How To Install printer in Window7

You can install most physically attached printers, scanners, and

fax machines by completing the following steps:

Turn on the printer, scanner, or fax device.
Connect the device to your computer using the appropriate USB

cable.
Let Windows 7 automatically detect and install the device.

Your computer will search its driver cache and may search the

Windows Update site.

Figure 12.1. Windows 7 detects the printer, scanner, or fax device

Windows 7 should automatically detect the printer, scanner or fax

device as shown in Figure 12.1, and then

automatically install a built-in driver to support it. As shown in Figure 12.2, the Driver Software

Installation component handles the installation task. The printer,

scanner, or fax device should then run immediately without any

problems.

Figure 12.2. Windows 7 installs the device

You can confirm that the printer, scanner, or fax device is

available by clicking Start→Devices and Printers. As shown in Figure 12.3, the printer,

scanner, or fax device should be listed as an available device.

Double-click the printer, scanner, or fax device to check its status.

The device status should be “Ready,” as shown in Figure 12.4,.

Figure 12.3. Confirming that the device is installed

Figure 12.4. Confirming that the device is available and ready for

use

Automatic installation is great when it works, but it doesn’t work

100 percent of the time. Windows 7 might also automatically detect the

printer, scanner, or fax device, but the Driver Software Installation

component may run into problems installing the device. If this happens,

you’ll see errors similar to those shown in Figure 12.5. For example, the

HP printer that installed automatically on 32-bit Windows

7 would not install automatically on 64-bit Windows 7. Why? At the time,

the 64-bit printer driver was not designed for and known to be fully

compatible with the operating system.

Figure 12.5. Windows 7 is unable to install the device

Installing a printer or fax machine manually

If automatic installation fails, you can install the

printer or fax machine manually by completing the following

steps:

Figure 12.6. Installing a printer manually

With the printer, scanner, or fax device powered on and

connected to your computer using the appropriate cable,

Start→Devices and Printers.
In Devices and Printers, click “Add a printer.”
In the Add Printer Wizard, shown in Figure 12.6, click “Add a local

printer.”
On the “Choose a printer port page,” ensure that “Use an

existing port” is selected, choose the printer port to use, and then click Next.

If you are trying to manually install a USB printer that did not

install automatically, choose USB001 (Virtual Printer Port for

USB), as shown in Figure 12.7.

Otherwise, choose the COM port (for serial printers) or LPT port

(for parallel printers) that your printer is connected to.
As shown in Figure 12.8, you must

now specify the device manufacturer and model. This allows Windows

7 to assign a driver to the device. If the device manufacturer and

model you are using are displayed, choose a manufacturer and a

model, and then skip steps 6–9.
If the device manufacturer and model you’re using aren’t

displayed in the list, ensure that your computer is connected to

the Internet and then click Windows Update. Windows will then

update the list of printers to show additional models. This

feature is part of Windows 7’s automatic driver provisioning and

it can take several minutes to retrieve the updated list.

Figure 12.7. Select the port to use

Figure 12.8. Select the manufacturer and printer type

You should then be able to select your printer manufacturer

and model. If you aren’t, download the driver from the

manufacturer’s website and then extract the driver files.
Click Have Disk. In the Install from Disk dialog box, click

Browse.
In the Locate File dialog box, locate the .inf driver file for the device and

then click Open.
Click Next. On the “Type a printer name” page, type a name

for the device or accept the default name. You’ll see this name on

the Printers page in the Control Panel. Click Next, and the

printer driver will be installed.
The printer or fax machine is automatically

configured for sharing. If you don’t want the printer or fax

machine to be shared, select “Do not share this printer.”

Otherwise, you can set the share name and location, and add an

optional comment.
When you click Next, the Add Printer Wizard will install the

printer and set it as the default automatically. If you don’t want

the printer to be the default, clear the “Set as the default printer” checkbox (you will see

this checkbox only if you had a default printer before you

installed this one).
To print a test page, click Print a Test Page. The wizard

will then print a test page. Click Close.
Click Finish. Click Start→Devices And Printers. The Devices

and Printers page in the Control Panel will have an additional

icon with the name set the way you specified (see Figure 12.9). You can

change the printer or fax properties and check printer or fax

status at any time.

Figure 12.9. Confirming that the device was installed

Installing a scanner manually

You can install a scanner manually by completing the

following steps:

In Windows Explorer, access C:\Program Files\Windows Photo Viewer,

where C: is your system drive, and then double-click ImagingDevices.exe.
In the Scanners and Cameras window, click Add Device. This

starts the Scanner and Camera Installation Wizard.
Click Next.
You must now specify the device manufacturer and model. This

allows Windows 7 to assign a driver to the device. If the device

manufacturer and model you are using are displayed, choose a

manufacturer and a model, and then skip steps 5–7.
If the device manufacturer and model you’re using aren’t

displayed in the list, download the driver from the manufacturer’s

website and then extract the driver files.
Click Have Disk. In the Install from Disk dialog box, click

Browse.
In the Locate File dialog box, locate the .inf driver file for the device and

then click Open.
Click Next. On the “What is the name of your device?” page, type a name

for the scanner or accept the default name. You’ll see this name

in the Scanners and Cameras window.
Click Next and then click Finish.
The Scanners and Cameras window will have an additional icon

with the name set the way you specified. You can change the

scanner properties and check scanner status at any time.

