How to Fix a Printer Showing Offline on Windows 11 and Windows 10 (2026)

A printer displays an offline status in Windows when the operating system loses communication with the device or when internal queue flags halt the print spooler. This state is triggered by active offline queue settings, dynamic IP address shifts after router reboots, sleep mode disconnections on Web Services for Devices ports, stuck print jobs, or Simple Network Management Protocol polling timeouts.

Following this structured diagnostic guide will help you isolate the root cause in under 60 seconds and restore reliable printing across USB, Wi-Fi, and network connections without third-party repair utilities.

The 60-Second Diagnostic Test: Isolate the Problem Fast

Do not reinstall printer drivers or adjust system registries before determining whether the fault lies within your physical hardware, the local network, or the Windows operating system.

Execute this three-step isolation sequence to locate the point of failure immediately.

Step 1: Perform the Printer Hardware and Self-Test Check

Inspect the physical liquid crystal display or status indicator lights on your printer for flashing error codes, paper jams, low ink warnings, or open access doors.

Print a standalone Network Configuration Page or Hardware Self-Test Page directly from the onboard control panel of the printer without using your computer.

If the printer cannot feed paper or print its internal test report, the issue is an internal hardware fault or power problem. If the test sheet prints with clear network parameters, your printer hardware and internal print engine are operating normally.

Step 2: Perform the Mobile or Secondary Device Cross-Check

Attempt to print a document or image from a smartphone, tablet, or secondary computer connected to the same local Wi-Fi network using Apple AirPrint, Mopria Print Service, or the native Android Print Service. If the printer is not reachable from any device, start with connecting a wireless printer to Windows 11 or 10.

If your smartphone prints successfully while your Windows computer reports the printer as offline, the physical printer and wireless router communication are fully functional. The failure is isolated entirely to the configuration, port bindings, or spooler services of your Windows computer.

Step 3: Run the Network Ping Test

Press Windows Key + R, type cmd, and press Enter to launch the Windows Command Prompt.

Type ping followed by a space and the exact IP address of your printer, such as ping 192.168.1.150, then press Enter.

If the command prompt returns four successful replies with low latency, your computer maintains an active network path to the printer, meaning Windows software flags or port configuration errors are causing the offline status. If the ping test results in Request timed out or Destination host unreachable, the printer has dropped off the network or changed its local IP address.

The table below outlines how to interpret your diagnostic results and directs you to the exact fix.

Symptom-to-Fault Isolation Matrix

This table maps initial diagnostic outcomes to their root causes and targeted repair procedures.

Diagnostic Test Result	Technical Meaning	Fault Location	Immediate Targeted Action
Printer LCD displays errors or refuses self-test	Internal hardware failure, paper jam, or component lock	Physical Printer Hardware	Hardware power cycle and physical error clearing
Smartphone prints successfully, Windows reports Offline	Queue flag enabled, stale IP binding, WSD drop, or spooler crash	Windows Operating System	Proceed to Level 1 and Level 3 fixes
Ping test replies with 0 percent packet loss, Windows reports Offline	SNMP query timeout, port protocol mismatch, or WSD sleep drop	Windows Port Configuration	Proceed to Level 3 (Method 6 and Method 7)
Ping test returns Request timed out	Printer disconnected from Wi-Fi, subnet mismatch, or IP shifted	Local Network and Router	Proceed to Level 3 (Method 8 and Method 9)
USB printer completely unrecognized	Cable degradation, hub failure, or USB power suspension	Physical USB Interface	Proceed to Level 4 (Method 10 and Method 11)

Level 1: Quick Windows Fixes (Takes Under 2 Minutes)

When your printer hardware is functional, start with non-destructive adjustments to the local print queue and default device management settings.

Method 1: Uncheck “Use Printer Offline” and “Pause Printing”

Windows includes manual queue controls that allow print jobs to spool locally while the physical device is disconnected. If this setting is enabled accidentally, Windows will continuously report the printer as offline even when connectivity is restored.

The table below details the exact navigation paths to access print queue controls on Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Print Queue Navigation Path Comparison

This table outlines the exact user interface navigation paths required to reach the print queue across Windows operating systems.

