Printer Driver Will Not Install or Keeps Failing
Why driver installs fail after an operating system update, and how to clear a broken install cleanly.
Last updated 2026-07-30
Symptom
The driver installer fails, stalls, or completes but the printer still does not appear. Often begins
after an operating system upgrade.
Likely causes
- A driver built for an older operating system version.
- A previous installation left behind, blocking the new one.
- The installer was downloaded from a third-party site and is incomplete or wrong for the model.
- Insufficient permissions, or a security policy blocking driver installation.
- The printer was connected during a stage of setup where it should not have been.
Fix, in order
- Identify your exact model number from the label on the printer, including any letter suffix.
- Download the driver only from the manufacturer's own support site for that exact model and your
- operating system version. Third-party driver download sites are a common source of malware.
- Remove the existing printer entry and its driver package before reinstalling. On Windows, remove
- the device, then remove the driver package from Print Server Properties. On macOS, remove the
- printer and then reset the printing system.
- Restart the computer. Driver removal is not complete until you do.
- Run the installer as an administrator, and connect the printer only at the point the installer
- asks for it.
- If the manufacturer has no driver for your operating system version, check whether your OS
- includes a built-in driver class that supports the model — many printers work through a generic
- driver with reduced features.
When it is a hardware fault
Almost never. Driver failures are a software condition. Suspect hardware only if the printer is also
not detected over USB by any computer and its own control panel is unresponsive.
Getting official help
Driver availability for a given operating system version is a manufacturer decision, and only the
manufacturer can confirm it. Use the support channel in your product documentation. We are
independent, we are not an authorised support provider, and we will never ask you to install remote
access software.