Installing printers on Windows - the most common problems

If problems occur when installing a printer under Windows 7, 8 or 10, these are usually easy to identify and to remedy. We'll show you how to solve the most common printer installation problems.

Windows 7, 8, 10: Install the printer using the troubleshooter

Regardless of whether the driver is out of date or the printer is not released for the network: With Windows Troubleshooter you can solve almost all problems.

1. Open the Control Panel and select the category "Network and Internet".
2. In the "Network and Sharing Center" you will now find the category "Fix problems" below.
3. Select the "Printer" item below and confirm the process with the "Next" button.
4. Windows now automatically searches for problems with the printer. If an error is detected, Windows tries to eliminate it independently.
5. Note: In some cases you have to confirm the process using the button "Perform these repairs as administrator".

Uninstall and reinstall the printer driver

If problems arise during the installation of the printer, simply uninstalling and then reinstalling the associated driver often helps:

1. Press the [Windows] and [R] keys simultaneously so that the "Execute" command opens.
2. Enter "devmgmt.msc" here and confirm with "OK". Then the Device Manager opens.
3. You will now find your printer in the "Image processing devices" category. Right-click on it.
4. Select the "Uninstall" option and then "Install" again.

Windows 7/8/10: Set up the printer manually

If Windows does not recognize your printer or does not install it correctly, you will need to set up the device manually:

1. Open the Control Panel and select the category "Hardware and Sound".
2. Click on "Devices and Printers" above and on the "Add Printer" button.
3. Now the connected printer is searched. Even if it should be found, click the button "The printer you are looking for is not listed".
4. Here it is recommended to select the second or fourth point (see picture). So you can let the printer be recognized either by IP address or via the connection point. Points one and three rarely help to achieve the desired result.
5. Now click through the Setup Manager until you have reached the point "Install printer driver". Here you select the desired device from the list or click on the button "data carrier". In this way you can use the driver previously downloaded from the Internet. This path is recommended for complications.
6. The driver will now be installed, this may take some time. You can then give the printer a name and have a test page printed. Then click on the "Finish" button.

In the next practical tip, we will show you how to print from your Android phone.