Operating System Build	Settings Navigation Path	Alternative Control Panel Path
Windows 11 (24H2, 23H2, 22H2)	Settings, Bluetooth and devices, Printers and scanners, Select Printer, Open print queue	Press Windows Key + R, type control printers, press Enter, double-click Printer
Windows 10 (22H2)	Settings, Devices, Printers and scanners, Select Printer, Open queue	Control Panel, Hardware and Sound, Devices and Printers, double-click Printer

To disable offline status mode:

1. Open the print queue window using the path corresponding to your operating system version.
2. Click the Printer tab located in the top menu bar of the queue window.
3. Check the dropdown menu for Use Printer Offline. If a checkmark appears next to this option, click it once to remove the checkmark.
4. Check the same dropdown menu for Pause Printing. If a checkmark is present, click it to clear the paused state.
5. Close the window and monitor the device status in Settings to confirm it changes from Offline to Ready.

If the Use Printer Offline option appears greyed out, your user profile lacks local administrative rights, an active print job has locked the spooling thread, or the installed driver does not support manual state switching.

To override this, close the queue, right-click your command prompt application, select Run as administrator, type net stop spooler followed by net start spooler, and reopen the queue with administrative permissions.

Method 2: Clear Clogged Print Jobs from the Queue

A single corrupted print document stuck at the head of the queue will block subsequent data transmission. The Windows Print Spooler interprets this unresponsive thread as a communication failure, causing the operating system to mark the device as offline.

To clear stuck print jobs:

1. Open the active print queue window for your printer.
2. Click the Printer menu tab at the top left of the window.
3. Select Cancel All Documents from the context menu.
4. Click Yes when prompted to confirm the deletion of all waiting jobs.
5. If a document displays a status of Deleting but remains visible after 30 seconds, close the queue and restart the print spooler service as outlined in Level 2.

Method 3: Set as Default Printer and Disable Windows Management

Windows includes an automated management feature designed to set your default printer to the device used most recently at your current network location. This feature often shifts default routing to virtual software targets like Microsoft Print to PDF or OneNote, making physical hardware appear disconnected.

To disable automatic management and establish a permanent default printer:

1. Press Windows Key + I to launch the Settings application.
2. Navigate to Bluetooth and devices, then select Printers and scanners on Windows 11, or open Devices followed by Printers and scanners on Windows 10.
3. Scroll down past your hardware list to the Printer preferences section.
4. Locate the toggle switch labeled Let Windows manage my default printer and set it to Off.
5. Scroll back up to the printer list, click your primary physical printer, and click the Set as default button at the top of the details page.

Level 2: Restart and Purge the Windows Print Spooler

The Windows Print Spooler executable (spoolsv.exe) manages the background formatting and transmission of print jobs. Corrupted spool files on your system drive will cause the spooler service to enter an unstable state, reporting false offline indicators.

Method 4: Restart the Print Spooler Service via services.msc

Restarting the background spooler service flushes volatile memory buffers and forces the operating system to poll all connected physical ports.

To restart the Print Spooler service:

1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type services.msc into the text field and click OK to open the Windows Services management console.
3. Scroll down the alphabetical service list to locate Print Spooler.
4. Right-click Print Spooler and select Properties.
5. On the General tab, ensure the Startup type dropdown menu is configured to Automatic.
6. If the Service status reads Running, click the Stop button and wait three seconds.
7. Click the Start button to reinitialize the spooler daemon.
8. Click Apply, then click OK to close the properties interface.

Method 5: Manually Purge the PRINTERS Spool Directory via Command Prompt

When print jobs suffer internal file corruption, stopping and restarting the service alone may not clear damaged spool files from your hard drive. You must delete the cached shadow files (.SHD) and spool data files (.SPL) directly from the system directory.

To purge the spooler directory using an elevated Command Prompt:

1. Press the Windows Key, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt in the search results, and select Run as administrator.
2. Execute the following command to stop the spooler daemon safely:

DOS

net stop spooler

3. Type the following command and press Enter to delete all stuck queue files from the hard drive:

DOS

del /Q /F /S "%systemroot%\System32\Spool\Printers\*.*"

4. Restart the print spooler service by executing the following command:

DOS

net start spooler

5. Type exit and press Enter to close the command window, then verify that your printer queue is empty and the status has returned to Ready.

