If turning printer off and on doesn’t work, there’s another route
Q: I am using an old inkjet printer that has worked well for my needs, but now I get a message that says communications not available when I try to print. How can I fix this?
A: Sometimes a problem like this can be solved by simply turning off the printer, rebooting the computer and then turning the printer back on. I would give that a shot first.
If it doesn’t fix the problem, there is a more involved process you will have to go through that involves stopping and restarting the print spooler.
To do this, click on the Start menu and type services.msc and then hit OK. This will bring up the Services Control Panel.
It looks intimidating, but don’t fret. Just scroll down till you find Print Spooler and double-click it. Then, in the General Tab, click on Stop and then OK. Then repeat the process, but this time you will click on Start and then OK to restart the Spooler.
Try printing again. If it still doesn’t work, I would try reinstalling the printer software, which you can download from the printer manufacturer’s website.
Since you mentioned that it was an older printer, there is a slight chance that the printer has simply malfunctioned. Inkjet printers are not terribly expensive, and you might just need to replace it. I replaced mine recently and have been impressed with how much more reliable the newer printers can be.