| How to Find the Right Printer Driver to Use with Vista |
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Windows Vista is a completely new operating system which can cause problems when trying to mix and match your old peripherals. For example, your old printer may have worked perfectly with Windows XP but refuses to print under Windows Vista. Before you run down to the nearest office supply superstore or electronics retailer to buy a new printer, see if you can find an updated printer driver instead.
First, go to Microsoft’s website and search for updated printer drivers that may be compatible with Windows Vista. Microsoft keeps their website stocked with common updated device drivers and patches for a variety of uses.
If you can’t find the right printer driver on the Microsoft website, head over to your printer manufacturer’s website. For example, if you have a Canon printer, go to Canon’s website. Go to the technical support section and search for updated device drivers for use with the Windows Vista operating system. Once you find the device driver for your printer, download it. Close all of your open running applications in anticipation of the upcoming installation tasks.
The downloaded device driver should have an installation wizard that guides you through each step. You may need to restart your computer before the changes take effect. Even if you aren’t prompted to reboot, do it anyway if your printer doesn’t respond after the drivers have been installed. After rebooting, try your printer and see if it’s working as it should.
If not, go into the Control Panel and check to see if it is recognized by Vista and set as the default printer. If it’s not the default printer, right-click its icon and choose “Set as Default” before trying to print again.
If the printer is still not working, you may need to make a few adjustments. Printer drivers are handled by Windows Vista a bit differently than regular device drivers. Instead of using Device Manager, go back into the Control Panel and select Printers once again. This time when right-clicking the printer, choose Properties. Here you’ll find quite a few tabs including General, Security, Sharing, Ports, Device Settings, Advanced, Color Management, and About. Go to the Advanced tab and find the section that shows the driver. Is the driver the one that you downloaded? If not, click the down arrow and see if you can find the new driver in the dropdown list.
If not, you may need to click New Driver and try reinstalling the updated device driver. This takes you to the Add New Printer Driver Wizard. Choose your printer manufacturer from the list and see if a driver is pre-populated in the next pane. If so, use the supplied driver and see how that works. If not, choose Have Disk and navigate to the location where you downloaded the updated device drivers earlier. Follow the prompts and reboot your computer before testing the printer.
Tip: No matter how you update your device drivers, always make sure to reboot your computer to allow the changes to take place, even if not prompted. Some installation programs omit prompting you to make this step.
Top pick for the best Driver Update Software:
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