How to solve printing problems in Windows

Printing is a pretty common task, but with so many variables—printers, drivers, paper, toner—sometimes things go wrong. If you’re having trouble printing, here are a few steps to try to get things working.

Check your printer

Many printing problems are caused because the printer itself isn't set up properly. It might seem obvious, but make sure the printer cord is plugged in to an electrical outlet, the printer cable is properly connected from the printer to your PC (unless you're using a wireless printer), and that your printer is turned on. If your printer or other equipment is plugged in to a surge protector or a backup power supply, check to see if that hardware is plugged in and turned on as well.

If you're printing to a shared printer or a printer on a network, make sure all the necessary PCs, routers, and printers are turned on.

If you're printing to a wireless printer, see Why isn’t Windows finding my wireless device? for info about setting it up.

Open the printer troubleshooter

This troubleshooter makes sure that a printer is connected to your PC, and checks to see if the printer has enough paper and toner to print your document.

Note

Note

To make sure you have the most up-to-date troubleshooters, your PC should be connected to the Internet.

  1. Tap or click to open the Printer troubleshooter.

  2. Follow the steps in the troubleshooter.

Update drivers

Printers require driver software to work properly. Outdated, incompatible, or damaged printer drivers can disrupt communication between the PC and the printer. If you recently upgraded from one version of Windows to another, the current printer driver might be for the previous version of Windows. If you've had recent power outages, viruses, or other problems with your PC, the drivers might also be damaged. Downloading and installing the latest driver for your printer can resolve these types of problems.

Try one of these ways to find and install a driver:

  • Use Windows Update. Windows Update can automatically download and install recommended updates.

    To open Windows Update, swipe in from the right edge of the screen (if you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen and move the mouse pointer up), tap or click Settings, tap or click Change PC settings, and then tap or click Update and recovery.

  • Download and install the driver yourself. You can search for a driver on the manufacturer's website. Try this if Windows Update can't find a driver for your printer, and the printer didn't come with software that installs a driver. This is also a good option if your PC doesn't have a disc drive.

  • Install software from the printer manufacturer. If your printer came with a disc, that disc might contain software that installs a driver for your printer. Insert the disc and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Note

Note

If these steps don’t help, there might be a problem with your printer hardware or the app you’re printing from. Check your printer manual or the help for your printer.

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