Level 3: Permanent Network and Port Fixes (For Wireless and Ethernet Printers)

The majority of chronic offline problems on Wi-Fi and Ethernet printers stem from network discovery and port configuration errors. Modern Windows installations rely on dynamic discovery protocols that fail when hardware enters low-power states.

Method 6: Convert WSD Port to a Standard TCP/IP Port (Port 9100)

By default, Windows installs modern network printers using Web Services for Devices (WSD) ports. WSD relies on dynamic multicast discovery packets to locate hardware on your local network.

When a printer enters deep sleep mode to conserve energy, its network interface reduces broadcast frequency. WSD frequently drops the connection and fails to wake the printer, causing Windows to flag the device as offline.

Converting your connection to a Standard TCP/IP Port running on the RAW printing protocol (Port 9100) establishes a direct, permanent socket connection that bypasses WSD discovery drops entirely.

To convert your printer from a WSD port to a Standard TCP/IP Port:

1. Locate your printer IP address by printing a Network Configuration sheet from the printer physical control panel, or check your wireless router client table.
2. Open Settings, navigate to Bluetooth and devices, click Printers and scanners, and select your printer.
3. Scroll down and click Printer properties. Do not select Printing preferences.
4. Click the Ports tab at the top of the properties dialog.
5. Review the checked port. If the description reads WSD Port, click the Add Port button below the list.
6. Select Standard TCP/IP Port from the available port types and click New Port to launch the configuration wizard.
7. Click Next on the wizard welcome screen.
8. Enter your printer exact IP address (such as 192.168.1.150) into the Printer Name or IP Address field. The Port Name field will populate automatically.
9. Uncheck the option to Query the printer and automatically select the driver to use, then click Next.
10. If prompted for Additional port information, leave the device type set to Generic Network Card and click Next.
11. Click Finish, select your new TCP/IP port from the list, click Apply, and close the properties window.

Method 7: Uncheck “SNMP Status Enabled” (The Hidden Offline Trigger)

When you configure a Standard TCP/IP Port, Windows enables Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) polling on UDP Port 161 by default. The operating system uses SNMP to poll the printer for ink levels and paper status.

If your printer enters deep sleep, if your router blocks internal UDP broadcast traffic, or if the printer manufacturer firmware does not respond to standard SNMP community strings, Windows marks the printer as offline even though the RAW print port remains fully open.

To disable SNMP status checking:

1. Open Settings, navigate to Bluetooth and devices, click Printers and scanners, and click your printer.
2. Select Printer properties, then click the Ports tab.
3. Select your active Standard TCP/IP Port from the list and click the Configure Port button.
4. Locate the SNMP Status Enabled checkbox at the bottom of the configuration dialog.
5. Click the box to remove the checkmark next to SNMP Status Enabled.
6. Leave the Protocol setting configured to RAW and the Port Number set to 9100.
7. Click OK to save the port settings, then click Apply on the main properties window.
8. Your printer status will switch to Online immediately because Windows will no longer require background SNMP validation.

Method 8: Assign a Permanent Static IP or Router DHCP Reservation

Most home and small office networks use Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) to assign IP addresses. Every time your wireless router reboots or a device lease expires, the router can assign a new IP address to your printer.

If your printer IP changes from 192.168.1.45 to 192.168.1.88, Windows will continue transmitting print jobs to the old address, causing permanent offline errors.

You can resolve IP drift permanently using either router-level reservation or the printer onboard Embedded Web Server (EWS).

Option A: Create a DHCP Reservation in Your Router (Recommended)

1. Open a web browser, enter your router gateway address (typically 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1), and log into the administrative portal.
2. Locate the DHCP Server, LAN Setup, or Static IP Reservation section.
3. Find your printer in the connected client list by matching its Media Access Control (MAC) address.
4. Click Add Reservation or Assign Static IP to bind the printer MAC address to its current IP address permanently.
5. Save your router settings and reboot the router to enforce the permanent lease.

