How To Set Up Printer On Windows 10

Find A Connected Printer

Windows 10: Setting the Default Printer

A printer can connect to a network on either an Ethernet or Wi-Fi local area network , or you can connect it directly via USB to a computer on the network. Either connection type can be shared with other users on the network by enabling print sharing on the server or on the computer to which the USB printer is connected.

Windows’ “Add a printer or scanner” wizard is accessible from the “Printers & scanners” section in the Settings Control Panel. The specific details vary between Windows versions, but the procedure is pretty much the same.

However, unlike earlier versions, Windows 10 doesnt usually require you to run a wizard in the first place. Instead, when you plug your Ethernet cable into the printer or connect the printer to your wireless network, in most cases the printer will simply show up automatically in the list of installed devices.

When you install a printer on your LAN, it will usually show up automatically in the list of installed printers and scanners.

will pop up, and you can select one. Add it, and with any luck, you will be ready to print.)

If your device is not listed here, click “Add a printer or scanner.” Windows starts searching your network for connected printers and lists its findings, as shown below. Simply click the printer you want to connect to, then click “Add device.”

Windows will move the printer to the list of installed printers and scanners. From here, when you click the printer name in the list, you can manage the machine as desired.

Resolving Your Windows 10 Printer Problems

These tips arent exhaustive, but these instructions should help you resolve some of the more common setup problems that Windows 10 printers sometimes throw up for users.

If you still face issues setting up and using your printer, try removing your printer or reinstalling the printer driver as your next step before contacting your manufacturers customer support team.

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How To Share Your Printer Over The Network In Windows 10

May 17th, 2021 by Admin Leave a reply »

If you have a printer which is set up or plugged into your primary PC, its easy to share it with other computers on the same network. In this tutorial well walk you through the steps to share your printer over the network in Windows 10.

Part 1: Share the Printer on your Primary PC

Press the Win + I keyboard shortcut to open the Settings app. Navigate to Devices -> Printers & scanners. On the right side, select a printer you want to share and click the Manage button.

In the next window, click on the Printer properties link.

When the printer Properties window opens, select the Sharing tab. If all options are greyed out there, click on the Change Sharing Options button.

Check and type a meaningful share name.

If you need to share the printer with computers running a mixture of Windows client architectures 32 or 64 bit, click on the Additional Drivers button to install additional drivers.

Go to the Security tab. You can deny all permissions for the Everyone group and grant printing permissions to desired users.

Part 2: Connect to Shared Printer over the Network

On the network computer you want to access the shared printer, press the Win + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run box. Enter the IP address of your primary PC and press Enter.

When prompted, enter the network credentials so that you can access shared resources on your primary PC.

Right-click on the shared printer and select Connect.

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How To Print A Test Page

You can quickly check whether your printer is working and configured properly by printing a test page. Locate the printer in Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners, click it, click the Manage button, and click the Print a test page link.

From the Control Panel interface, right-click a printer and select Printer Properties. Click the Print Test Page button.

How To Set Up A Wireless Printer On Windows 10

How to Set Up Your Printer in Windows 10

Agree or not, but we live in a strange world! On one hand where almost a majority of individuals and communities are aiming for a Paperless world, there are still some people who believe that recording information on a piece of paper is the most concrete evidence. Whose side are you on? Yes, its a never-ending debate.

Well, if you take a close look at the past decade, the need for storing information on paper has gradually decreased since we started to rely more on cloud services and applications. But there are still a few times when printing a document on paper becomes a must or a dire need, be it your airline tickets , a word document, a college documentary, travel itinerary, or almost anything. Printers have not become obsolete, yet!

Earlier setting up a printer invited so many challenges, be it space, connectivity troubles, power outlet availability, and many more. But not anymore! The modern-day printers are equipped with WiFi capabilities, allowing you to connect the device anywhere around your office or home without any hassle, and no cables, of course .

Heres a quick guide on how to set up a wireless printer on your Windows 10 PC or laptop to avail remote access for printing documents, in just a few clicks.

Lets get started.

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Add A Wireless Printer

The steps to install a wireless printer may vary by manufacturer. In general, however, modern printers today will detect your network and automate the installation.

1. Use the printer’s LCD or touchscreen panel to enter the wireless setup. On my Epson printer this is under Setup > Wireless LAN Settings.

2. Select your Wi-Fi network. You’ll need to know your home network’s SSID, which you can find by hovering your mouse over the Wi-Fi icon in the taskbar.

3. Enter your network password.

In some cases, you might need to temporarily connect your printer to your computer via USB to install software. But otherwise, that’s it. You should find your printer automatically added in the Printers & scanners section under Settings > Devices.

