Printer won't work after upgrading to Windows 10/11? Try this

6 min. read

Updated on October 4, 2023

updated on October 4, 2023

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If you’re at work or run a home office, one of the most important equipment you need is a printer. Of course, there are many reliable printers that you can choose from to get the job done.

Depending on the nature of your work, or business, once in a while you may need to print individual or bulk documents, so it is necessary to find out updates related to your printer either from the manufacturer, or the operating system you’re using.

Printer problems are not new. But when these have to do with software or an operating system, then it can be frustrating and detrimental to the user.

One of the concerns that have come up, with regards to printing after updating or upgrading to Windows 10, is that either the device is not working at all, or there are some challenges in how the printer operates after performing the upgrade.

Here are some quick fix solutions to bail you out when your printing device is acting up after a Windows 10 upgrade/update.

Printer won’t print after Windows update

Solution 1: Reboot your computer

This is the first line of action whenever such an issue comes up (or any other issues with your computer and any other hardware you may be using along with it). However, if you restart your computer and nothing happens on your printing device, you can go to the next solution.

Solution 2: Check if your printer is compatible with Windows 10

Some printers may not necessarily work with Windows 10, or may have limited functionality altogether, so you need to check if yours is in this category before using the solutions below.

Follow these steps to check if your device is compatible:

Right click Start button
Select Control Panel
Click on Hardware and Sound
Select Devices and Printers. You will see a list of devices, and another for printers
Check under Unspecified section to see if your printer is listed there

Once you establish whether it is unspecified or not, go to the next solutions to fix the issue.

Solution 3: Check power supply and connection

Ensure your printing device is correctly plugged into a power outlet and switched on, including the surge protector. Check also that the USB cable that connects your printer to your computer is securely plugged in.

If you’re using a wireless connection for your device, make sure the following is in place:

Turn on the wireless option and ensure it is available for your printing device
Run a wireless connectivity test for your printer, check also that your computer is connected to a wireless network (this should be the same for your printer and computer).

Should this not work, go to the next solution.

READ ALSO: Fix: “Printer needs user intervention” error

Solution 4: Uninstall your printer, then reinstall again

This is one of the quick fixes to resolve the issue.

Follow these steps to uninstall and reinstall your printer:

Right click Start button
Select Control Panel
Click on Hardware and Sound
Select Devices and Printers. You will see a list of devices, and another for printers
Find your printer
Right click on your printer
Select Remove device

How to reinstall your printer after uninstalling it:

Right click Start button
Select Control Panel
Click on Hardware and Sound
Select Devices and Printers. You will see a list of devices, and another for printers
Click Add a printer

A pop up will appear that scans for new devices. If your particular printer is on, Windows will automatically scan and find it.

Perform a test page print to see if it is working

To install or add a local printing device, connect your device to your computer then turn it on.

Solution 5: Update drivers

Like most printers, yours may also require software so as to perform better. If you performed an upgrade or update to Windows 10, there is a possibility that your printer’s current driver will not work with the operating system.

Other issues that cause your printer drivers not to work including power surges, viruses, and other computer issues that may arise to damage your printer’s drivers.

To update the drivers, you can use either of these three methods:

Windows Update
Device software installs
Download and install driver manually

Method 1: Update printer drivers using Windows Update

Right click Start button
Choose Device Manager
Click on Printers to expand the list
Locate your device then right click on it
Choose Update Driver
Choose Search automatically for updated driver software

Method 2: Update printer drivers by installing printer software from your manufacturer

Check your printer’s hardware for a disc that came with it so as to install any software for your printer.

Method 3: Download and install driver manually

Go to your device’s manufacturer website
Check for driver updates under the support section
Identify your printing device and download the newest version of drivers for your printer
Follow the installation instructions to update your drivers

Sometimes after downloading drivers, you can double click on them to automatically set off the installation process by following these steps:

Right click Start button
Choose Device Manager
Click on Printers to expand the list
Locate your device then right click on it
Choose Update Driver
Choose Search automatically for updated driver software

In the event none of these methods work, you can reinstall the driver, but remove the old drivers first using these steps:

Unplug the USB cable connecting your printing device to your computer
Right click Start button
Select Control Panel
Click on Hardware and Sound
Select Devices and Printers. You will see a list of devices, and another for printers
Select your printer
Right click and choose Remove device
Type Print management in the search box

Select Print Management

Choose All Printers
Check for your printer under the list
Right click and choose Delete
Reboot your computer
Plug back your USB cable to connect your printer and computer
Reinstall the printer’s driver and software

Solution 6: Check with your manufacturer

If the other solutions didn’t work, contact your device’s manufacturer for more troubleshooting and support based on your specific issue.

Did any of these solutions work for you? Share with us your experiences in the comments section below.

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More about the topics: Printer Errors, windows 10 fix

Milan Stanojevic

Windows Toubleshooting Expert

Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He's a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology. Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he's one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.