Printer Driver Is Unavailable? How to Fix It on Windows 11 and 10

You open Printers & scanners in Windows and, under your printer’s name, it says Driver is unavailable. Print jobs fail or never leave the queue. The printer itself is fine. Windows has lost, damaged or rejected the small piece of software it uses to talk to the printer, and the fix is to give it a clean, working driver.

What Does “Driver Is Unavailable” Mean?

Every printer needs a driver: software that turns your document into instructions the printer understands. When Windows says the driver is unavailable, it can still see the printer, but it can’t load a driver for it. Until that is fixed, nothing will print, and scanning and ink-level tools usually stop working too.

Why Does My Printer Say Driver Is Unavailable?

• A Windows update replaced or removed the driver. This is the most common trigger, especially after a big feature update.
• An upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 carried over a driver that isn’t compatible.
• A corrupted driver after a crash, power loss or a half-finished install.
• The wrong driver. Windows sometimes installs a basic “WSD” device driver that doesn’t fully support the printer.
• An old printer whose maker never released a Windows 11 driver.

How to Fix “Driver Is Unavailable” on Windows 11 and 10

Try these in order. Fixes 1 and 2 take a few minutes. Fix 3 is the one that solves most stubborn cases.

Fix 1: Restart the printer and the computer

Turn the printer off, restart Windows, then turn the printer back on. If the driver failed to load only because of a temporary glitch, the status will change back to Ready.

Fix 2: Install the driver from Windows Update

1. Open Settings > Windows Update and click Check for updates. Install everything it finds.
2. Then go to Advanced options > Optional updates and expand Driver updates.
3. If a driver for your printer brand is listed, tick it and click Download & install. Restart when asked.

On Windows 10, the path is Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View optional updates.

Fix 3: Clean reinstall of the printer driver

Simply removing and re-adding the printer often fails, because Windows quietly reuses the broken driver it still has stored. The clean reinstall below deletes that stored driver first. Full steps are in the next section.

Fix 4: Update the driver in Device Manager

1. Right-click the Start button and open Device Manager.
2. Expand Print queues (or Printers), right-click your printer and choose Update driver.
3. Choose Search automatically for drivers. If you already downloaded the maker’s driver, choose Browse my computer for drivers instead and point it to the folder.

Fix 5: Repair Windows system files

If drivers keep breaking, damaged Windows files may be the cause. Open Command Prompt or Terminal as administrator and run these two commands one at a time. Each can take several minutes.

sfc /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Restart the computer afterward, then do the clean reinstall again.

Fix 6: Undo a bad Windows update

If the error appeared right after an update and nothing else helps, go to Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates, remove the most recent update, and restart. Then use Pause updates for a week or two while the printer maker or Microsoft releases a fix.

Fix 7: Use the printer maker’s own repair tool

• HP: HP Print and Scan Doctor (Windows) or the HP app’s Diagnose & Fix. HP guides.
• Epson: download the full Drivers and Utilities Combo Package for your model. Epson guides.
• Canon: the full MP Drivers or Printer Driver package from Canon’s support site. Canon guides.
• Brother: the Full Driver & Software Package. Brother guides.

The Clean Reinstall, Step by Step

Step 1: Remove the printer

Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners (Windows 10: Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners), click the printer and choose Remove. If the printer’s own software is listed in Settings > Apps > Installed apps, uninstall that too.

Step 2: Restart the computer

This releases any driver files Windows still has open. If the printer is connected by USB, unplug the cable now and leave it unplugged until the installer asks for it.

Step 3: Delete the old driver package

1. In Printers & scanners, scroll down to Related settings and click Print server properties. (Shortcut: press Windows + R and run printui /s /t2.)
2. Open the Drivers tab.
3. Select every driver that belongs to your printer and click Remove.
4. Choose Remove driver and driver package and confirm.

Step 4: Install the full driver from the manufacturer

Go to the official support website of HP, Epson, Canon, Brother or whoever made your printer. Search for your exact model number (it is on a label on the front or back of the printer), and download the full driver or software package for your version of Windows. Run the installer and follow it until it finds the printer.

Step 5: Add the printer and print a test page

If the installer didn’t add the printer, go to Printers & scanners > Add device. Once it shows Ready, click the printer, open Printer properties and choose Print test page.

Need to Print Right Now? Use a Built-In Microsoft Driver

Windows includes generic class drivers that work with most modern network printers. They print fine, but you lose extras like scanning, ink levels and maintenance tools. Use this as a stopgap until the proper driver is installed.

1. In Printers & scanners, click Add device, then Add manually (or “The printer that I want isn’t listed”).
2. Choose Add a printer using an IP address or hostname and enter the printer’s IP address from its network configuration page.
3. When asked for a driver, pick Microsoft as the manufacturer and choose Microsoft IPP Class Driver. For many laser printers, Microsoft PCL6 Class Driver also works.

Old Printer With No Windows 11 Driver?

If the maker’s website only lists drivers for Windows 10 or older, try these before replacing the printer:

• Install the newest Windows 10 driver. Most of them work on Windows 11.
• For HP LaserJet and other business printers, try the HP Universal Print Driver. Other brands offer similar universal drivers.
• Use the Microsoft IPP or PCL6 class driver described above.
• Connect over USB instead of WiFi, which lets Windows use its broader built-in driver library.

If the printer also won’t show up at all, it may be offline rather than driverless. See how to fix printer offline. And if it shows Ready but still won’t print, work through why your printer is not printing.

Frequently Asked Questions

For more help with installing, updating and setting up printers, browse our printer setup and driver guides.