Option B: Configure a Static IP via the Printer Embedded Web Server

1. Open any web browser on your computer.
2. Type your printer current IP address into the browser address bar and press Enter to access the Embedded Web Server.
3. Navigate to the Network, Networking, or Advanced Settings tab.
4. Locate the IPv4 Configuration section and switch the setting from Automatic (DHCP) to Manual (Static).
5. Input a manual IP address outside your router active DHCP dynamic pool, such as 192.168.1.200.
6. Set the Subnet Mask to 255.255.255.0 and enter your Default Gateway (such as 192.168.1.1).
7. Apply the changes, restart the printer, and update your Windows TCP/IP port to match the new static IP address.

Method 9: Resolve 2.4 GHz vs. 5 GHz Dual-Band and Guest Network Isolation

Modern mesh Wi-Fi networks and dual-band routers broadcast both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands under a single network name. Most wireless printers contain legacy 2.4 GHz network interface cards, while modern laptops connect to the faster 5 GHz frequency.

Some routers implement Access Point (AP) Isolation or block cross-band communication between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz clients. Furthermore, if a printer connects to a guest Wi-Fi network, local security firewalls prevent client devices from communicating with it entirely.

To resolve wireless frequency and isolation issues:

1. Log into your router administrative interface.
2. Verify that your computer and your printer are connected to the exact same Service Set Identifier (SSID) network name.
3. Ensure the printer is not connected to a Guest Network that enforces client isolation.
4. If your router features band steering that causes frequent printer drops, navigate to Wireless Settings and split your frequencies into distinct names, such as HomeNetwork_2.4G and HomeNetwork_5G.
5. Connect your printer exclusively to the dedicated 2.4 GHz network band to maintain constant connectivity.

Level 4: USB-Specific Connection Troubleshooting

Direct-wired USB printers bypass local network complications, but they remain vulnerable to hardware line degradation, port sleep suspensions, and host controller communication timeouts.

Method 10: Inspect Physical USB Cabling and Bypass Unpowered Hubs

USB cables contain four internal conductors: two wires deliver five-volt electrical power, while two twisted conductors handle bidirectional data transmission. A damaged USB cable can continue powering the printer control panel while failing to transmit print data, causing Windows to flag the device as offline.

1. Disconnect the USB cable from both the printer and the computer, inspect the gold pins inside the connectors for corrosion, and reconnect both ends firmly.
2. Remove any unpowered USB extension cables, docking station pass-through ports, or external USB hubs.
3. Connect the printer directly to a rear motherboard USB port on desktop computers rather than front-panel case ports that experience voltage drops.
4. Avoid using USB 3.0 or 3.1 ports (colored blue or red) for legacy printers if standard USB 2.0 ports (black) are available, as older printer controller chips occasionally fail high-speed USB 3.0 controller handshakes.

Method 11: Disable USB Selective Suspend in Windows Power Options

Windows Power Management includes an automated power-saving feature called USB Selective Suspend. This policy cuts electrical polling to connected USB ports when the operating system detects no active file transfers, preventing sleeping printers from waking up when print jobs arrive.

To disable USB Selective Suspend:

1. Press Windows Key + R, type control powercfg.cpl, and press Enter to launch Power Options.
2. Click Change plan settings next to your currently active power plan.
3. Click Change advanced power settings to open the configuration dialog.
4. Scroll down and expand the USB settings branch, then expand USB selective suspend setting.
5. Change the setting to Disabled for both On battery and Plugged in configurations.
6. Click Apply, then click OK to save your updated hardware power policy.

Level 5: Driver Reinstallation and Brand-Specific Toolkits

When Windows updates replace manufacturer drivers with generic class drivers, or when driver INF manifests become corrupted, a complete driver purge and vendor tool installation is required.

Method 12: Clean Driver Removal and Reinstallation

Simply clicking “Remove device” in Settings deletes the printer icon but leaves damaged driver files cached inside your Windows DriverStore directory. You must purge the driver package completely using Print Management.

To perform a clean driver removal and reinstallation:

1. Disconnect the USB cable or disconnect the printer from the network.
2. Press Windows Key + R, type printmanagement.msc, and press Enter to open Print Management on Windows Pro or Enterprise editions.
3. If using Windows Home edition, press Windows Key + R, type printui.exe /s /t2, and press Enter to open the Print Server Properties Drivers tab directly.
4. Expand Custom Filters, click All Drivers, locate your printer brand driver in the list, right-click it, and select Remove Driver Package.
5. Choose Remove driver and driver package, then click Delete to purge the INF files from your operating system.
6. Restart your computer.
7. Visit the official support website of your printer manufacturer, download the full software package containing Type-3 or Type-4 V4 manufacturer drivers, install the software, and reconnect your printer when prompted by the setup utility.

