How to install a local printer
Thu, 04/24/2008 - 19:38 — Florin
In this tutorial I will show you how to make your printer work with Windows Vista. It doesn't matter if it's a brand new printer or an old one - by the end of this tutorial you will have a working printer. In this tutorial I will talk only about local printers. Network printers will be covered in a separate article.
Local printers are those which you have at home/office, connected directly to the computer on which you are working. After installing the local printer, you can share it with other people that are in your network. They will be able to print but will have to come to your printer to get the pages they printed.
How to plug the printer
First, start your computer and then plug in the cables that came with your printer. You must have at least one cable which connects the printer to your power outlet and one which connects the printer to your PC. After you plugged all the cables, start the printer. To start the printer, you will either find a button that does this or it starts automatically. When it does start, it might do a "warming-up" sound or it might light a led so that you will know that is working.
Installing the printer
Now you have to install the appropriate drivers for your printer. Drivers are programs that drive the communication process between applications and devices such as your printer. If your printer is not detected and installed automatically by Windows Vista, then you will need to install the drivers yourself. They can be found on the site of your printer's manufacturer or on the CD that comes with the printer. If you do not have or cannot install the drivers, then follow this procedure:
Click on the Start button and go to Control Panel.
In the Control Panel window, beneath Hardware and Sound, click on Printer.
In the Printers window click on Add a printer.
In the new window, select Add a local printer.
Now you have to choose the type of connection between your printer and your PC. Choose the type from the scroll down list and click on Next.
If you are not sure what to choose, read the printer's manual. Most modern printers use USB cables to connect to your PC. Older models may use LPT. If the cable looks like the one shown in the picture below, select LPT1.
Now you must go to your printer and check the name of the company that made it (e.g. Lexmark, HP, etc) and the model name & number (e.g. Lexmark Z52, Hp LaserJet 4250, etc). In the next window you will see two columns. Go to the Manufacturer's column and select the name of the company that produced your printer and in the Printers column, select the model. Once you've found it, select it and click on the Next button.
If you cannot find your printer, insert the CD that came along with it, click on Have Disk and Browse to your CD and then click on OK. Windows Vista will search for drivers and try to install them. Another option is to click on Windows Update and have Windows Vista search for drivers on the internet.
Now you can change the printer’s name and assign it as a default printer by checking the appropriate option. When done, click on Next.
The printer will now be installed. At the end you will receive a notification. Click on Finish and you are done.
If it hasn't said "You've successfully added ..." then click on Finish and read the Troubleshooting section of this tutorial.
Troubleshooting
If Windows Vista warns you that the driver you are planning to install can't be verified, click on 'Install this driver software anyway'. However, you should select this only if the driver you have downloaded is created by the manufacturer of your printer, specifically for your model.
If Windows Vista doesn't automatically recognize your printer even after you have installed the driver, the problem might be with the connection cable. Try to plug the printer to another computer and test it there, to be sure that the connection cable is not damaged.
Related articles:
How to share a printer with other computers from your network
How to install a network printer
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Comments
cant do it
hi im stuk
after i go into control panel then printers when i click add a printer it says windows cant open add a printer the local print spooler service is not running please restart the spooler or restart the machine i dont kno what a spooler is and i have restarted it and no results . i have an epson stylus cx5500 with the installation disc but it wont install properly it comes up with an error ....i baught that 1 yesterday because it was certified for windows vista what i didnt kno was that i could install my old brother dcp 115c on it all i needed was a vista driver but whenn i tried to install it the same thing happened it wouldnt
communicate ........................ please help
Hope this helps
I didn't encounter your problem but this is how I assume you can fix it.
1.Right click Computer->Manage->Services and Applications->Services->Print Spooler. Click on The Print Spooler from the list. If the service is stopped then that is your problem. Just click on the start link and it will work. If it is already working then just click on the restart link below the Stop link. Now restart your computer and try to print.
2. If it still doesn't work go to Control Panel->Printer. If you see your printer here but when you are trying to print doesn't work then just click on the printer and delete it (a button will appear on the bar). Now download driver from the main site or from this links: http://www.epson.co.in/epson/drivers/driver_download.htm?mode=3&catid=4&...
EPSON Stylus CX5500 Driver for Windows XP 64-bit or EPSON Stylus CX5500 Driver for Windows XP/2000. It says in the comments that it supports Vista so it will work.