Installing Wireless and Bluetooth Printers

Windows 7 fully supports wireless and Bluetooth. Often,

wireless and Bluetooth printers will include installation software that

you may be able to use to install and begin using the device. Before you

use the installation software, however, you should ensure it is

compatible with Windows 7. If it isn’t, you may want to check the device

manufacturer’s website for updated software.
Some wireless and Bluetooth printers connect directly to a

computer. Others connect to a computer via a network. You can connect a

wireless or Bluetooth printer directly to a computer by completing the

following steps:

Typically, wireless and Bluetooth devices require that you

connect a receiver to the computer. You’ll need to plug the receiver

into a USB slot on the computer.
Position the computer and receiver so that the receiver is

within range of the printer to which you want to connect.
Configure the printer as necessary and ensure that it is

powered on.
Click Start→Devices and Printers. In Devices and Printers,

click “Add printer.”
In the Add Printer Wizard, shown in Figure 12.10, click “Add a

network, wireless or Bluetooth Printer.”
As shown in Figure 12.11, your computer

will then search for available printers. If the printer you want to

use is shown in the list of available printers, select the printer,

and then click Next.

Note

If your computer can’t find the wireless printer, make sure that

the printer is powered on and that the wireless/Bluetooth transmitter

is switched on. If you suspect the printer is out of range, try moving

it closer to the computer. Make sure the printer is positioned away

from air conditioning units, microwave ovens, etc. Then click Search

Again to have your computer search again for the printer. If this

resolves the problem, select the printer and then click Next to

continue this procedure. Otherwise, click “The printer that I want

isn’t listed,” and then click Next.
On the “Find a printer by name or TCP/IP address” page, select

“Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname,” and then click Next. On the “Type a printer

hostname or IP address” page, use the “Device type” list to select

the type of device. If you don’t know the type of device, choose

Autodetect. In the “Hostname or IP address” text box, type the

hostname or Internet Protocol (IP) address of the device. If you are

unsure, use the device’s control menu to print a configuration page.

The port name is set for you based on the hostname or IP address

entry. The port name doesn’t matter as long as it’s unique for your

computer.
When you click Next, the wizard attempts to contact the device.

If the wizard is unable to detect the print device, make sure that the

print device is turned on and connected to the network. Also, ensure

that you typed the correct IP address or printer name in the previous

page. If you entered incorrect information, click the Back arrow and

then retype this information. Complete the installation by setting the

printer name and sharing options as discussed in steps 7–11.

On the “Type a printer name” page, type a name for the device

or accept the default name. You’ll see this name on the Printers

page in the Control Panel. Click Next.
The printer is automatically configured for sharing. If you

don’t want the printer to be shared, select “Do not share this

printer.” Otherwise, you can set the share name and location, and

add an optional comment.
When you click Next, the Add Printer Wizard will install the

printer and set it as the default automatically. If you don’t want

the printer to be the default, clear the “Set as the default

printer” checkbox (you will see this checkbox only if you had a

default printer before you installed this one).

Figure 12.10. Add a network, wireless, or Bluetooth printer

Figure 12.11. Check the list of available devices for the printer

To print a test page, click Print a Test Page. The wizard will

then print a test page. Click Close.
Click Finish. Click Start→Devices and Printers. The Devices

and Printers page in the Control Panel will have an additional icon

with the name set the way you specified. You can change the printer

properties and check printer status at any time.

To connect a wireless printer to a computer via a network, do the

following:

Power on the printer. Configure its initial settings as

appropriate for the network. For example, you may need to configure

TCP/IP settings to use Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) or

you may need to use a static IP address.
Wait 30–60 seconds for the device to be detected. The device

should be detected and installed automatically. If the device isn’t

detected and installed, click Start and then click Devices and

Printers. In Devices and Printers, ensure that the device isn’t

already listed as available. If the device isn’t available yet,

click “Add printer.” You’ll then be able to install the printer as

discussed in steps 5–11 of the previous procedure.
If you have trouble connecting to the printer, make sure that

a firewall isn’t blocking connectivity to the printer. You may need

to open a firewall port to allow access between the computer and the

device. Also double-check the printer’s TCP/IP configuration. If

your network consists of multiple subnets connected together, try to

connect the device to the same network subnet.
Keep in mind that Network Discovery settings control whether your

computer can find other computers and devices on the network and

whether other computers on the network can find your computer. By

default, Network Discovery is not enabled (but you may have enabled

this feature already by creating a homegroup, sharing folders, or

performing other tasks). To enable Network Discovery, click

Start→Control Panel→Network and Internet→Network and Sharing Center.

