Buzz
During the installation or upgrade of Windows 10, many users encounter the situation where the printer stops working even though it was working fine before. The cause of this issue is likely that Windows 10, after installation, automatically removes some incompatible applications and software, including the printer driver. However, there is no need to worry too much because we can still completely resolve the printer not working issue on Windows 10 through some simple methods shared by Mytour below. We invite you to follow along.
How to Fix Printer Not Working Issue on Windows 10
1. Reboot the Device
In any case where the printer is not working on Windows 10, the first step is to restart both your computer and printer, and wait until the connection between the two devices is complete. If your printer uses a USB cable, after the printer restarts, check if the printer is in online status.
Note: Make sure to completely turn off the printer rather than putting it into Sleep mode. If needed, you can unplug the printer's power cord and wait for about 30 seconds before plugging it back in.
2. Check Printer Settings
The printer not working issue on Windows 10 may occur if someone unintentionally sets the printer to offline mode. Follow the steps below to re-enable the startup status for the printer on Windows 10.
Step 1: Access the Control Panel by pressing the Windows + R key combination and entering the command control panel, then press Enter or OK.
Step 2: The Control Panel dialog appears; click on View devices and printers.
Step 3: Next, double-click on the printer. Here, click the Printer button and uncheck the options for Pause Printing and Use Printer Offline.
3. Utilize the Printer Troubleshooter on Windows
System errors on Windows are also not uncommon when the printer is not working on Windows 10. In such cases, we need to use the Windows troubleshooter tool to address the issue.
Step 1: Access the Control Panel by pressing the Windows + R key combination and entering the command control panel, then press Enter or OK.
Step 2: Here, click on View devices and printers.
Step 3: Next, right-click on the printer and select Troubleshoot to check services, network settings, etc.
4. Reinstall the Printer Driver
As mentioned earlier, when you upgrade to Windows 10 from an older version, it's likely that the old printer driver will not be compatible, causing the printer not to work. Therefore, you need to update the printer driver with the following steps:
Step 1: From the computer's interface, press the Windows + X key combination and click on Device Manager as shown below.
Step 2: When the Device Manager window appears, find and double-click on the Print queues section. Here, right-click on the name of the printer you need to update and choose Update Driver Software...
Note: In some cases, there may be a noticeable yellow exclamation mark (indicating a driver error or outdated driver) that is easy to spot.
Step 3: The update driver interface appears with two options:
Search automatically for updated driver software: If you choose this option, the computer will automatically search and update the driver for you, but it may take time and may not be very successful.
Browse my computer for driver software: If you have already downloaded the required printer driver to your computer, this option will save you a significant amount of time and is also more effective.
5. Update Printer Drivers from Windows Update
Step 1: Press the Windows key on the keyboard, then select Settings with the gear icon as shown below.
Step 2: The Windows Settings interface opens; choose the Update & security section.
Step 3: Left-click on Check for updates and wait for the computer to scan, find the latest updates for you.
6. Update Printer Drivers with Driver Easy Software
Another method to upgrade your printer driver without consuming too much time is by using professional driver search and download software. The most popular and widely chosen tool nowadays is Driver Easy, with a simple and user-friendly interface to quickly update printer drivers and fix printer not working issues on Windows 10. Download DriverEasy here.
So, these are the ways to fix printer not working issues on Windows 10 that Mytour wants to share with you to equip yourself with quick solutions without affecting your work. Additionally, the printer not working issue on Windows 10 is quite similar to the printer offline issue we shared with you earlier. Therefore, readers can apply some fixes for printer offline mentioned in the article to address the printer not working problem on Win 10.
