by Hey there, printer user! Let me guess – you came to this article because your HP printer has an annoying blinking orange light and you have no idea what it means or how to fix it. Well, don’t worry, because you’re not alone! Tons of people have dealt with this frustrating issue.
The good news is, I’m here to help walk you through it.
Fix HP Printer Blinking Orange Light
In this article, I’ll explain exactly what that blinking orange light is trying to tell you and give you some super easy steps to get your printer back to tip-top shape in no time.
No technical mumbo-jumbo, I promise! Just simple solutions that even the biggest technophobe can handle.
So take a deep breath, relax, and let’s figure this out together, shall we?
What does the orange light on an HP printer mean?
Alright, first things first – what the heck is that orange light trying to communicate? On most HP printers, it’s officially called the “Resume” light. Its job is to let you know when the printer needs your attention for some reason.
There are two main possibilities:
- The light is on but not blinking: This usually means you’re out of paper or ink. Easy peasy to fix!
- The light is blinking: Uh oh, now we’ve got a bit more of a mystery on our hands. A blinking light can point to a few different issues. Don’t panic though, we’ll get to the bottom of it shortly.
Here’s a quick little table to sum that up:
| Orange Light Status | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Steady | Out of paper or ink |
| Blinking | Some other issue |
Make sense? Awesome. Now that we know what we’re dealing with, let’s look at how to make that pesky blinking light go away!
Top 8 Fixes for a Blinking Orange Light on Your HP Printer
I’m going to walk you through the top troubleshooting steps to try, in the order you should try them. We’ll start with the easiest possible fixes and work our way up to more in-depth solutions.
Fix #1: Check ink levels and paper tray
I know, I know, this seems so obvious. But you’d be amazed how often the simplest solution ends up being the right one!
- Open up your printer and take a peek at the ink cartridges. If any are empty, pop in some new ones.
- Make sure there’s paper in the tray and that it’s loaded correctly.
If the orange light is still blinking after this, no worries, you’re not out of luck yet. It just means we need to dig a little deeper.
Fix #2: Ensure the printer cover is closed
You probably didn’t know this, but your printer actually has little sensors inside that can tell if the cover is open. An open cover means the printer won’t print, and can trigger that blinking orange light.
Take a close look at your printer cover. Is it shut tight? If not, firmly close it until you hear a satisfying click. That’s the sound of progress, my friend!
Fix #3: Look for paper jams and loose paper
One of the most common culprits behind printer issues is a paper jam. It’s like your printer is saying “Ouch, I’m all clogged up, help!”
- Carefully look inside your printer anywhere paper travels
- Is there a crumpled-up piece of paper stuck in there? Gently pull it out
- Are there little scraps or torn bits of paper floating around? Clean those out too
- Make sure any paper in the tray is sitting neat and tight
Fix #4: Unstick any stuck cartridges
Ink cartridges can get a bit rattled and jam up sometimes. If you suspect this is the issue, try this:
- Turn off the printer
- Open the cartridge access door
- Remove any paper bits around the cartridges
- Gently but firmly slide the cartridges to the left until they click into place
- Close it up and power the printer back on
If your cartridges seem to be stuck often, it might be time to replace them.
Fix #5: Do a power reset
This is one of my favorite troubleshooting tricks because it feels so satisfyingly simple. We’re going to reboot your printer to wipe out any temporary glitches or error states. Here’s how:
- Shut down the printer
- Unplug the power cord from the printer and wall
- Take out ink cartridges
- Unplug any connected cables
- Let it sit powered off for about 60 seconds
- Plug the power cord back in
- Put cartridges back in
- Plug cables back in
- Power it up!
It seems too simple to work, but this little reboot sequence is like a magic cure-all sometimes. Give it a shot.
Fix #6: Run the printer troubleshooter
If you’re using a Windows computer, there’s a handy built-in tool that can scan your printer for any configuration issues and automatically fix a lot of them! To use it:
- Open the Settings app
- Go to Devices
- Click on Printers & Scanners
- Select your HP printer
- Click Manage
- Click Run the troubleshooter
- Let the tool do its thing
If this doesn’t clear up the problem, it’s still good that we tried it. On to the next idea!
Fix #7: Update or reinstall printer drivers
I know this one sounds a bit technical but stick with me here. Drivers are the little software programs that let your computer talk to your printer. If they’re out of date or glitchy, they can cause problems like a blinking orange light.
To update your drivers:
- Open Settings
- Go to Devices
- Click Printers & Scanners
- Select your HP printer
- Click Manage
- Click Printer Properties
- Go to the Advanced tab
- Click New Driver and follow the prompts
If updating doesn’t work, you can also try uninstalling the drivers completely and then reinstalling fresh ones. It’s the same steps as above, but choose Remove Device instead of Manage. Then click Add a Printer or Scanner to set the printer up again from scratch.
Fix #8: Remove and re-add the printer
If all else has failed, our final troubleshooting step is to remove the printer from your computer entirely and then add it back. This will flush out any error states, stuck print jobs, or other software-side issues.
To remove your printer:
- Open Settings
- Go to Devices
- Click Printers & Scanners
- Select your HP printer
- Click Remove Device
- Click Yes to confirm
Then to add it back:
- In Settings, go to Printers & Scanners
- Click Add a Printer or Scanner
- Select your printer from the list
- Click Add Device
It’ll be just like the first time you set the printer up. Hopefully with fewer blinking lights this time!
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Wrapping it up
Whew, that was a lot of information! Let’s quickly recap the key points:
- The orange light on your HP printer is the “Resume” light
- If it’s blinking, that means there’s an issue that needs troubleshooting
- Always check ink levels and paper first
- Make sure the cover is closed and there are no jams
- Try rebooting the printer
- Use Windows’ built-in troubleshooter
- Update or reinstall the printer drivers
- Remove and re-add the printer as a last resort
You now have a whole toolkit of fixes to try the next time you see a blinking orange light. Hopefully one of the earlier steps did the trick and you’re already back in business!
If you’ve gone through this whole list and your printer still isn’t cooperating, it might be time to call in backup from HP’s official support or consider getting the printer serviced.
The main takeaway here is don’t panic when that little orange light starts acting up. I know it’s obnoxious, but chances are very good it’s a problem you can solve on your own. Take your time, work through the fixes one by one, and remember that you’ve got this.
I hope this guide has helped demystify the dreaded blinking orange light and armed you with the knowledge to show it who’s boss. If you found it helpful, consider bookmarking it for future reference or sharing it with a friend who might be struggling with the same issue.
Thanks so much for reading, and as always, happy printing!