3. If it still doesn't work or shows the same error when you install the downloaded driver (the error I am talking about is = "i have an epson stylus cx5500 with the installation disc but it wont install properly it comes up with an error" then please make a screenshot or write the error here.
Hope this helped.
Fixing error: Cannot install printer.
My HP 1020 laser printer would print from Word 2007, but Vista 64 would not recognize it or let me use it for many functions. I received a print spooler error message when trying to install it, but could not find where to fix the print spooler.
Using that: Computer > Manage> Services and Applications > Services > then click on Print Spooler, and fiddle, fixed it.
Changing the sprint spooler setting from Manual, to Automatic, seemed to instantly result in both that printer, and my all-in-one Epson Stylus CX5000 being now recognized too. Yeah! thank you so much.
Bob Holland in Silver Spring MD 2/7/09
Thanks
Hi Florin
Epson driver download link
http://www.all-driver.com/search/epson
installing a printer
I have been trying and trying to install my Dell printer to my HP computer with Windows Vista. I followed your instructions. When I put the Dell driver disk in for the printer, the HP tells me that it's not compatible. When I search for the printer that I have, it doesn't come up. I don't know what to do.
response@installing printer
I think the problem would be that your install CD is meant for a prior version of a Windows (eg: XP, Me). An easy fix would be to download the drivers from Dell.
It would have helped if you had specified the product model. If you have J740 Color Printer then Windows Vista won't work with your printer. All other (Dell) printers have Windows Vista support. To download your drivers:
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?os=WLH&osl=EN... and choose "Select a different product" link. Now choose Printer option and select your model (you will find your model no.\code on your printer). Choose Windows Vista and you will see the download now link. Download it and install.
Hope this helped.
I have the same error
When clicking 'Add Printer' I get the Spooler not active message. After activating, I receive an Error 0x000006be message.
I've tried various workarounds, but I'm losing my rag!
I'm installing an HP F2128, all drivers installed. However, Vista won't seem to install the driver. It won't recognise the machine at all. I've downloaded the latest drivers from the website but after running them, I'm simply told the I already have the latest drivers!
It's circles and roundabouts!
I'm not a spaz when it comes to these things, I've been on the Microsoft help site and tried various things, but just can't get any where. Any ideas? Any help would be much appreciated!
Hope this is much more helpful
Your main problem as I can explain it, can be the installment of an older driver (at first). This problem will now reappear, no matter if the current drivers you are using/installing are up-to-date. Thus, the operating system is still using a part of those previous "memories" even when installing something different related to that printer.
i. Make a restore point. (http://www.vista4beginners.com/System-Restore).
ii. Have the vista cd with you in case you have problems and need to restore.
delete driver..
1. http://www.vista4beginners.com/Uninstall-the-driver-of-a-hardware-component
You will remove the printer drivers but the same idea aplies.
2. Go to registry .. start up -> type in the search -> regedit-> click on the regedit (in the result list)
3. Even if you backed up your system (creating the restore point) please be careful at this step. Click the Edit-Find->Type "Hewlett Packard"..or just "Hewlett"-> Delete the file found then press F3 or Edit->Find Next. Before deleting anything do look in the bottom of the (regedit) window and see the location of the file (Example ..I have other printers and the first find was in HKEY_CuRRENT_USER\Printer\Settings.)
4. Download the driver from the main site but do not install it yet.
5. If you have a friend or somebody that can give you a USB printer it would be great. Plug the usb printer. Use a USB printer since they don't create problems and are quickly installed by Windows Vista. The system will recognize the printer. Print a document (one or two pages).
6. Unplug the USB printer and plug you own. Install the drivers needed/downloaded and see if it works.
7. While doing this 1-6 unplug your printer and do not plug it until you get to step 7.
more ways..
A. If you already have an older restore point. Older then the first driver installment use it and then download and install the up-to-date drivers from the manufacturer site.
B. You could install a fresh new Windows Vista. It's easier and less time-consuming then the time spent searching for a solution.
C. use another way (LPT or network) for printing.
Fax won't work on HP 2510 All-in-One Printer
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Printer will not print
I have vista and I am not able to print from Quicken, The printer woks fine with all other programs. I have
quicken 07 and a Gateway FX4710 - UB802A computer
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