In the left pane, click “Change advanced sharing settings.” Access

the appropriate network profile, such as Home or Work. Under Network

Discovery, click “Turn on network discovery,” and then click Save

Changes.

Installing Network-Attached Printers, Scanners, and Fax

Machines

A network-attached printer, scanner, or fax machine is a

device that’s attached directly to the network using a wireless

connection or a network cable. Network-attached printers, scanners, and

fax machines are configured so that they’re accessible to network users

as shared devices.

Warning

If you configure the printer and enable sharing, the

computer on which you configure the print device becomes an additional

print server for it. When you install this printer on

another computer, you might see two listings: one for the device

itself, and another for the shared printer on the computer that is

sharing it. Unless you want your computer to act as a print server,

you might want to select “Do not share this printer” in step 5.

You can install a network-attached printer or fax machine by

completing these steps:

Click Start→Devices and Printers. In Devices and Printers,

click “Add printer.” This starts the Add Printer Wizard.
In the Add Printer Wizard, click “Add a network,

wireless or Bluetooth printer.” The Add Printer Wizard will then

begin searching for available devices.
If the wizard finds the device you want to use, click it in

the list of devices found. Click Next.

Note

If your computer can’t find the network printer, make

sure that the printer is powered on and that a firewall isn’t blocking connectivity to the printer. You

may need to open a firewall port to allow access between the computer

and the printer. If your network consists of multiple subnets

connected together, try to connect the printer to the same network

subnet. Also, make sure the printer is configured to broadcast its

presence on the network. Although most network printers automatically

do this, this isn’t always the case. Finally, make sure that the

printer has an IP address and proper network settings. With DHCP,

network routers assign IP addresses automatically as printers connect

to the network. After you’ve double-checked everything, click Search

Again to have your computer search again for the printer. If this

resolves the problem, select the printer and then click Next to

continue this procedure. Otherwise, skip the remaining steps and

follow the next procedure to install the printer manually.

On the “Type a printer name” page, type a name for the device

or accept the default name. You’ll see this name on the Printers

page in the Control Panel. Click Next.
The printer is automatically configured for sharing. If you

don’t want the printer to be shared, select “Do not share this

printer.” Otherwise, you can set the share name and location and add

an optional comment.
When you click Next, the Add Printer Wizard will install the

printer and set it as the default automatically. If you don’t want

the printer to be the default, clear the “Set as the default printer” checkbox (you will see

this checkbox only if you had a default printer before you installed

this one).
To print a test page, click “Print a test page.” The wizard

will then print a test page. Click Close.
Click Finish. Click Start→Devices and Printers. The Devices

and Printers page in the Control Panel will have an additional icon

with the name set the way you specified. You can change the printer

properties and check printer status at any time.

If the Add Printer Wizard doesn’t find the network printer you

want to use, complete the installation by following these steps:

Figure 12.12. Setting the printer options

On the “Searching for available printers” page, click “The

printer that I want isn’t listed” and then click Next.
On the “Find a printer by name or TCP/IP address” page, select

“Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname,” and then click Next.
On the “Type a printer hostname or IP address” page, shown in

Figure 12.12, use the “Device

type” list to select the type of device. If you don’t know the type

of device, choose Autodetect.
In the “Hostname or IP address” text box, type the hostname or

Internet Protocol (IP) address of the device. If you are unsure, use

the device’s control menu to print a configuration page.
The port name is set for you based on the hostname or IP

address entry. The port name doesn’t matter as long as it’s unique

for your computer.
When you click Next, the wizard attempts to contact the device

and automatically determine the protocol details as well as the

adapter type. If the wizard is unable to detect the print device,

make sure that the print device is turned on and connected to the

network. Also, ensure that you typed the correct IP address or

printer name in the previous page. If you entered incorrect

information, click the Back arrow and then retype this

information.
Complete the installation by setting the printer name and

sharing options as discussed in the previous procedure.

Xerox makes a network-attached scanner called the Xerox

WorkCentre Pro Scanner. This device and other similar devices install in

the same way as a directly attached scanner. When you complete the

installation, the scanner should be configured automatically. If it

isn’t, follow these steps to set the IP address for the scanner:

In Windows Explorer, access C:\Program Files\Windows Photo Viewer,

where C: is your system drive, and then double-click ImagingDevices.exe.
In the Scanners and Cameras window, click the scanner and then

click Properties.
On the Device Settings tab, type the hostname or IP address of

the scanner and then click OK.