How to Add a Printer in Windows 10

To add a printer in Windows 10, select Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners, then select Add a printer or scanner. Wait for Windows to find your printer, select it, and select Add device. Windows installs the driver for you.

Applies to: Windows 10. Microsoft ended Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025, so a PC without Extended Security Updates no longer receives security fixes; that program runs until October 12, 2027.

Before you start

• Turn the printer on.
• For a wireless printer, connect it to the same Wi-Fi network as your PC. Use the printer’s own screen or its setup guide for this step.
• For a USB printer, plug it in. Windows usually adds it on its own within a minute.

Add a printer from Settings

1. Select Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Select Add a printer or scanner.
3. Wait for the list to fill, select your printer, and select Add device.

When it’s done, the printer shows in the list under Printers & scanners.

If your printer isn’t listed

1. After the search finishes, select The printer that I want isn’t listed.
2. Pick the option that fits your printer, select Next, and follow the steps.

The options are:

• Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname for a network printer when you know its IP address. The printer can print its address on a network report.
• Add a Bluetooth, wireless or network discoverable printer to search again.
• Select a shared printer by name for a printer shared from another PC.
• Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings for an older USB printer.

Add a Bluetooth printer

1. Turn on the printer’s Bluetooth and make it discoverable. The printer’s manual explains how.
2. Select Start > Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices, and make sure Bluetooth is on.
3. Select Add Bluetooth or other device > Bluetooth, choose the printer, and follow any pairing prompts.

Once paired, it appears under Printers & scanners like any other printer. Bluetooth printing is slower than Wi-Fi, so it suits small photo and label printers best.

Install the printer maker’s software

Some printers need the maker’s driver or app for scanning, ink levels, or two-sided printing. Download the Windows 10 version from the maker’s website, not from a third-party download site. After Canon’s package is installed, you can view a Canon printer’s ink levels from its Maintenance tab.

Print a test page

Once the printer is added, select it in Printers & scanners, choose Manage, and select Print a test page. If the page prints, you’re all set. If it comes out blank or garbled, reinstall the driver from the printer maker.

If adding the printer fails

• “Windows couldn’t connect to the printer.” Restart the printer and the PC, then try again. For a network printer, make sure it’s on the same Wi-Fi network as the PC, not a guest network.
• “Driver is unavailable.” Remove the printer in Printers & scanners, download the latest driver from the printer maker’s website, install it, and add the printer again.
• The search spins forever. Restart the Print Spooler: press Windows + R, type services.msc, right-click Print Spooler, and select Restart.
• The printer’s IP address keeps changing. Windows loses track of it. Reserve an address for the printer in your router’s settings, then add it again by IP address.
• A USB printer isn’t detected. Use a different USB cable and port, and plug straight into the PC instead of a hub.

Frequently asked questions

Why can’t Windows find my printer?

Restart the printer and your PC, and check that both are on the same network. Turn off any VPN while you add the printer. Then try Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname.

The printer was added but shows as offline. What now?

Usually the PC has lost touch with it. Work through getting a printer back online in Windows 10.

How do I set my new printer as the default?

In Printers & scanners, clear Let Windows manage my default printer. Then select the printer and choose Manage > Set as default.

Can I add the same printer to several PCs?

Yes. Add it on each PC the same way. Network printers can be used by every PC on the network at once.

Related: if Windows can’t find the right driver, you can install or update printer drivers in Windows 10. Once it prints, you can share the printer with other PCs or scan from a printer to a computer in Windows 10.

Microsoft’s version of these steps is Add or install a printer in Windows.