Method 13: Using Official Brand Diagnostic Tools

Major printer manufacturers provide specialized software utilities designed to detect dropped IP ports, restart local spooler services, and repair manufacturer-specific communication handshakes automatically.

The table below outlines the official diagnostic utilities available for major printer brands.

Official Manufacturer Diagnostic Toolkits

This table details the official diagnostic applications provided by major printer brands for automated troubleshooting.

Manufacturer Brand	Official Diagnostic Utility	Primary Use Case	Official Download Location
HP (Hewlett-Packard)	HP Print and Scan Doctor or HP App	Clears offline queues, resets WSD ports, and repairs driver registry keys	Official HP Customer Support portal
Canon	Canon IJ Network Device Setup Utility	Rebinds modified IP addresses and configures socket port bindings	Official Canon Support and Drivers page
Epson	EpsonNet Config and Epson Software Updater	Re-establishes wireless handshakes and updates network interface firmware	Official Epson Support downloads
Brother	Brother iPrint&Scan Network Repair Tool	Automatically diagnoses IP communication errors and resets spooler bindings	Official Brother Solutions Center

How to Prevent Your Printer from Ever Going Offline Again

You can eliminate chronic offline errors by implementing four system and network configuration standards across your devices.

First, configure all network printers using a dedicated Standard TCP/IP Port running on Port 9100 with SNMP Status disabled, avoiding default WSD discovery ports. Pair this with a permanent DHCP reservation in your router to prevent IP address changes.

Second, access the printer onboard settings menu or web interface and disable Auto-Power Off or Deep Sleep modes. Set the printer to remain in a light sleep state so its network interface card remains responsive to incoming network packets.

Third, ensure Let Windows manage my default printer remains toggled off in Windows Settings to prevent automatic switching to virtual printers. Our guide to changing the default printer in Windows 11 and 10 walks through it.

Fourth, if you utilize a Virtual Private Network (VPN) on your computer, enable split-tunneling within your VPN client settings to allow local area network traffic across subnet 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x to bypass the encrypted VPN tunnel.

Warning: Avoid Paid Printer Support Hotlines and Driver Updater Scams

When searching for solutions to offline printer errors, avoid third-party driver updater utilities, registry cleaners, and sponsored search ads displaying toll-free customer support numbers.

Software utilities such as DriverEasy, Outbyte, and similar automated tools claim that outdated drivers cause printer offline errors. These applications frequently bundle adware, install generic drivers that break advanced printer features, or lock basic functionality behind subscription paywalls.

Furthermore, fraudulent technical support operations purchase sponsored advertisements on major search engines, impersonating official HP, Canon, Epson, or Brother support centers.

These operators claim your computer is infected with network viruses, using basic Windows event viewer logs to deceive users before demanding hundreds of dollars for remote desktop access.

All diagnostic and repair steps necessary to fix an offline printer can be completed entirely for free using native Windows tools and official manufacturer drivers obtained directly from verified manufacturer domains.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my printer say offline when it is connected to Wi-Fi?

Your printer displays an offline status because Windows cannot communicate with it through its assigned port configuration. This occurs when your router assigns a new dynamic IP address to the printer after a reboot, when the WSD port drops connection during sleep mode, or when Windows enables the Use Printer Offline queue setting.

How do I uncheck “Use Printer Offline” if the option is greyed out?

The Use Printer Offline option appears greyed out when your user account lacks administrative permissions or when a corrupted print job locks the queue thread. To fix this, run Command Prompt as administrator, execute net stop spooler followed by net start spooler, and open the queue with elevated administrative privileges.

Why does my printer work from my iPhone but say offline on my Windows PC?

Mobile devices print using Apple AirPrint, which discovers printers dynamically across local network subnets using zero-configuration mDNS broadcasting. Windows relies on static port configurations, local queue flags, and the Windows Print Spooler service, which can fail independently of the physical Wi-Fi connection.

How do I find my printer’s IP address if it has no screen?

