Installing a printer

Install a printer

There are several ways to connect a printer to your PC. Which option you choose depends on the device itself, and whether you're at home or at the office.

Always consult the information that came with your model for specific instructions.

Local printers

The most common way to install a printer is to connect it directly to your computer. This is known as a local printer.

If your printer is a universal serial bus (USB) model, Windows should automatically detect and install it when you plug it in.

If it's an older model that connects using the serial or parallel port, you might have to install it manually.

Network printers

In the workplace, many printers are network printers. These connect directly to a network as a stand-alone device. Inexpensive network printers are also made for the home.

Removing a printer

If you'll no longer be using a printer, you can remove it from the Devices and Printers folder.

Wireless printers

A wireless printer connects to a PC via radio waves using either Bluetooth or Wi‑Fi technology.

To connect a Bluetooth printer, you might need to need to add a Bluetooth adapter to your computer. Most Bluetooth adapters plug into a USB port.

When you plug in the adapter and turn on the Bluetooth printer, Windows will try to install it automatically, or prompt you to install it. If Windows can't detect the printer, you can add it manually.

A Wi‑Fi printer typically connects directly to a wireless network as a stand-alone device. To learn more, see Install a printer on a home network.

Install a printer on a home network

There are two basic ways to make a printer available to the PCs on your home network:

·     Attach it directly to one computer and share it with all the others on a network.

·         Connect the printer as a stand-alone device on the network itself.

This article explains how to do both in Windows. However, you should always first consult the information that came with your model for specific installation and setup instructions.

Setting up a shared printer

Traditionally, the most common way to make a printer available to a home network has been to connect it to one of the PCs and then tell Windows to share it. This is called a shared printer.

The advantage of sharing a printer is that it works with any USB printer. The downside? The host PC always has to be powered up, otherwise the rest of the network won't be able to access the shared printer.

In previous versions of Windows, setting up a shared printer could sometimes be tricky. But a new home networking feature in Windows 7 called HomeGroup has greatly simplified the process.

When a network is set up as a homegroup, printers and certain files are automatically shared. (To learn more about what homegroups do and how to use them, go to the Windows website and search for "HomeGroup: Recommended links.")

If you've already set up a homegroup and want to access a shared printer from another homegroup PC, just follow these steps:

Setting up a network printer

Network printers—devices designed to connect directly to a computer network as a stand-alone device—were once found mostly in large offices. No more.

Printer makers are increasingly offering inexpensive inkjet and laser printers that are designed to serve as network printers on home networks. Network printers have one big advantage over shared printers: they're always available.

There are two common types of network printers: wired and wireless.

·         Wired printers have an Ethernet port, which you connect to your router or hub via an Ethernet cable.

·         Wireless printers typically connect to your home network using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth technology.

Some printers offer both options. The instructions that came with your model should tell you exactly how to install it.