Surely the majority of users of modern Windows-based computer systems have encountered situations when they urgently need to print an important document, and the same tenth modification suddenly reports that Windows 10 does not see the printer . And what to do in this case? There may be several options. But first, you need to find out the reasons why Windows 10 does not see a USB printer or otherwise connected device. Next, all possible problems will be considered and the most effective methods for eliminating them will be proposed.
Windows 10: the computer does not see the printer. What is the reason?
When answering a question about the reasons for this phenomenon, any literate user will immediately say that they are all associated with missing or incorrectly installed printer drivers. Yes, indeed, one of the reasons this can be called. However, there are many other factors on which the operability of the printing device depends (even at the physical level of connection).
Suppose that everything is in order with the drivers (the device is detected, and the system says that it works fine). What then? Here, as a banal reason, you can specify the lack of connection to a local printer or device located on the network. Maybe the print service itself is inactive. In addition, the printer settings can be changed, so that printing is set to deferred mode. Finally, even overflowing the print queue (setting too many documents to print at one time) can also play a role.
The first and easiest troubleshooting tool
So, we assume that Windows 10 does not see the HP printer , although until a certain point it worked quite well. The first step is to check the connection to the computer, turn off and then turn on the device again, or even just restart the computer to which it is connected.
It is possible that this will work. In at least some cases, printing resumes. This applies to both local and network printers.
However, if printing did not start, in the settings for specifying the location of the network device, you do not need to select it from the list, but register the address and name manually.
Windows 10 does not see the printer: checking device status
But there are situations worse. Let's say Windows 10 doesn't see a Canon printer . Why? Yes, only because the device itself gives an error.
Use the “Device Manager”, refresh the list indicating the display of hidden devices, and then if the printer appears in the list (even if indicating a driver error), check its status in the “Control Panel” so that it is used by default, and in the status paused printing settings have not been set or offline options have been activated.
Resolving a problem with related services
If, even after the actions taken, Windows 10 does not see the printer , it is advisable to use the programs and components section, where the components should check whether the print service is currently active.
If everything is in order with her, you need to contact the services section directly.
It is called through the Run console by issuing a command to execute services . msc.
In the editor, you just need to find the corresponding service, open its parameters (properties), press the start button, in the start type set the value corresponding to automatic or manual start.
Device driver installation and update issues
Finally, we come to the most important issue related to the fact that a driver is not installed for the printer. You can check its status in the “Device Manager”.
At least, if the printer is marked as an unidentified device, you can simply try to update the appropriate software for it.
In some cases, it helps to find a non-standard driver by the identifiers DEV and VEN. Windows 10 does not see the printer just because there is no such driver in its own database. When reinstalling after downloading the driver, use the indication of the location to save the installation file or, if possible, install it yourself from the EXE distribution or the INF information file (for the EXE object via PCM , start as administrator and select the line “INF” Install ").
But there may be a completely non-standard situation when Windows 10 does not see the printer via USB. It is possible that everything is in order with the device and its drivers, but there are no USB controller drivers (it may be that the port itself is damaged ). Try either reconnecting the printer to another slot ( maybe it needs USB 3 .0, not 2.0), or reinstall the USB controller drivers. Finally, just check the USB cable or connect the device through another standard connector.
But with regard to updating drivers, it is better not to produce it using the system’s own means, but to use specialized automatic update utilities. Programs like Driver Booster, Slim Drivers, and the like have proven quite good. Search and download will be carried out exclusively on the official resources of equipment manufacturers, and software of this type will be installed absolutely for all hardware and virtual devices present in the computer system, and not just for printers (although only a printing device can be noted, update the software for him, and after rebooting, see how it will function) .
Software way to restore printers
In principle, you can use specially designed programs to identify and fix problems.
So, for example , the Print And Scan Doctor application, which was released specifically for HP devices, can be called quite effective . For other printers, it is also not difficult to find similar utilities on the websites of manufacturers of equipment of this type.
If utilities of this type are not provided for download, it may very well be possible to find a section on the system’s online scan to identify possible problems on the site of the printer or computer manufacturer (most often it relates to laptops). Of course, they are not talking about correcting them, but it will be possible to identify the root cause of the failures with a fairly high degree of probability.
Brief summary
In conclusion, it remains to be noted that issues related to damage or inoperability of the printers themselves (scanners / MFPs ) or virus exposure, due to which violations could occur not so much in the operation of the drivers as in the functioning of the system itself, were not considered here. But the above proposed methods usually eliminate the problems encountered in 99% of cases out of a hundred. If nothing helps at all, but the device used to work, just do a system restore. It is possible that even such a primitive way will help.