You can retrieve the IP address of a screenless printer by pressing and holding the Information (i) or Wireless button on the printer control panel for five seconds to print a Network Configuration page. Alternatively, log into your wireless router administrative portal and locate the printer in the connected DHCP client table.

What is the difference between an offline printer and a paused printer?

An offline printer indicates that the operating system cannot establish a communication handshake with the physical device through its assigned hardware or network port. A paused printer indicates that communication is functional, but Windows has intentionally suspended queue processing, which can be resolved by clicking Printer and unticking Pause Printing in the print queue menu.

Why did my printer go offline after a Windows 11 feature update?

Major Windows feature updates can reset custom port configurations back to default WSD ports, re-enable “Let Windows manage my default printer,” or replace manufacturer drivers with generic Microsoft Class drivers. Re-adding the printer using a Standard TCP/IP port and reinstalling the official manufacturer driver package resolves post-update failures. Our guide to updating printer drivers covers removing the old package cleanly before the new one goes on.

Windows 11 24H2 note: this release introduced Protected Print Mode and a universal IPP Class Driver. If your printer only went offline after updating to 24H2, check whether Windows has swapped your manufacturer driver for the IPP one — installing the manufacturer package again normally restores correct status reporting. If the printer reports an error rather than offline, see fixing a wireless printer stuck in an error state, and Windows’ own built-in troubleshooter can catch faults this list does not.

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Images Plan:

#	Short Image Name	Article Placement	Short Alt Text	Short Image Caption
1	printer-offline-queue-window.png	Under H1, immediately below the introductory summary	Windows 11 print queue showing Use Printer Offline disabled	Disabling Use Printer Offline in the Windows print queue.
2	printer-fault-isolation-flowchart.png	Under The 60-Second Diagnostic Test, above the Symptom-to-Fault matrix table	Troubleshooting flowchart to diagnose offline printer causes	60-second flowchart to isolate printer, PC, and network faults.
3	windows-default-printer-toggle.png	Under Level 1 -> Method 3: Set as Default Printer and Disable Windows Management	Windows Settings toggle for Let Windows manage my default printer	Turning off automatic default printer management in Windows.
4	restart-print-spooler-services.png	Under Level 2 -> Method 4: Restart the Print Spooler Service via services.msc	Windows Services console showing Print Spooler restart option	Restarting the Print Spooler service in services.msc.
5	purge-spooler-command-prompt.png	Under Level 2 -> Method 5: Manually Purge the PRINTERS Spool Directory…	Command Prompt purging corrupted print spooler queue files	Deleting corrupted spooler files via elevated Command Prompt.
6	add-standard-tcpip-port.png	Under Level 3 -> Method 6: Convert WSD Port to a Standard TCP/IP Port…	Adding a Standard TCP/IP printer port in Windows Printer Properties	Converting a WSD port to a Standard TCP/IP port on Port 9100.
7	disable-snmp-status-port.png	Under Level 3 -> Method 7: Uncheck “SNMP Status Enabled”…	Disabling SNMP Status Enabled in TCP/IP printer port settings	Unchecking SNMP Status Enabled in port configuration settings.
8	router-dhcp-ip-reservation.png	Under Level 3 -> Method 8: Assign a Permanent Static IP… -> Option A	Router admin portal configuring DHCP static IP address reservation	Binding the printer MAC address to a permanent static DHCP lease.
9	printer-ews-static-ip-setup.png	Under Level 3 -> Method 8: Assign a Permanent Static IP… -> Option B	Printer Embedded Web Server network configuration page	Assigning a manual static IPv4 address in the printer’s EWS portal.
10	disable-usb-selective-suspend.png	Under Level 4 -> Method 11: Disable USB Selective Suspend…	Disabling USB selective suspend setting in Windows Control Panel	Disabling USB Selective Suspend in Windows Power Options.
11	clean-printer-driver-removal.png	Under Level 5 -> Method 12: Clean Driver Removal and Reinstallation	Print Management console removing printer driver packages	Purging old driver packages using the Print Server Properties dialog.
12	oem-printer-diagnostic-tool.png	Under Level 5 -> Method 13: Using Official Brand Diagnostic Tools	Official OEM printer diagnostic utility resolving network status	Running official OEM diagnostic software to repair port communication.