Error: Printer Not Installed

If you're receiving an error message about a printer not being installed, or it isn't appearing as an option in Windows and your applications, then the root cause can lie with the device itself, the connection to your computer, or something on your system. Most businesses rely on a workflow that includes printed output, so you should start troubleshooting the problem as quickly as you possibly can.

Reinstall the Printer

Reinstall the printer using the instructions supplied with the device; make sure it is correctly connected to a main power supply and powered on. If you are connecting to a printer over a wired or wireless network, extra troubleshooting steps may be required to ensure the connection is operating correctly -- rebooting your network hardware and running diagnostic tests on the network can help here. If you are connecting your printer to a computer via a USB cable, use a different cable and USB port if possible to eliminate these connections as potential causes for the problem. Testing the printer on another computer can also help identify whether the system or device is at fault -- if the printer doesn't connect to any computer, or won't power on, then the problem is likely a hardware failure and the printer will need to be repaired or replaced.

Update Printer Drivers and Software

Printer drivers control communication between the printer and your operating system (and by extension, the installed applications). Manufacturers release new drivers on a regular basis to apply bug fixes and improve compatibility with the latest software, so downloading and installing the newest drivers for your model from the manufacturer's website may resolve the problems you're experiencing. For the same reasons -- bug patches and compatibility fixes -- it's important that Windows and the programs you have running on top of it are always updated to the latest versions. Windows Update can be found in Control Panel.

Troubleshooting Applications

Any printer visible to Windows in the Devices and Printers section of Control Panel should be visible to all of the programs installed on your system. If you're having problems recognizing a printer in one application in particular, it's likely that a bug within this program is to blame -- you can uninstall and reinstall the app to see if resetting its configuration options and re-establishing its entries in the Windows registry fixes the problem. The process also replaces any application files that may have been damaged or deleted.

Further Troubleshooting Steps

If the issue is still not resolved, running Windows' System Restore tool may be enough to restore access to the printer. This is particularly likely to help if the printer was recently working without any problems. In addition, Microsoft offers a printing troubleshooter tool you can download for free which may be able to fix your problem (see link in Resources). If the printer works on other computers but not yours, a motherboard or USB port fault could be the cause of the issue, particularly if Windows can't identify the device once it's plugged in. Finally, it's possible there's a known issue between your printer and your operating system or the application you're trying to use -- if this is the case, you should be able to find details from the support section of the printer manufacturer's website.