How to update a printer driver on Windows 10
Printers are notoriously tricky pieces of technology to navigate. Anyone that has ever used a printer will no doubt have experienced times when it just won't print or some of the functionality has changed. This communication breakdown between your printer and computer often comes down to the driver that's installed. If a printer driver is out of date or isn't compatible with your specific printer, that's when issues arise.
Fortunately, it can be very simple to check for newer versions and install them. The easiest way to do so is using an automatic updater. We have included this tool as part of our CCleaner Professional package, which also has tons of other great features that will help clean the inside of your PC and optimize it. This could save you time and frustration by enabling your computer to run in optimum condition.
There are other ways that you can update drivers too and we're going to show you how to do this on a Windows 10 machine.
Updating a printer driver using Windows 10
There are a couple of ways you can update a printer driver in Windows 10. The first is by performing a general system update (if you're not running the latest version), and the other is using the Device Manager.
How to update your Windows 10 operating system
When you update your operating system, Windows 10 will look for any new drivers and install these. It can't always find every single one so using an automatic updater tool is the easiest option because it's the task that they're built to perform.
To manually push forward a new system update, follow these steps:
- Head to your Windows "Start" button and find "Settings"
- Click on "Update & Security"
- Go to "Windows Update" and select "Check for updates" which will scan for any updates and start upgrading automatically
How to use the Device Manager
To update a printer driver using the Device Manager, follow these steps:
- Open "Start" and type in "Device Manager"
- Click on "Device Manager" in the search results
- Expand the "Printers" category
- Right-click on the printer you want to update drivers for
- Choose "Update Driver", then "Search automatically for updated driver software"
- If Windows can find one, follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation process
If Windows can't find one you should then check the printer manufacturer's website to compare the latest version against yours. If your driver is older, you would need to follow the instructions on the manufacturer's website to download and install the latest release.
How and why you should use an updater tool
Drivers are small but crucial pieces of software that keep your devices running smoothly.
Manufacturers release a new version to help fix glitches and/or make enhancements. If you don't have the latest release it can cause issues.
We created CCleaner Driver Updater to solve these problems for you by keeping your drivers up to date. We bundled it into our CCleaner Professional package which will also help:
- Improve your online privacy by removing tracking files and browsing data
- Clear your browser history for you automatically
- Tune your PC to make it perform better
- Update your software, which helps close security holes
- Get rid of junk and unused files so you can maximize the space available
CCleaner Professional has been downloaded more than 2.5 billion (2,500.000.000) times and our users love it because it can speed up their computers and keep them safer. Why not try it today and see if it helps you? You can download it for free and start using it right now and optimize your PC with just a few clicks of a button. You can try CCleaner Professional for 14 days at no cost and once your trial is over, you'll automatically go back to using CCleaner Free. If you want to continue using CCleaner Professional, you can choose to sign up for an annual subscription and if you change your mind, you can quickly and easily cancel it without reason. Either way, you still get to keep all the benefits from your two-week free trial.