If you run into trouble, make sure your printer is relatively close to your computer and not too far from your wireless router. If your printer has an Ethernet jack, you could also connect it directly to your router and manage it with a browser interface.

Add Shared Printer In Control Panel

Control Panel Devices and PrintersAdd a printerThe printer that I want isn’t listedSelect a shared printer by nameNext

\\Computer name\Share name of shared printerOR\\IP Address\Share name of shared printer

If drivers for your 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 10 is not available from the computer the shared printer is connected to, then you will need to manually find and install the driver for the printer instead.

NextPrint a test pageFinish

Setting Up Your Printer

Theres no one single way of setting up a wireless printer. The major printer brands Brother, Canon, Epson, and HP, among others all use different steps to set up their printers on Wi-Fi networks or via Bluetooth. Even within the same brand, the way you get started changes from product to product.

The best advice is to consult your printers product or user manual. If you cant find yours, try searching for it online using the exact product name, which should be somewhere on the printer, either printed directly on the case or on a sticker. Only download user manuals from the manufacturers website.

On this page:

Words to know

Adding A Printer In Windows 10

How I set up my printer (tutorial) Windows 10

Adding a printer Windows 10

Right click on the Start icon in the lower left hand corner of your screen

SelectControl Panel

SelectDevices and Printers

SelectAdd a printer

You can wait for all of the printers campus wide to populate, but it will take a while and the list will be long. It will be quicker to

SelectThe printer I want isnt listed

Next

SelectFind a printer in the directory, based on location or feature

Next

Next to Nameenter the prefix of the building followed by the room number

Find Now

NOTE: If you cant find the printer you are looking for, you may not have rights to it or you may have the name wrong. Contact for assistance.

Double click on the printer you want to add

The following screen appears

CheckSet as the default printer if desired

Print a test page if you like

Finish

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Add Shared Printer In Settings

SettingsDevicesPrinters & scannersAdd a printer or scannerThe printer that I want isn’t listedSelect a shared printer by nameNext

You can use the IP address or computer name of the PC the is connected to.For example:\\Computer name\Share name of shared printerOR\\IP Address\Share name of shared printer

NextPrint a test pageFinish

Additional Settings To Manage

With your printer attached to your Windows 10 PC there are some additional settings that can be managed you might be interested in.

The first is the Allow Windows to manage my default printer option. When enabled this will give Windows 10 the permission to set your default printer to be whatever you used most recently at your current location. This could help easily switch between a home and an office printer, for example.

You also have the Download over metered connections option. If you regularly work on cellular connections or have data caps to consider, you can disable this to ensure Windows 10 doesnt download any new drivers or device software until youre connected to a non-metered Wi-Fi network.

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How To Add A Wired Printer In Windows 10

1. If you have a wired printer, connect it to your PC by inserting its USB cord into one of your computer ports before turning the printer on. If your printer is wireless, make sure that it’s connected to the same network as your computer for more information on this, check your specific printer’s manual.

2. In the search bar next to the Windows icon in the bottom-right of your computer’s toolbar, type “Settings.” Once it appears in the search results, select it.

3. Select the “Devices” option.

4. In the “Devices” menu, choose “Printers & scanners” from the left sidebar.

5. Select “Add a Printer or Scanner.” This will prompt Windows to begin searching for available devices to set up.

6. Click on the name of the printer you wish to set up and click “Add Printer.” Follow any instructions to finish the installation.

If Windows doesn’t detect your printer, make sure that it’s hooked up and turned on. If Windows still can’t find it, click “The printer that I want isn’t listed.” Windows will give you a number of different options to help you connect it.

Set Up An Ip Printer On Windows 10 Or Mac

How to stop Windows 10 from changing the default printer

How to find your printer’s IP address

If you’re having a lot of trouble finding a printer on Windows or a Mac, you can add it as a network printer via its IP address.

To find the IP address, access your router’s settings menu. Instructions on how to do this are printed on a sticker somewhere on your router usually the bottom.

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Connect A Printer To Windows 10

Different printers have their own set-up processes for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Consult your owner’s manual to see how to get started.

Tip: You might need to update to the latest version of Windows 10 to make sure you have up-to-date driver support.

Wi-Fi printers

Windows 10 should easily find any printer connected to the same local network via Wi-Fi.

Go to the Start menu and click Settings, Devices, then Printers & scanners. Select Add a printer or scanner and wait for your printer to appear in the list, then select it and hit Add device.

If Windows doesn’t find your printer, select The printer that I want isn’t listed and follow the instructions.

