The problem of Printer Icon missing from the Desktop or not showing up on “Devices & Printers” screen is usually known to occur after a Windows update.
However, this problem can also occur due to the Printer Icon Shortcut on the Desktop being accidentally deleted and other reasons.
Printer Icon Not Showing in Windows 11/10
While the case of Printer Icon missing from Desktop can be fixed by creating a New Shortcut, the issue of Printer Icon missing from “Devices and Printers” screen requires other troubleshooting steps as provided below in this guide.
1. Create New Desktop Shortcut to Printer
As mentioned above, if the Printer Icon is missing from Desktop, you can create a New Shortcut to the printer.
1. Type Control Panel in the Search bar and click on Control Panel Desktop App in the search results.
2. On Control Panel screen, switch to Category view and click on View Devices and Printers link.
3. On the next screen, right-click on the Printer and select Create Shortcut option.
Note: If Printer Icon is Not Showing on this screen, follow other methods (2 to 5) as provided below.
4. On the pop-up, click on the Yes button to create a Desktop Shortcut.
The Printer Icon should now be visible on the Desktop of your computer.
2. Run Printer Troubleshooter
The built-in Printer Troubleshooter as available on your computer might help in fixing the problem.
1. Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other Troubleshooters.
2. On the next screen, click on the Run button located in Printer tab.
3. Follow the instructions as the troubleshooter tries to find and fix printing problems on your computer.
Windows 10: Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot. In the right-pane, select your Printer and click on Run the Troubleshooter.
3. Enable Bluetooth Support Service
The problem can also be caused due to Bluetooth Support service being disabled on the computer.
1. Press Windows + R keys to open the Run command on your computer.
2. In the Run command window, type Services.msc and click on OK.
3. On the next screen, right-click on Bluetooth Support Service and click on Start.
After this, restart the computer and check “Devices & Printers” screen.
4. Enable Device Install Service
In many cases, the problem is usually due to “Device Install Service” or other Device services being disabled on the computer.
1. Open Run Command > type Services.msc and click on OK.
2. On the next screen, double-click on Device Install Service (if it is disabled).
3. On the pop-up, change the Startup Type to Manual > click on Apply & OK.
After this, make sure that the other Device related services are set to the following startup types.
- Device Association Service – Manual (Trigger Start)
- Device Management Enrollment Service – Manual
- Device Setup Manager – Manual (Trigger Start)
- DevQuery Background Discovery Broker – Manual (Trigger Start).
5. Edit Registry
If above methods did not help, creating a New Registry Key for the Printer in Desktop and Control Panel Folders might help in fixing the problem.
Note: It is recommended that you Backup the Registry or create a System Restore Point before going ahead with this step.
1. Open the Registry Editor on your computer and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace
2. Right click on NameSpace > select New > Key.
3. Name the New Key as: {2227a280-3aea-1069-a2de-08002b30309d}, which is the CLSID for the Printers Folder.
4. Select the New Key in the left pane. In the right pane, edit the value of Default key to Printers.
5. Close the Registry Editor and Restart the computer.