HP Printer Error Code 20 – How to Fix This Common Error Quickly & Easily

HP Printer error code 20, as the name describes, is a problem with the HP printer on your system. The issue is typically caused if the printer is either not configured correctly, or your system tries to send an erroneous command to it. This error will typically show when you try and print a document / spreadsheet or another piece of data from your system, and will stop the print-out from proceeding. In order to fix this, it’s advisable that you follow the steps outlined in this tutorial.

The HP error 20 will generally show in this format:

“Printer not activated – Error code 20″

There are several reasons why this error may show, including having an outdated / erroneous printer driver, not installing the printer software you need on your PC correctly, or having registry errors on your system. The bottom line of the problem is basically that when you try and print out a document / file from your Printer, there are certain issues which prevent Windows from either recognizing or connecting with the printer on your system. To fix the issue, you need to repair the various problems which cause this to occur – which can be done in quite an easy way.

The first thing to do to ensure the error code 20 is does not show up again on your system is make your HP printer the “default” printer. It might be the case that your system will be unable to use the printer as it cannot identify which one to use. Making your HP printer your default printer will resolve this issue, and should help your system to correctly print out. After that, you should also look to reinstall the HP printer software on your computer. This will essentially remove the printer from your PC and then place it back there again – allowing your system to correct any potential issues it had the last time it was installed.

It’s highly recommended that you also “clean out the registry” of your PC by using a registry cleaner program. These are software tools which will fix any errors that are inside the ‘registry’ of your system – which is a large database that Windows uses to store vital settings and information for your computer. It’s often the case that many registry settings will either become damaged or corrupted – leading your PC to be unable to use the files that it needs to run. This often causes a variety of errors to show, and is one of the main reasons for the HP printer error code 20 showing. To fix this, it’s advisable that you clean out the registry of your system with a registry cleaner tool.