“Today, my printer stopped printing! Everything was fine the day before. I switched off the computer and the printer. Then the next time I came to print… nothing!” This comment from one of our customers is something we’ve been encountering a lot recently.
If you are having this issue, the issue could lie with updates to Windows 10. The Windows 10 upgrade either corrupts the Printer Driver or installs a “new” printer copy on your computer, all without telling you.
Step 1: Testing your printer
If your printer has suddenly stopped printing after a software update, you need to test the printer and check if the issue lies with the computer or with the printer.
You can test this easily by attempting to print a copy page. If your printer can do this then your printer is not broken! If your printer is not a copier, you can try to print out a report from the control panel, or connect it to another device, or otherwise try to use it without your computer. If it won’t copy or print a report then you know that the issue is the printer and not the software update.
Step 2: Fixing a communication problem
How to fix this communication problem? Well, find the disk the printer came with and re-install it. That will usually work a charm. If you’ve lost your disk, go to the manufacturer’s web site and download new drivers (usually found under Support, Downloads).
Step 3: Talk to the pros
Done that, and still non-functioning? Your next step is to contact the manufacturer directly. It may take a while, but they should be able to get to the bottom of the problem fairly soon.
Just remember, when you see a Windows 10 update warning, it may cause some pain for your printer connection.