Another solution could be to plug the printer into your laptop or desktop with a USB cable. This can force the computer to recognise the printer and install the drivers. After it’s done, unplug the printer from USB and see if your computer continues to detect it.

If Windows doesn’t already have them, the printer drivers should download and install. If not, you can get them from the manufacturer’s website.

Bluetooth printers

First, make sure your printer is open to new Bluetooth pairings. Check your owner’s manual for instructions.

To enable Bluetooth on your Windows computer, click the notification icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen and check that Bluetooth is toggled on. You might have to click Expand to see the Bluetooth control.

What If The Printer Did Not Connect To The Network

Check for network issues and review setup requirements if the printer failed to connect.

Check the network connection: Move the printer and computer or mobile device closer to the WI-Fi router, and then check if the signal quality improved. Try opening a website to see if the internet connection is working properly. If Wi-Fi is slow or intermittent, restart the router by disconnecting the power cord, wait 15 seconds, and then reconnect it.
Printer is off or in sleep mode: Touch the printer touchscreen or press the Power button to wake the printer and put it in a ready state. Sometimes the printer status might display Offline when it is actually ready.
Restart the printer: Restarting the printer can clear possible error conditions and restore the Wi-Fi connection.
Check the printer Wi-Fi signal: If your printer has a light next to a Wireless icon or button , make sure the light is on. Check the wireless settings to make sure the signal is turned on.
Print a Wireless Test Report: Search the HP Customer Support website for your printer model, and then search for self test page to find the document on how to print and evaluate the report.

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Change The Default Printer

Windows will attempt to set the default printer by selecting the one used most recently on the connected network. This is toggled on by default and will mean that the OS can remember which printer to use when switching between networks. Not everyone needs or wants this functionality, and luckily it’s really easy to turn it off.

Open Windows search by pressing Windows Key + Q.

Type in “printer.”

How To Share A Printer On Windows 10

Set up or Install a Printer on Windows 10How-To

To connect a USB printer to a Wi-Fi network without extra accessories, you can use Windows 10 printer sharing, heres how to do it:

Open Settings.

Check the option.

Change the printer share name as needed, but not required.

Share this printer option on Windows 10

Click Apply.

Click OK to complete the task.

Once you completed the steps, your USB printer will now be available in the network for anyone to connect and use.

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Does Something Seem Wrong With Your Printer

If you start suspecting that your printer just isnt working properly, even when it appears to be connected, then you should focus on troubleshooting. Your first step should always be to check for any available driver updates through Windows or on the manufacturers website. Downloading new drivers can add new compatibility to your printer and help it successfully connect.

If the driver option doesnt work for you, then its time to run the. This launches a wizard that asks you to identify your printer, and then scans for any apparent problems. This can provide you will valuable information that may allow you to fix your problem.

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How To Connect A Printer To Your Network

First and foremost, know that with Windows most recent operating system, installing external devices has become super easy. If you just read the on-screen prompts carefully, adding a printer should not take more than fifteen minutes.

If you have a network printer, simply follow these steps:

Connect the printers cable to your computer. Most printers these days use a USB connection.

Turn on your printer.

Open Devices and Printers. You can do this by going through the Control Panel, or you can simply search your machine via the magnifying glass icon near the Start button.

Once inside the Devices and Printers menu, click on Add a Printer.

The name of the printer you are trying to connect should show up. If you dont know the exact name of your printer, check the device or the manual. The complete details, including the model number, should be easy to find.

When you do find the printers name, click on it.

Windows will then automatically handle the installation by processing the appropriate drivers.

Wait for the installation to finish. You will know it is done when you see the Finish button activated.

Before clicking Finish, you might want to do a test print first.

To accomplish a printing test, make sure the paper and ink cartridges are ready. Then, simply click the Print a test page button you see on the installation window that you have been observing.

If the print test turned out okay, click that Finish button and youre done!

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Add Wireless Or Network Printer To Computer

Once the Printer is connected to WiFi Network, you should be able to connect to it from your computer by following these steps.

1. Open Settings on your computer and click on Devices.

2. On the next screen, click on Printers & Scanners in the left pane. In the right-pane, click on Add a Printer or Scanner option.

3. Wait for Windows to search for the Printer and click on your printer as it comes up in search results.

5. Next, click on the Manage option.

6. On the next screen, you will see the option to Print a Test Page and Run the Troubleshooter, in case you are having problems connecting to the printer.

This is the simplest way to add a printer in Windows 10 and should work for most new models of printers. You can move to the next step, in case Windows 10 is unable to list your printer.