Canon Printer Won’t Turn On? – Top Reasons & Solutions

If you’re having problems with why your Canon printer won’t turn on, then worry no more as we have these easy steps to help you solve your problem!

An unresponsive Canon printer won’t turn on can be a result of a lot of factors.

It can be frustrating when it refuses to turn on and you have a pile of paperwork that needs to be printed.

Let’s get to the bottom of this problem right now!

To fix your Canon printer that’s malfunctioning and won’t turn on, you want to unplug it to refresh its power state. Cleaning a dirty printhead also helps resolve this issue allowing you to use your printer.

We can now take a deeper look at the different causes of this issue.

There are a lot of reasons why this can happen, and knowing the causes will help you diagnose what’s wrong with your machine.

Main Causes Why Won’t My Canon Printer Turn On

There are several reasons why your Canon printer can stop working. The most common reason is plugging your printer into a defective electrical outlet.

You will want to watch out for this and ink leaks and blockages can also cause your printer to malfunction.

It’s best to understand the circumstances that prevent your printer from turning on.

Let’s take a closer look at these.

✅ Faulty Power Connection

Unreliable electric connections can prevent your printer from turning on.

Getting an amateur, not a professional electrician, to install your wires at home can result in some electrical malfunction and affect your device’s working condition.

✅ Damaged Power Cord

Your printer’s power cord may have been punctured after being wedged between heavy objects.

Or your printer’s plug may have been disconnected from its power cord after pulling it off from the switch instead of handling the plug directly.

✅ Plugged Into a Bad Wall Outlet

Beat-up wires and loose screws can result in a defective wall outlet. And plugging your printer into one of these can prevent your printer from turning on.

✅ Power Button Issue

The manner or duration of pressing your printer’s power button can prevent your printer from turning on.

In addition, your printer’s defective power button can interfere with the connection of your printer’s electronics to the power source. 

Now that you have a better understanding of this particular issue with your Canon printer, let’s proceed to the different solutions that can fix it.

Proven Solutions to Fix Canon Printer Won’t Turn On

Before getting all anxious about getting no response from your printer, let’s look at one of the easiest solutions you can take to fix this error with your Canon printer.

• By simply turning your machine off and on again, you can have it working in no time.

Sometimes, it can be a simple firmware bug that causes it, and powering your printer off will flush it out.

1. Check Your Printer for Power Issues

Remember that your printer requires a stable power supply for it to function.

If powering it off and turning it back on does not resolve the issue, you want to go a step deeper.

Understanding the condition of your printer’s power situation will help in letting you fix this issue.

You want to examine the wall outlet that your printer is plugged into. You want to look at any issues with your printer’s power supply and cords.

Here’s how to check your printer’s power situation:

1. Unplug your printer from the wall outlet.
2. Try plugging a different device into the same outlet to see if it works.
3. Check your printer’s power cord for any signs of damage.
4. Make sure the plugs and cords are connected to your printer.
5. Examine your printer’s lights are ON when it’s plugged into the outlet.

Tip: Don't use a power strip to plug your printer. We recommend plugging it directly into a wall outlet.

2. Cool Down the Printer by Unplugging It

If your printer has power issues, it’s also prone to overheating. An easy step to consider if your machine does not readily turn on is to check its temperature.

A hot printer can stop working and even refuse to switch on.

• One of the things you can do to fix it is to allow it to significantly cool down.

Allowing it a few minutes rest can get the components to normalize their temperatures and get the printer to work again.

Here’s how to let your printer cool down:

1. Unplug your printer from the wall outlet.
2. Remove the power cord from the printer.
3. Let your printer rest for at least 10 minutes.
4. Securely attach the power cord back to the printer.
5. Plug your printer’s power cord into a functional wall outlet and switch it on.

Note: You can also feel your printer. If it's warm to the touch, allow it to rest for 10 more minutes.

3. Long Press the Power Button

Your Canon printer comes with a feature that allows you to force it to reboot.

By pressing the power button for more than 10 seconds, you can get your printer to power up or restart.

It’s a way to determine if your printer is suffering from power issues or if there’s something wrong with its software or hardware components.

Here’s how you can use the power button to force your printer to turn on:

1. Locate if your Canon printer has a main power switch.
2. If it has one, switch it to the OFF position.
3. Wait for 5 minutes, before turning it back on.
4. Press and hold the Power button for at least 10 seconds.
5. Wait for your printer to turn on.

4. Check for Ink Leakage for Short Circuits

Getting an ink leak on your printer can seem like an unrelated issue.

However, the ink inside your printer’s electronics can cause problems like short circuits which can stop your printer from turning on.

Ink leaks can be hard to detect since you’re going to need to open up your machine.

If your printer’s ink runs down quickly, you want to check inside and make sure it’s not affecting other components.

Here’s how to determine if your printer has ink leaks:

1. Open the lid of the printer and perform a visual inspection for leaks.
2. Remove the cartridges and clean them using a paper towel.
3. Inspect the cartridge ink levels and check for dried ink.
4. Return the ink cartridges properly and close the lid.
5. Turn your printer ON.

Note: If you find a leak and the ink dries up, make sure to remove it before turning your printer on.

5. Clean the Print Head

A clogged printhead can result in why your Canon printer won’t turn on. But you can easily deal with this problem by merely cleaning the print head. 

• Maintaining different aspects of your printer will ensure that you prevent any malfunctions that can happen to it.

Cleaning the printhead is one way to keep your printer in excellent condition.

Let me show you how you can clean the printhead:

1. Open your printer to access the printhead.
2. Wipe any excess ink on the ink nozzle.
3. Remove the printhead and wrap it in damp paper towels.
4. Let it soak for at least 10 minutes.
5. Wipe the printhead dry and place it back inside the printer.

Note: Once your printhead is clean, you can then clean it by going to your printer's maintenance tools and choosing the Clean option.

6. Perform a Hard Reboot of Your Canon Printer

Resetting your Canon printer can iron out various issues like when it stops working.

A hard reboot is different than just simply restarting it as this will ensure your printer starts up fresh.

It doesn’t only resolve issues with your printer’s start-up procedure, but can also fix other software errors.

Here’s how to perform a hard reboot with your Canon printer:

1. Press and hold the Start and Stop button on your printer.
2. An alarm will ring, let it ring, and flash at least 19 times.
3. Release the Start button.
4. Wait for your printer to start back up again.

Note: After performing a hard reset, you will need to reinstall your printer’s drivers. Make sure to get the latest 

These solutions will help you get your Canon printer powered up and working again.

If none of these steps work, you can force your printer to reset to factory settings. You can also contact Canon’s customer support for additional assistance.

Bottom Line

You don’t have to be an expert if your Canon printer won’t turn on. We’ve come up with proven solutions that will help you fix it in no time.

It also helps to know if your printer is still covered by warranty so you can send it to a Canon service center for repairs.

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