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The most requests I've had since Windows 10 was released was for recommendations for a new printer that works with Windows 10. The fact is you don't really need to buy a new printer for Windows 10 just because either the manufacturer doesn't have drivers or Windows 10 can't find a driver when you install the printer. Windows maintains a huge offline database of older printers that will work with Windows 10, (though if too old some many not include all the features of the manufacturer's driver, which most people never use in my experience), including old parallel port printers such as the HP LaserJet III and Epson LQ series dot matrix printers!
If you are installing an old parallel port printer make sure the printer and the port are using the same protocol, check the user's manual. Older bidirectional printers will not work with ECP or EPP ports and you'll need to set your port to bidirectional in the BIOS. If you don't know for sure see Note 2.
1. Connect your printer and turn on the power, Windows should detect the printer and will either install what drivers are needed if possible and you're done or present you with a dialog window listing available drivers for printers. (If no dialog windows appears you'll need to set up the port manually using Settings->Devices, choose LPT port or USB port accordingly.)
2. You can scroll though the listing to look for your printer but chances are it's not there or Windows 10 would have installed it. At the lower right corner you'll see 'Get Windows Update', this is the offline database, click that and wait. It can take several minutes to load, be patient.
3. After the database is loaded you'll see the list again, now look for your printer. Chances are if your printer is newer than 2000 it will be there. Some printers before then used proprietary languages and are not supported. Click on the printer make and model and Windows 10 will load the drivers for your printer. Print the test page and if it prints correctly, that's it.
Note 1. Some laser and dot matrix printers are compatible with LaserJet III or Epson LQ series, so if you have either a laser or dot matrix printer that is not listed you can try those drivers. I have done both with no problems.
Note 2. For parallel printers load only 1 sheet of paper before printing the test page. If the output is garbage, i.e. not the readable text of a test page, turn off the printer. Using either Control Panel->Hardware and Sound->Printers and Devices or the sys tray icon for the printer, cancel the print job. Then reboot into BIOS and change the parallel (LPTx) port to bidirectional, save settings and reboot into Windows. Turn on the printer and load one sheet of paper and try the test page again. If you still get garbage you will need to reinstall the printer with a different driver or just forget using that printer.
NETWORK PRINTERS
The above can also be used to install a network printer using a parallel or USB print server adapter provided Windows is seeing the network print server. If Windows does not see your network print server and you are sure it is communicating with your router then in all likelihood the print server is not being detected. You can try the following to see if you can get it to work.
1. Click Settings->Devices
2. Click Add a printer or scanner, Windows will scan for a printer/scanner and soon present you with the option The printer I want isn't listed, click on that.
3. Select TCP/IP port for the printer and enter the address of the print server port, Windows will now try to detect the print server and if not able will present you with a list of available print servers that work. If you don't see your print server try the generic parallel or USB print server. If Windows is then able to communicate with the printer it will either install the printer or provide you with a list of printers in which case do steps 2 and 3 above.
Note 3. For printers connected to a USB port on a router it is usually necessary to install software from the router first, check with the manufacturer for compatibility with Windows 10 first.
All this has been available since at least Windows 7 (maybe Vista, I don't recall) but is probably the best kept secret of Windows. Why Microsoft doesn't have these instructions readily available in the add printer section is ridiculous.
If you are installing an old parallel port printer make sure the printer and the port are using the same protocol, check the user's manual. Older bidirectional printers will not work with ECP or EPP ports and you'll need to set your port to bidirectional in the BIOS. If you don't know for sure see Note 2.
1. Connect your printer and turn on the power, Windows should detect the printer and will either install what drivers are needed if possible and you're done or present you with a dialog window listing available drivers for printers. (If no dialog windows appears you'll need to set up the port manually using Settings->Devices, choose LPT port or USB port accordingly.)
2. You can scroll though the listing to look for your printer but chances are it's not there or Windows 10 would have installed it. At the lower right corner you'll see 'Get Windows Update', this is the offline database, click that and wait. It can take several minutes to load, be patient.
3. After the database is loaded you'll see the list again, now look for your printer. Chances are if your printer is newer than 2000 it will be there. Some printers before then used proprietary languages and are not supported. Click on the printer make and model and Windows 10 will load the drivers for your printer. Print the test page and if it prints correctly, that's it.
Note 1. Some laser and dot matrix printers are compatible with LaserJet III or Epson LQ series, so if you have either a laser or dot matrix printer that is not listed you can try those drivers. I have done both with no problems.
Note 2. For parallel printers load only 1 sheet of paper before printing the test page. If the output is garbage, i.e. not the readable text of a test page, turn off the printer. Using either Control Panel->Hardware and Sound->Printers and Devices or the sys tray icon for the printer, cancel the print job. Then reboot into BIOS and change the parallel (LPTx) port to bidirectional, save settings and reboot into Windows. Turn on the printer and load one sheet of paper and try the test page again. If you still get garbage you will need to reinstall the printer with a different driver or just forget using that printer.
NETWORK PRINTERS
The above can also be used to install a network printer using a parallel or USB print server adapter provided Windows is seeing the network print server. If Windows does not see your network print server and you are sure it is communicating with your router then in all likelihood the print server is not being detected. You can try the following to see if you can get it to work.
1. Click Settings->Devices
2. Click Add a printer or scanner, Windows will scan for a printer/scanner and soon present you with the option The printer I want isn't listed, click on that.
3. Select TCP/IP port for the printer and enter the address of the print server port, Windows will now try to detect the print server and if not able will present you with a list of available print servers that work. If you don't see your print server try the generic parallel or USB print server. If Windows is then able to communicate with the printer it will either install the printer or provide you with a list of printers in which case do steps 2 and 3 above.
Note 3. For printers connected to a USB port on a router it is usually necessary to install software from the router first, check with the manufacturer for compatibility with Windows 10 first.
All this has been available since at least Windows 7 (maybe Vista, I don't recall) but is probably the best kept secret of Windows. Why Microsoft doesn't have these instructions readily available in the add printer section is ridiculous.
