Printer
3. The printer that I want isn’t listed
4. Select a shared printer by name
5. Browse
6. Select the displayed Machine 1.
7. Select the displayed Printer.
8. Next
9. Failure “Connect to Printer”.
10. Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or Hostname
11. Next
12. Set Hostname to Machine 2, and set port name.
13. Detecting TCP/IP Port
14. Additional Port information required.
15. Device Type – Standard, Brother Port Server
16. Next
17. Detecting the Driver Model
18. Install The Print Driver
19. Select Brother and Brother HL-5040
20. Next
21. Replace the Current Driver
22. Printer Name (setting it to HL-5040)
23. Next
24. Do not share this printer
25. Next
26. You’ve successfully added “HL-5040”
27. Finish

Printing on Machine 3 puts the document in the print queue, which reports error printing.
Printing from Machine 2 to the printer on Machine 1 works perfectly.
All three machines are in the same HomeGroup. Machine 3 can access the shared files from Machine 1.

 

Print to PDF missing in Printer List

Hi William,

We suggest that you disable and re-enable the Print to PDF feature. Here are the steps:

• Click on the Start menu and type in Windows Features.
• Choose Turn Windows features on or off.
• On the next window, find Microsoft Print to PDF and disable it. Click
  OK to save changes.
• Restart your PC.
• Repeat the same steps to re-enable Microsoft Print to PDF.

If the issue persists, we suggest that you perform the troubleshooting steps suggested on the link below under
Advanced:

Fix printer problems

Regards.

 

Print to PDF missing in Printer List

Thanks for your help. I was browsing the web the other day and I found a page called FINAL DRAFT. They had a set of instructions for reinstalling the Microsoft Print to PDF utility that worked great for me. Problem solved.