Printer driver issues are a common but frustrating problem for many printer users. Whether your printer suddenly stops responding or you cannot print after a driver update, these issues can quickly disrupt your workflow. Fortunately, most printer driver issues can be fixed with some straightforward troubleshooting. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to resolve printer driver issues and get your printer back to full functionality.
What Are Printer Driver Issues?
A printer driver is the software that allows your computer to communicate with your printer. It translates print commands from your computer into a language that the printer can understand. Printer driver issues can be caused by several factors such as outdated drivers, corruption, or compatibility problems with your operating system.
Sometimes, users face problems with their printer after updating drivers. It might stop working or print poorly. This may be due to incompatible drivers or incomplete updates. However, the cause does not matter; solving printer driver issues is important to get your printer working smoothly again.
Common Symptoms of Printer Driver Issues
Here are some symptoms that you may be dealing with printer driver issues:
The printer has stopped responding to the computer after updating a driver.
Some error messages such as “Printer driver is unavailable” or “Driver not installed.”
Print jobs get stuck in the print queue, or do not print.
Prints or images are distorted or of low quality.
Your printer isn’t showing in the Devices and Printers section.
Should you find any of the above, then you could be facing printer driver problems with your printer.
The printer driver problem will be eliminated once these are followed.
1. Reboot Your Printer as Well as Computer
Sometimes an easy reboot will solve tiny issues of printer drivers, try to switch off the printer and disconnect it from your system for 30 seconds, reboot your system afterwards too, after both boot successfully then print.
At times, this straightforward action can be effective in fixing printer driver issues brought about by temporary glitches or conflicts.
2. Run Windows Updates
Outdated system files or drivers could be a cause of your printer driver problems. It may have occurred that issues began immediately after a driver update; hence, there is a need to look out for updates since they are known to have fixes to many compatibility issues.
To do the above,
Windows key and type “Windows Update.”
Click Check for updates.
Install any available updates and restart your computer.
This could help resolve conflicts between the printer driver and the operating system, restoring normal printing functionality.
3. Update Printer Drivers Manually
If your printer is not printing after a driver update, it’s possible that the update didn’t complete properly or the new driver is incompatible. Updating your printer drivers manually is a good way to fix this.
To update your printer drivers:
Press Windows + X and select Device Manager.
Locate your printer under the Printers section.
Right-click on your printer and select Update driver.
Choose Search automatically for updated driver software.
If Windows cannot find an update, visit the printer manufacturer’s website, find your printer model, and download the latest driver manually.
4. Reinstall Printer Drivers
If this doesn’t work, try to delete and reinstall the printer drivers to remove any corruption or incompatible issues.
To reinstall printer driver:
Open Device manager.
Right-click on printer and select Uninstall device.
Restart your computer
Visit the manufacturer’s website, download and install the latest printer driver.
A fresh installation will automatically solve most of the driver issues of the printer restoring its functionality.
5. Printer Troubleshooter
Windows has a troubleshooter that can find and fix most common issues with printer drivers automatically. Here’s how to access it:
Press the Windows key and type “Troubleshoot settings.”
Click Additional troubleshooters.
Select Printer under Get up and running and click Run the troubleshooter.
Follow the on-screen instructions to allow Windows to automatically identify and fix any printer driver issues that could be causing your printer from working.
6. Compatibility Issues
If your printer does not print after updating the driver, then it may be an incompatibility issue of the driver with your version of Windows or macOS. You need to check the compatibility of the printer driver with your Windows or macOS version.
Look up the manufacturer’s website to find information about compatibility. If your printer is ancient or the driver is no longer supported, you should download a legacy or generic driver for your device.
7. Remove and Re-add the Printer Manually
Sometimes, the problem can be solved by removing the printer from your computer and then re-adding it. This will reset the connection between your computer and the printer, which may solve the problem caused by a bad driver update.
How to remove and re-add your printer:
Open Control Panel and go to Devices and Printers.
Right-click on your printer and select Remove device.
Restart your computer.
Reconnect your printer and let Windows reinstall the drivers automatically.
This normally resolves any issues of improper installation or bad updates with your printer drivers.