Have you ever tried to print something from your Windows 10 device but received an error message saying “printer driver not available”? if so, you are not alone. this problem can be very frustrating and difficult to solve. if you follow the steps below, it will only take a few minutes of your time before it will work again!
This article aims to provide instructions for solving this problem, as well as finding out what caused it. Knowing this information, you can prevent it from happening again in the future.
what causes “printer driver not available” error in windows 10?
The infamous “printer driver is not available” error is a common problem many windows 10 users run into. The printer will not print anything and you will see this error message in the device status: “the controller is not available”.
There are a few different things that can cause this problem on your computer. Fortunately, most possible causes are easy to fix and don’t require you to touch the printer, let alone replace it with a new one! here are some things that can lead to printer driver issue in windows 10:
- Your printer driver is missing or was never installed correctly
- Your printer driver is damaged
- your printer driver is not compatible with your system
- your printer driver is out of date
- you need to install a new windows update
- windows 10 system error
- Press the Windows + S keys on your keyboard to bring up the Search interface. Type in the words Control Panel and launch the matching application from the search results.
- Click on View devices and printers. If you can’t see this option, make sure that your view mode is set to Category.
- Right-click on the printer you’re having trouble with, and select Remove device from the context menu.
- Click Yes if you’re prompted by the User Account Control (UAC) screen. If you’re using a local account that doesn’t have administrator permissions, click here to convert your user.
- after removing the device from your system, unplug it from the computer. wait around 2-3 minutes before reconnecting the device and wait for windows 10 to finish setting up.
- Press the Windows + X keys on your keyboard and click on the Device Manager option from the WinX menu.
- Expand the Printers menu by clicking on the arrow next to it. Right-click on your printer listed in the menu, and then choose Update Driver.
update driver” width=”512″ height=”331″> - tip: if you can’t find your printer in the list, check the category called unknown devices.
- Select Search automatically for drivers from the options. This will allow Windows 10 to connect to the internet and locate the latest drivers for your printer. You may be prompted to select a driver if multiple are found.
- wait for the driver installation to complete and restart your computer to apply the changes.
-
- identify the model and manufacturer of your printer. check for stickers on the physical machine or go to control panel > hardware and sound > devices and printers to find your exact model.
- Make a note of your printer name, manufacturer, and version, if applicable. then go to the manufacturer’s website and find the driver download page. Here are some of the official download pages of major printer manufacturers:
- canon driver download
- hp software and driver downloads
- epson downloads
- sibling driver downloads
- crisp driver downloads
- samsung printer software installer
- Check for the latest drivers compatible with your system and printer. make sure to choose either the 32-bit version or the 64-bit version depending on the operating system you’re running!
- After downloading the correct driver, locate it in your Downloads folder and run the installer. Optionally, you can right-click on the installer and choose Run as administrator from the context menu if you have an administrator account.
- After installing the driver, restart your computer and see if the printer is working as expected. If you still get the “driver is not available” error, read on!
- press the windows + x keys on your keyboard and click the device manager option from the winx menu.
- expand the printers menu by clicking the arrow next to it. right-click on the printer listed in the menu, and then choose update driver.
- Select Browse my computer for drivers from the options. You’ll be taken to the next section automatically.
- Click on the Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer button. This will list the available compatible drivers for your printer.
- Click on the Generic software device option, and then click on Next. Windows 10 will install the generic drivers for your printer, which may solve issues with it not being able to print because the driver is unavailable.
- Click on the Windows icon in the bottom left of your screen to bring up the Start menu. Choose Settings, or use the Windows + I shortcut.
- Click on the Update & Security tile. This is where you can find most of your Windows Update settings and choose when to receive updates.
- Make sure to stay on the default Windows Update tab. Click on the Check for updates option and wait for Windows to find available updates. If you see any updates displayed, click on the View all optional updates link to see and install them.
- When windows finds a new update, click the install option. Wait for windows to download and apply any necessary updates.
method 4. install the generic printer driver
Users reported that installing the generic Windows 10 printer driver fixes this troublesome error. this driver is made to be compatible with most printers and allows your computer to use the printer again.
method 5. update windows 10
Updating your operating system can fix many underlying issues, such as the printer driver not being available when trying to print. download the latest version of windows and see if the problem is fixed.
final thoughts
There you have it! We hope our tips and tricks on how to fix the “printer driver is not available” error helped. you should now be able to continue printing to your windows 10 device.
If you have any questions or need help with the steps above, please don’t hesitate to reach out. we are happy to answer any technology-related questions that come our way. contact us by email, live chat and phone every day of the week!
Get early access to our blog posts, promotions and discount codes when you sign up for our newsletter. you will get the best price on all the products we offer at softwarekeep. Do you want more items from us? Check out our blog page for more tech articles that are updated regularly!
recommended articles
» fixed: print queue keeps stopping on windows 10» how to print black and white in word (with images)» how to fix printing from microsoft the function to pdf does not work
For more articles, check out our blog and help center.
The following guide will teach you what causes the printer driver to be unavailable, how to quickly fix it, and prevent it from happening again.
Fixed: Printer driver not available in windows 10
Here are five ways to fix the “driver is not available” error for your printer when using Windows 10 operating system.
method 1. reconnect the printer device
Sometimes all you need to do to fix this frustrating problem is to completely reconnect the printer. what this means is removing the device from your system, unplugging it, and then plugging it back in. Doing so may fix possible driver problems and allow you to print again.
Here’s what you need to do to completely unplug your printer and then use the clean slate to plug it back in:
After completing these steps, try to see if the printer is working as expected. if it doesn’t help, move on to a different solution!
method 2. update your printer driver through windows 10
Like your system, your drivers may also be outdated. You may have installed printer drivers in the past and forgot to update them. Your computer might have come with drivers built in when you first received it, which need an update now.
Try to update the printer driver in windows 10 by following the steps below. this is a quick and easy process. no matter what the cause is, windows 10 can help you resolve this frustrating error by updating your driver:
Please note that you may need to try a different solution (such as manual installation) if Windows 10 cannot locate your printer drivers online.
method 3. install your printer driver manually
If windows 10 cannot automatically detect the latest drivers for your printer, you need to find them manually. this can be done by first checking your printer manufacturer and device name. Once you have identified your printer model, you can start with the steps below to manually install the latest working drivers.
