Driver and software assistance
A driver lets your computer talk to the printer. After an operating system update, an old or duplicate driver is a frequent reason printing stops working.
Sounds familiar?
- Printing stopped after a Windows or macOS update
- The printer appears twice in your printer list
- You get garbled text or random characters
- Features like duplex or scanning disappeared
Quick checks, in order
- 1
Try the built-in driver first
Windows and macOS include drivers for many printers. Removing the printer and adding it again often picks up a working driver automatically.
- 2
Remove duplicate printers
Delete extra copies of the same printer (for example “Printer (Copy 1)”) so jobs don't go to a stale entry.
- 3
Get updates from the official source
If you need the manufacturer's full software, download it only from their official site for your exact model and operating system.
- 4
Restart after installing
Restart your computer after any driver change before testing again.
These are general steps that work across most brands. Menu names differ between models — if something doesn't match your printer, ask us rather than guessing.
Still stuck? Talk to us.
Call our toll-free line or start a live chat. Tell us your printer model and what you're seeing — we'll take it from there.