Printers are great inventions but they’re more often than not trouble-ridden unless you take good care of them. While the issues are mostly hardware related, there are a bunch of software related issues you can run into as well.
In this article, we’re talking about how to fix the ‘Printer not activated error code 30.’ Here are nine ways you can tackle this problem.
Check your printer drivers
The first thing you should do is to check your drivers if you’re having issues with any peripheral.
Step 1: Press Windows key + X to open the quick access menu and click on Device Manager.
Step 2: Double click Print Queues to show all installed printers.
Step 3: Right-click on the problematic printer and click on Update drivers.
Step 4: Click on Search automatically for drivers. Windows will automatically look for driver updates and install them.
Now reboot your PC and try again.
Also read: How to save screenshots as PDF in Windows 10?
Restart your PC
The good old try turning it off an on again method can work wonders here. If you’re facing any issues, with hardware peripherals especially, rebooting your PC can fix them magically.
Check default printer
Another reason you might be getting this error could be because your default printer and active printer are different. While this shouldn’t cause an error, it’s worth checking your default printer once.
Step 1: Press Windows key + I to open Windows settings and click on Devices.
Step 2: Head over to the Printers & scanners tab.
Step 3: Select the printer you want to use and make sure it’s set as the default printer.
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Run the Windows troubleshooter
More often than not, the inbuilt troubleshooter in Windows 10 will resolve any issues you’re facing.
Step 1: Press Windows key + I to open Windows settings and click on Update & Security
Step 2: Head over to the Troubleshoot tab.
Step 3: Click on Additional troubleshooters.
Step 4: Click on Printer and then Run the troubleshooter. Follow the on-screen instructions to run the troubleshooter.
Restart your computer and try again.
Reinstall printer software
Your printer’s software can also at times, cause conflicts with printing. If you’re facing any such issues you should try removing your printer’s software and installing it again.
Step 1: Press Windows key + X to open the quick access menu and click on Apps and Features.
Step 2: Find your printer’s software in the list and uninstall the application.
Now reboot your PC and try installing the software again.
Select your printer manually
Sometimes the application you’re trying to print might try to use the Print to PDF feature automatically causing this error.
We suggest manually choosing your printer before you issue the print command so that you know for a fact you’re not sending prints to the wrong device or service.
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Try the Print to PDF feature
Contrary to the previous point, at times using the Print to PDF feature can actually get you around such errors. Note that you’ll have to save your document as a PDF before you actually can use the feature.
Step 1: Open the document you want to print and press Ctrl + P to bring up the print dialogue box.
Step 2: Under Printers, select Print to PDF.
Now try printing your document and you should be able to get the print done.
Check for Windows updates
Although it’s a bit of a long shot, there’s a chance that a pending Windows update might have already resolved the issue you’re facing. You should keep your OS up to date anyway.
Step 1: Press Windows key + I to get to Windows settings. Click on Update & Security.
Step 2: Install any updates if available, restart your PC and try using your printer again.
Change your application’s security permissions
There’s a chance that the application you’re trying to use to print your document doesn’t have the security permissions required to access the printer.
Step 1: Find the executable file of your application, right-click it and select Properties.
Step 2: Head over to the Security tab. Select your account and click the Edit button.
Step 3: Make sure that the Allow checkbox for Full control is checked. Click Apply followed by OK when you’re done.
Restart your PC and try printing again.
Also read: Inkjet printers vs Laser printers: Which one should you buy?
