How to Fix “Printer Driver is Unavailable” on Windows

You might encounter an error saying “Printer driver is unavailable”. The issue is common with the HP Printers.  This is because, either the Printer drivers installed on your Computer are Corrupt, outdated, or not compatible. If you have turned off the automatic updates feature on Windows, You might also see the same error as Windows won’t be able to download the updates automatically and it might further require manual input from the user.

If you encountered this error, You won’t be able to print any file until you resolve it. In this article, We will show you the steps to fix this error on Windows.

What are Printer Drivers?

Drivers are used to establishing a connection between your Hardware component and operating system. It lets your Operating system to communicate with the device. In other words, The application calls the functions performed by the operating system and the operating system calls the functions performed by the device using the drivers.

Just like your Mouse, Keyword, and Networking device, your printer also has drivers that help your operating system to communicate with the external device. These drivers are crucial for a smooth and uninterrupted link between both the devices. If your drivers are corrupt, Outdated, or faces any other issue, they won’t perform well, thus showing you the error like “Printer is not available” or “Printer driver is unavailable” on your Windows system.

Fixing the Printer Driver is Unavailable Error

The best way to fix this error is to determine the root cause and perform troubleshooting methods accordingly. To start with, We will fix the check for the connection between the printer and your System, if the connection is right then we will move on to updating the drivers or perform other advanced troubleshooting methods.

Below are a few such methods that can help you to get rid of the Printer driver is an unavailable issue on your Computer.

Method 1: Check your Connection

The very first step is to determine if the connection between your computer and printer is successfully established and your computer is able to detect your printer as an output device. This can be done by unplugging your Printer from your computer completely and then plugging it back in.

Also, check for twisted or broken wires and replace them if needed. Check the power socket for your printer and see if it’s able to get an uninterrupted power supply.

Method 2: Uninstall the Printer Drivers

If your connections are working then you should look for another option. In this method, we will first uninstall the Printer drivers and other supporting programs and install the default drivers from your printer. This technique is known to solve the issue of broken or corrupt Printer drivers thus resolving the “Printer driver is unavailable” error.

Follow these steps to uninstall the printer drivers and install the default drivers.

Step #1: Click the Windows start menu option and type ‘Control Panel’, select the first option that appears. From the top option, select View By: Large icons to see the Drivers and printers option, click it.

Step #2: Right-click the printer name and select “Remove Device”.

Step #3: Head back to the Control Panel option and click “Device Manager“.

Step #4: Scroll through the list and locate “Print queues”, click the small arrow icon to expand the option. Right-click on your printer name and select Uninstall Device.

Step #5: Hit the “Windows + R” key on your keyboard to launch the Run Dialog box and type “aapwiz.cpl” in the dialog box. Here you will find all the applications listed, Right-click on the printer name and select “Uninstall”.

Step #6: Finally, Disconnect your printer, Remove all the connections, if you are using a wireless printer then disconnect it from your router, otherwise remove the USB cable connected to your System.

Step #7: Wait for at least 10-15 minutes, plug everything back and wait until your system detects and installs the drivers automatically on your Windows 10 computer.

Method 3: Reinstall latest Drivers

As we have already said, If you have turned-off your Automatic Windows update feature, the system won’t be able to install any updates including that of driver updates, Thus, security patches, Corrupt or broken code fixes won’t be installed on your computer. However, you can manually update your drivers and fix this issue. Follow these steps

Step 1: Go to the device manager option by clicking the Windows + R key on your PC and type “devmgmt.msc” in the Run Dialog Box.

Step 2: Navigate through the available Hardware drivers and click on the small arrow in front of the print queues option.

Step 3: Right-click on your printer name and select “Update Driver” from the List.

Step 4: Finally, On the following popup screen, click the first option that says “Search automatically for the updated driver software” and follow the steps to complete the updated driver’s installation process.

Step 5: Once the drivers are installed, the system will notify you about the same. Restart your computer and try connecting your printer again and see if the “Printer driver is unavailable” error is solved.

Method 4: Update your Windows Operating System

Windows updates are known to be annoying and require a lot of time and data to be installed. Unfortunately, it is the only way to keep your system up to date. Updates are also required to download the patch files for security issues, Broken or corrupt codes, Outdated system Apps, and drivers. These updates are also known to add extra features and functionality, UI Changes, and other OS-related upgrades.

If you have turned off the automatic update feature on Windows or you haven’t installed any update in recent times, We recommend you to update it to solve the Printer driver or other system-specified issues.

Here are the steps to update windows 10 manually

1. Click the Start bar and type “Settings”.
2. From the left pane, select Update & Security.
3. Under “Windows update“, Click on the “Check for updates” button.
4. If any update is available, Windows will automatically download and install it on your computer.
5. Additional Restart might be required after the updates are installed.

Conclusion

That’s it! By using the given troubleshooting methods, You can easily solve the “Printer driver is unavailable” error on your Windows 10 computer. If you find it difficult to download or install the updates or don’t want to get into technical stuff, you can try third-party Driver updater software like Auslogics.

Please let us know if you face any different issues or have any questions or queries regarding the Printer technical errors by commenting down.