Installing or adding printers in Windows 10 is still as easy as it used to be in previous versions. You will find below the steps to add both Local and Wireless printers in Windows 10.
Add Printer in Windows 10
In order to Print documents from your Windows computer, you need to go through the process of adding a printer to your computer.
This process varies a bit, depending on whether you are connecting to a Local or a Network Printer.
A Local Printer is directly connected to the computer using a USB Cable, while a Network printer is connected to the computer using either WiFi or Ethernet network.
So, let us go ahead and take a look at the steps to Add Local and Wireless Printers to Windows computer.
1. Steps to Add Local Printer in Windows 10
Follow the steps below to add a local printer in Windows 10
1. Connect the Printer to computer using its supplied USB cable.
2. Switch ON the Printer by pressing the Power button on the Printer
3. Open Settings on your computer and click on Devices.
4. On the next screen, click on Printers & Scanners in the left-pane. In the right-pane, click on Add a Printer or Scanner option.
5. Wait for your computer to scan for connected printers and list your printer.
6. Once the printer is listed, click on the Printer and follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation process.
If Windows 10 Fails To Detect Your Printer
If Windows 10 is unable to detect the connected printer, follow the steps below to find your connected printer.
1. Click on The printer that I want isn’t listed link.
2. On the next screen, select “My Printer is a little older, Help me find it option” and click Next.
This will start the Windows Troubleshooting guide, which should help you find your printer. Windows 10 will display a list of available printers and also help you download the drivers for them.
3. Go through the list of printers, find your printer and click on Next to Install the printer driver.
4. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation of Printer.
On the next screens, you will be asked to provide a Name for the printer, select whether you want to share the printer with others and Print a test page (optional).
Note: If the printer does not appear in the list of printers, visit the website of the manufacturer and download the driver.
2. Steps to Add Wireless Printer in Windows 10
In most cases, a wireless printer should be able to detect your network and automate the installation process.
If not, you can follow the steps below to install or add Wireless Printer in Windows 10.
1. Hover your mouse over the WiFi icon in the taskbar and note down the Network Name.
As you can see in the image above, the WiFi Network name is clearly visible when a mouse is hovered over the WiFi icon.
Note: You can also click on the WiFi icon to see the Network name on the popup window.
2. Depending on the printer instructions, you may need to temporarily connect the Printer to your computer via USB to install the printer software on your computer.
3. Once the initial steps (1 and 2) are completed, switch ON the Wireless Printer by pressing its Power button.
4. Next, go to the LCD Panel of your printer and access its Setup Menu.
Note: Printers without LCD panel need to be connected to the computer in order to access the setup procedure on your computer screen.
5. On the Printers Setup Menu, find the section for Wireless Settings and select your WiFi Network
Note: You will be able to recognize your WiFi network by its Name that you noted down in step#1 above.
6. Enter your WiFi Network Password.
7. On your computer, go to Settings > Devices > Printers and Scanners and see if the wireless printer has been added in the Printers and Scanners section.
You should be able to see the wireless printer listed in the list of printers and scanner under section Printer & Scanners.
