Receipt printer or cash drawer is offline

Use Case

Store reports issues with the cash drawer, receipt printer, or pin pad — such as the drawer not opening, printer not printing, or the pin pad not connecting properly.

Examples of What a Customer Inquiry on This Topic Looks Like

• “Printer is showing as offline.”
• “Cash drawer won’t open.”
• “Receipt printer is connected but not printing.”
• “Pin pad isn’t connecting to the printer.”
• “Printer was recently replaced and isn’t being detected.”
  
   

Questions / Steps That Allow Us to Isolate the Issue

DELL REGISTERS CONNECTIONS

Request pictures or screenshots of how the receipt printer and cash drawer are connected.

RED - pinpad connection

WHITE - COM 3 port, to receipt printer 


Receipt printer end; 
WHITE - serial cable from Register, 
RED - DK port connected to the cashdrawer

BLACK -  Power cable for receipt printer


 

LENOVO REGISTER CONNECTIONS

Printers can be connected to any USB-A Port directly to the CPU (not through a USB Hub)

 

REGISTER END

1. Check cable management and condition of cords.
2. Verify the make and model of the receipt printer and cash drawer.
3. Confirm whether either device was recently replaced.
4. Have the store swap cables or devices with another working register to test functionality.

Troubleshooting Steps

1️⃣ Standard Setup Steps

Before performing advanced steps, confirm the following:

• ✅ JPOS is properly updated. 
  (refer to 13.Printer Troubleshooting Example1.mp4
  & Printer Troubleshooting 1 and 2 to confirm correct JPOS)
  
   
• ✅ The Peripheral Setup Utility (if applicable) has been run successfully.
  
   
• ✅ All hardware connections are secure and correctly attached.
  
   
• ✅ Power cables and USB connections are firmly seated.

2️⃣ Dell Registers — COM Port Troubleshooting

If the printer or drawer remains unresponsive:

• Try swapping the COM ports between the printer and the pin pad.
  This helps determine if the problem is with the COM port or the hardware itself.
  
   
• To verify or reassign COM ports:
  
   
  1. Open Device Manager.
     
      
  2. Go to Ports (COM & LPT).
     
      
  3. Review the current assignments.
     ⚠️ Do not reassign COM ports before confirming with a lead.
     
      
• ❌ Do not attempt this step on Lenovo registers — they require a separate utility process.

3️⃣ Lenovo Registers — Special Peripherals Utility

Lenovo systems require a custom peripheral configuration.
Follow these steps:

1. Navigate to \\2088rg117\c$\PeripheralSetupUtility.
   
    
2. Copy the utility folder to the register being worked on.
   
    
3. Run the utility and proceed through the health check — it will automatically apply the necessary settings.

4️⃣ If Peripheral Utility Fails on Lenovo Machines

If you’re running the peripheral utility setup and keep getting an error that says

“Printer or drawer is turned off or not connected,”
even after confirming all cables and seeing both the pin pad and printer in Device Manager, try the following:

1. Go to: \\1354RG116\c$ (example path).
   
    
2. Copy the contents of the Peripherals Utility folder.
   ⚠️ Copy only — do not move or delete anything.
   
    
3. Paste them into the Peripherals Utility folder on the RG you’re troubleshooting.
   
    
4. Run the utility again.

✅ This usually resolves the issue.

5️⃣Check & Replace Epson Port Communication Folder (if needed)

If the printer is still not functioning after setup:

1. Unhide System Files
   
    
   • Open File Explorer → Click View → Check Hidden items.
     
      
2. Navigate to: C:\ProgramData\Epson.
3. Locate the Port Communication folder.
   
    
4. Ask the store for the RG number of a working register with the same setup.
   
    
5. Copy that register’s Port Communication folder and replace the one on the problematic register.