You may need to install new printer drivers if you want your printer to work properly. Printers break for a wide variety of reasons, and sometimes a lack of ink or toner is the main culprit behind printer problems.

However, there are many times when your printer simply won’t produce any documents or your printer isn’t recognized by your operating system. Even more frustrating is that annoying print spooler error. Here, we’ll go over some common ways you can install new printer drivers to get your printer up and running again.

Handling printer connection errors

First, outdated printer drivers make it impossible to print documents. You may see specific printer errors when your drivers are out of date. Examples of these errors include Error 0x0000000d, 0x00000007e, and 0x00000007d, among others.

These errors generally require prompt attention to the matter at hand. They will also be accompanied by an error message that is something like:

“Windows cannot connect to the printer.”

The first thing to do when you see one of these errors is to make sure your printer is properly plugged in. Check all the cables on your printer and confirm that you have put everything in the correct place. Check to make sure the printer is turned on and fully functional.

When you need to uninstall and reinstall drivers

If all hardware is intact, you should begin the process of uninstalling and reinstalling the printer drivers. That is how.

1. Close all programs that are currently open.
2. Click “Start”.
3. Open the “Control Panel”.
4. Click “Devices and Printers.”
5. Click “View devices and printers.”
6. Locate your printer among the various icons displayed in Device Manager.
7. Click the “+” to expand the printer selection.
8. Right click on the printer driver.
9. Go to “Properties”.
10. Choose the tab labeled “Driver”.
11. Click “Uninstall”.
12. Click “Continue”.
13. After uninstalling the printer, you will see a yellow exclamation mark next to your printer. Right click on your printer.
14. Choose “Update Driver”.
15. Click “Yes, this time only.”
16. An update wizard will open. Follow the assistant’s instructions.
17. Find and download your new printer driver from the manufacturer’s website.
18. Double click the downloaded driver to install and deploy it to your computer.

Download and install drivers using Windows Update

As you can see, this is quite a laborious process. There is also the option to use Windows Update to download and install drivers. Windows Update searches Microsoft’s online database for common solutions to printer and driver problems.

However, its functionality is limited and it is more suitable for very small problems, such as fixing operating system errors or acquiring system patches.

Driver Update Software – An Efficient Solution

The most efficient way to download and install new printer drivers is to use driver update software. Driver update software will actually scan your entire system for outdated drivers. It will then isolate your outdated drivers and replace them with new and updated drivers.

This is a very quick way to troubleshoot your computer’s printer. In fact, driver update software is known to help many PC users get their printers up and running in no time. Go with driver update software when you need to install new printer drivers.