Troubleshoot printer issues in Windows 10

 Troubleshoot printer issues in Windows 10

A printer is a very useful electronic device that transfers text and graphic information from a computer to paper. It has been a revolutionary product in the field of computing, communication, books, information, and the internet that has made life easy for people from all fields.

Troubleshooting methods can be helpful to users when they encounter problems installing or using the printer. In this post, we'll discuss how to solve problems with printer installation and driver updates issues.

How to install a printer on Window-10

Most printers can be set up by simply connecting them to your PC. To connect your printer to your PC, connect the USB cable, and turn on the printer. Window 10 supports most brands of printers automatically and one doesn’t need to install drivers manually.

Connecting printers with Windows 10 PC:

• Select the Start icon in the lower left-hand corner of the screen to begin Click on Control Panel

• Click on Devices and printers

• Select Add a printer from options 

• Click on the name of the printer if Windows detects it and then follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation & the process is done.

When Windows fails to locate your connected printer, click on the link "The printer I want isn't listed."

Let the Windows troubleshooting guide help you find your printer and it does it automatically. It will locate available printers and download their drivers for you.

However, in case of any driver issue, we recommend users follow the user manual and visit printer manufacturer websites.   

How to add a Wireless Printer to Window 10

• Depending on the manufacturer, the steps to install a wireless printer may differ. In general, however, most of the modern printers today can detect and install themselves automatically over a network on Windows 10.

• Enter the wireless setup using the LCD panel found on most brands of printers. 

• Choose an available Wi-Fi network of your choice. 

• In order to connect, you need to have information about your home network's SSID. One can find it by hovering your cursor over the Wi-Fi icon in the taskbar.

• The user needs a wireless network password to connect the printer.

In rare cases, one may have to install software by temporarily connecting the printer via USB to the computer. Otherwise, the printer should be automatically added to ‘Printers & scanners’ under Settings > Devices in any case.

Be sure your printer is not too far from the wireless router and that it is installed close to your computer. Your printer might have an Ethernet port available. If it is available, one can connect a printer directly to the router and manage it through a browser interface.

 

Methods to troubleshoot common printer issues:

 

If a user encounters a non-physical printer problem, they can attempt to solve it using the 'Windows printer troubleshooter'

• After clicking Start, type the word ‘troubleshoot’ and click the Troubleshooting link that shows up. After the window opens, click ‘View All; then scroll down until you find the printer.

• Tap on Advanced, and then ‘Run as administrator’ in the next window. After you click ‘Next’, choose the printer that needs troubleshooting, and then tap on ‘Next’ again. A tool that identifies and fixes problems automatically will appear and start working. Do make sure that your printer is connected and turned on if it is not appearing in the list of printers.

•  If the troubleshooter cannot detect any issues, you may still need to update or reinstall the printer’s drive manually from the manufacturer's website or via CD software available with you if you have it with you from the printer manufacturer

Ways to update printer drivers on Windows 10

Windows 10 makes updating printer drivers relatively easy. Steps to update drivers have been explained ahead:

• In Windows 10, tap or click on the Start button, then type the word ‘device manager’ in the search box & the user should see ‘Device Manager’ - tap on this.

• There will be a list of entries here - scroll to the one for Printers and expand it to see the name of your own printer there among all.

• Tap on ‘Update Driver’ from the menu that appears when you right-click on the name of your printer. Click to choose the option to ‘Search automatically for updated driver software.’ 

If your Windows 10 PC is connected to the internet, it will search for a new driver for you and install it automatically. In rare cases, if it doesn’t help you, please visit the manufacturer's website or install the driver software via CD if you have it with you from the manufacturer.