Click here to Skip to main content
Licence 
First Posted 10 Feb 2004
Views 105,861
Bookmarked 58 times

How to Check if your Printer is Connected, using C#

By | 10 Feb 2004 | Article
Make sure you check your printer's offline status before printing. This article shows how to do just that.

Introduction

This code will test whether a printer is connected to your system or not. It works with USB and network printers (haven't tested LPT printers yet).

Some printers (like my HP DeskJet 930c) is detected online even though I press the OFF button (as long as the power adaptor is switched ON). This is true, as the printer is able to switch on itself when the print queue is not empty. But if I switch off the power adaptor, then the printer cannot switch on itself, and Windows automatically adjusts the printer setting by checking the "Use Printer Offline" in the Printer Control Panel.

Same case with network printers. When I plug my network cable, Windows automatically unchecks the "Use Printer Offline", and when I unplug it, Windows rechecks the "Use Printer Offline". This is what my code detects, whether "Use Printer Offline" is actually checked or not.

using System;
using System.Management; 
namespace zedilabs.com
{
 class PrinterOffline
 {
  [STAThread]
  static void Main(string[] args)
  {
   // Set management scope
   ManagementScope scope = new ManagementScope(@"\root\cimv2");
   scope.Connect();

   // Select Printers from WMI Object Collections
   ManagementObjectSearcher searcher = new 
    ManagementObjectSearcher("SELECT * FROM Win32_Printer");

   string printerName = "";
   foreach (ManagementObject printer in searcher.Get()) 
   {
    printerName = printer["Name"].ToString().ToLower();
    if (printerName.Equals(@"hp deskjet 930c"))
    {
     Console.WriteLine("Printer = " + printer["Name"]); 
     if (printer["WorkOffline"].ToString().ToLower().Equals("true"))
     {
      // printer is offline by user
      Console.WriteLine("Your Plug-N-Play printer is not connected.");
     }
     else
     {
      // printer is not offline
       Console.WriteLine("Your Plug-N-Play printer is connected.");
     }
    }
   }
  }
 }
}

License

This article has no explicit license attached to it but may contain usage terms in the article text or the download files themselves. If in doubt please contact the author via the discussion board below.

A list of licenses authors might use can be found here

About the Author

zeddy

Web Developer

Indonesia Indonesia

Member

Zeddy Iskandar, computer science student. Writes freewares on free time. Regularly rambles on his blog. Likes to experiment on emerging software technologies.
 
www.zedilabs.com

Sign Up to vote   Poor Excellent
Add a reason or comment to your vote: x
Votes of 3 or less require a comment

Comments and Discussions

 
You must Sign In to use this message board. (secure sign-in)
 
Search this forum  
 FAQ
    Noise  Layout  Per page   
  Refresh
GeneralMy vote of 1 Pinmemberbehzad20009:56 26 Apr '10  
GeneralBrilliant, got my 5 Pinmembercaptainplanet012310:51 30 Apr '09  
Generalprinter on C#.net Pinmemberbalu123457:33 30 Jul '08  
QuestionNot working for the first time Pinmembersrinivas@mtccrm.com3:56 13 Jun '08  
QuestionBetter Solution PinmemberArjan Mels12:02 19 Mar '07  
QuestionHow can do the same in VB or VC++ Pinmembervijay kumar T10:27 19 Jan '06  
AnswerRe: How can do the same in VB or VC++ PinmemberChristian Graus11:21 19 Jan '06  
GeneralRe: How can do the same in VB or VC++ Pinmembervijay kumar T11:51 19 Jan '06  
GeneralRe: How can do the same in VB or VC++ PinmemberChristian Graus11:56 19 Jan '06  
GeneralSame code using PrinterStatus Pinmembercseils20:20 22 Nov '04  
GeneralRe: Same code using PrinterStatus PinmvpJohn Simmons / outlaw programmer0:20 11 Dec '08  
I have two printers connected to my system. One is turned on (and is a local printer), and one is turned off (and is a network printer). Both report a "PrinterStatus" of 3. Both report "WorkOffline" as being false. Both report "Network as "false", and both show "Local" as "true".
 
When I turn the local printer off, the status doesn't change, but WorkOffline changes to true. When I turn the network printer on, nothing changes.
 

"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
-----
"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001

GeneralCode does not perform as stated. Pinmemberamurray@unumprovident.com7:32 30 Aug '04  

General General    News News    Suggestion Suggestion    Question Question    Bug Bug    Answer Answer    Joke Joke    Rant Rant    Admin Admin   

Use Ctrl+Left/Right to switch messages, Ctrl+Up/Down to switch threads, Ctrl+Shift+Left/Right to switch pages.

Permalink | Advertise | Privacy | Mobile
Web04 | 2.5.120604.1 | Last Updated 11 Feb 2004
Article Copyright 2004 by zeddy
Everything else Copyright © CodeProject, 1999-2012
Terms of Use
Layout: fixed | fluid