What does driver unavailable mean for printer? Read through the article to get the meaning and find working solutions.
Printers are essential to offices. Whether you work from home or have an office at a separate location, you need a printer. A printer is only useful if it is working properly.
A printer’s driver is software that facilitates communication between devices and the OS. Without drivers, computer peripherals would be useless.
Printer drivers are essential. They enable you to connect your PC to the printer. Without them, you cannot print documents. Before we go further, let us answer the question:
What Does Driver Unavailable Mean for Printer?
Your computer lacks the correct software needed to connect to an external printer. If you get the error, you have to look for a printer driver or update existing drivers.
Once you get the correct driver on your computer, the error will disappear. It will allow you to connect to the printer and complete your printing tasks. You can find a printer driver when you search for updates.
How To Fix Printer Driver Is Unavailable Error On Windows 10
A printer driver error is common, not only for printers but other peripherals. There are many causes for the error, as we shall see later in the article.
If you ever encounter a printer driver is unavailable error when trying to print, or set up the printer, here’s what you need to do.
Update your printer drivers through your device manager
It is a quick and simple way to automatically update drivers from the device manager.
Step 1: Right-click on the Windows icon on your taskbar and select device manager.
Step 2: When the app opens, navigate to printers, and click the downward-facing arrow to expand the print options.
Step 3: Click on the printer list and select update driver.
If you can’t see the device under the printer option, it could be in a different location on your Windows PC.
Under the printer option, select ‘Search automatically for drivers’
Your Windows PC will search for the necessary driver on the internet. Install the printer driver and restart the computer.
Use generic drivers on your PC
Windows PCs come preinstalled with a generic driver. These device drivers work well with most printers; however, some models could be incompatible.
Here’s how you can install these drivers:
Step 1: Right-click on the Windows icon on your taskbar and select device manager window.
Step 2: When the app opens, navigate to printers, and click the downward-facing arrow to expand the print options.
Step 3: Select browser my computer for drivers option.
Step 4: Select the ‘Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.’
Step 5: Pick the ‘Generic software device’ option.
Step 6: Install all the drivers and restart your Windows PC.
Manual Driver Installation
If you choose to go this route, you must ensure that you get drivers from a trusted source. You need to go to your printers manufacturer’s website to get the correct drivers. Once you have the drivers, download them to your windows PC.
Choose the compatible printer driver option. Windows comes in 32-bit and 64-bit architecture, ensuring you get the right printer driver for your PC. The wrong driver will not run on your PC.
Open the download location. Right-click on the driver and select run as administrator. Allow the printer driver to install. Once you are done, restart the PC.
Check Available Windows Updates
Updating your operating system could fix any bugs and error messages. The first thing to do is to access the windows update.
Step 1: Open your Windows PC settings application.
Step 2: Go to Update & Security
Step 3:Click on Check for Windows updates.
Step 4: Your PC will automatically download the updates and restart the PC to install them.
Perform a BIOS Update
Step 1:If you still can’t get the drivers on your PC to work, your BIOS is not up to date.
Step 2: Download the BIOS for your model on the manufacturer’s website.
Step 3:Transfer the BIOS file(s) onto a flash drive.
Step 4:Restart your PC while booting from the BIOS flash drive.
Step 5: Navigate the menu to install your BIOS update
What Is A Printer Driver?
Drivers are pieces of software that allow devices and operating systems to communicate. Without drivers, computer peripherals would be useless.
All computers have drivers for different input and output devices. Printers have drivers that allow the Operating system to recognize it. The drivers allow your computer to interact and send commands to the printer.
How do drivers differ from controllers? Drivers allow peripherals to communicate with the Operating System.
Device controllers are hardware components on your motherboard that compute and interpret the electronic signals traveling to your CPU.
Controllers are tangible pieces of hardware, while drivers are software.
What Causes Printer Driver Unavailable Error On Windows 10
There are many causes of Windows 10 and the Pro Version errors. Drivers fail to communicate with the OS for various reasons. Here are some causes for printer driver unavailable error:
Printer Driver is Unavailable due to Corrupt Drivers
If your printer drivers are corrupt, they will not work as intended. The printer driver could be corrupt due to damaged system files.
If you have damaged drivers, you need to delete them and install new ones. Go to your printer settings in the control panel and select uninstall device.
Alternatively, you could run a windows system checker to try and restore these files.
Step 1: Type Command Prompt into the Windows Search Bar.
Step 2: Run Command Prompt as Administrator from the App Suggestions menu.
Step 3: Type SFC /scannow into the Command prompt and press Enter.
Step 4: Wait for the scan to complete, then restart your computer once the files have been restored.
No Drivers/Deleted Drivers
You might have accidentally deleted the driver software. You would see the error every time you tried connecting to a printer if you did. You have to do a fresh install.
The printer driver is unavailable because of out of date driver software
You should always update your drivers. Running the latest driver will remove the error. Outdated drivers cause errors. Check with the manufacturer for updated device software.
Incompatible drivers
These are drivers that don’t work with your printer model. You should manually install drivers from the manufacturer’s website. The computer fails to recognize the drivers and related software.
A manual installation could resolve the driver unavailable problem. It clears the error messages, and the printer stops showing up as an unknown device. A new driver could clear the error.
Why Will My Printer Not Print
If you have updated your current driver and still can’t print, the issue could be with the printer or network. Here are some reasons why you still can’t print.
A Different Network is Connected to the Computer
Check if your computer or mobile device is on the same network as the printer. It is a wonderful alternative because you can’t get the networks mixed up when using an ethernet or USB cable to connect your printer.
It’s a more common problem with Wi-Fi networks than with wireless connections.
Depleted Ink and Toner Cartridges
If your cartridge is empty, your printer will not work. You can check whether you need new toner or ink from your computer. Open the printer’s preferences. Choose your printer’s printing preferences.
Check the Status Monitor by clicking on maintenance. A list of cartridges that need to be refilled will appear.
Errors in the Print Queue
An influx of print jobs may have resulted in a mistake. To reset the printing system, type runs into the search box and open the Run program.
When you reboot your computer, the printer does not connect
It’s possible that your computer isn’t working because your printer won’t connect after a reset. It has a simple answer. To open settings, press the Windows key + I. Select Printers and Scanners from the Devices menu.
Choose a printer to use. Ensure the box labeled “Let Windows control my default printer” is checked.
Bottom Line
What does driver unavailable mean for printer? It signifies your computer is missing the necessary software to connect to an external printer. If you get the problem, you’ll need to hunt for new drivers or update old ones to clear the printer driver is unavailable error.
The problem would go away once you installed the correct driver on your PC. You’ll be able to connect to the printer and finish your printing activities using it. When you look for updates, you’ll come across the drivers.
Drivers are software that allows devices and the OS to communicate with one another. Computer peripherals would be useless without a printer driver.