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Tech News Today
Home » Printer

Fix: Unable to Communicate With the Printer at This Time

Deependra PangeniBy Deependra PangeniApril 10, 2023
unable-to-communicate-with-the-printer-at-this-time

While adding a printer on your macOS 11 Big Sur or macOS 12 Monterey, you might have come across an error message “Unable to communicate with the printer at this time.” It generally pops up when you try to add a printer using USB, and the macOS does not find the compatible printer driver.

This is a temporary glitch that can be solved by installing compatible printer drivers for your macOS version or upgrading/downgrading your macOS.

Table of Contents

  • Fix the Connection Issues
  • Reset the Printing System
  • Switch the Connection Mode
  • Update Your MacOS

Fix the Connection Issues

Since this is a communication error, you should first try resolving any connection issues that exist between your printer and Mac. To begin with, restart all the devices involved in the printing system—your Mac, printer, and router. Then try adding the printer to your Mac again.

Make sure the printer is showing a “Ready” message in its display panel and has not entered sleep mode. Similarly, verify if the printer and your Mac are connected to the same Wi-Fi broadcast.

check the wireless status of printer

Also, the printer should receive a proper Wi-Fi signal to establish the connection. Otherwise, you won’t be able to add it to your Mac. If possible, bring the printer and router closer to each other.

Besides, if you are using a USB cable to connect your printer and Mac, try using a different USB port on your Mac or replacing the cable with a new one.

usb-a-to-b-cable-used-in-printer-2

These basic fixes should make your printer ready for printing again. However, if you are still having trouble adding the printer, you can go through some advanced fixes discussed below.

Reset the Printing System

Next, you can try resetting the printing system of your Mac. Resetting it will delete all the printer profiles installed on your Mac, delete the print queue and re-initialize all the printer-related information. It can sometimes help solve the communication error between your Mac and printer.

  1. Click the Apple icon on your Mac and tap System Preferences.
    system-preference-on-mac
  2. Open Printers & Scanners.
    printers-and-scanners-on-mac
  3. Press the Control key on your keyboard and click on the empty area on the new window.
  4. Choose Reset printing system.
    reset-printing-system
  5. Click Reset.
    reset-button
  6. If prompted, type your admin password and click OK.
    enter-the-admin-password-for-reset
  7. Once the reset is complete, try to re-add the printer.
    re-add-the-printer-after-resetting-printing-system

Switch the Connection Mode

Almost all the printers that come today are AirPrint enabled. With AirPrint, you can easily print wirelessly from your Mac without the need for additional printer drivers.

But if you are planning to connect the printer to your Mac using USB, it will require you to install the additional printer driver. You should go to the official driver download page of your printer manufacturer and install the relevant drivers for your device.

However, if the driver for that printer is not available on the current version of your macOS, you may have difficulty adding the printer. In such a case, you should print from your Mac using AirPrint.

  1. Connect the Mac and printer to the same Wi-Fi broadcast.
  2. Open any document or image you want to print on your Mac and go to File > Print. You can also press the shortcut key Command + P to initiate a print.
    print option in mac
  3. Click the Printer drop-down and select your printer. If it does not display your printer, click the Add Printer option and add the printer to your device.
    choose-printer-for-printing-on-mac
  4. Once you select the printer, click the Print button.
    print-button-on-mac

Update Your MacOS

There can also be cases when your printer neither supports AirPrint nor your macOS has a compatible printer driver to support the printer. This generally happens when the printer manufacturer has not yet released the printer driver for that particular version of macOS.

In such cases, you have no option except updating your macOS. If your Mac meets the system requirements, I suggest you install the latest macOS release.

  1. Click the Apple menu on your Mac.
  2. Tap System Preferences.
    system-preference-on-mac
  3. Open Software Update.
    software-update
  4. Click Update Now and follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.
    update-now-button
  5. You can also click More Info to see if other updates are available and install them.
    more-info-button

However, if you encounter an issue after upgrading your macOS, try downgrading it to fix the error. Many users reported they fixed the issue by installing macOS Big Sur version 11.1 or 11.2.3.

You may install any one of these versions or a lower macOS version like Catalina and Mojave. Refer to this official guide from Apple on how to install previous versions of Mac.

fix
Deependra Pangeni
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Meet Deependra Pangeni, A professional Computer Engineer who has been writing about technology for many years. He is also involved in different robotic projects and loves tinkering with circuit boards. He is always researching new ways to improve the website's user experience and make it easy for people to find the information they need. At TechNewsToday he mainly deals with how-to and fixes contents for a range of TV and TV products like remotes, cables and streaming devices. Along with the TV, he also specializes in hardware and software troubleshooting for printers and Windows. Deependra's passion for simplifying complex technical information for non-technical audiences is evident in his work and he is dedicated to producing high-quality content that is easy to understand. When he is not working, he enjoys gathering with his friends, partying and traveling. He is also an active member of the technical community groups and regularly participates in tech meetups. You can contact him at deepen@technewstoday.com

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