Seeing "Printer driver is unavailable" in Windows Settings next to your printer means Windows can't communicate with the device because the software that translates your print job is missing or broken. This is a very fixable problem.

Why It Happens

This error most often appears after a Windows Update changes something in the driver stack, after a printer is shared over a network with a different Windows version, or when the original driver files become corrupted.

Step 1: Remove the Printer Completely

  1. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
  2. Click your printer and select Remove.
  3. Now open the Start menu, search for Print Management and open it (available on Windows 10/11 Pro; skip this step on Home editions).
  4. In Print Management, expand Print Servers > [Your PC Name] > Drivers. Right-click the old driver entry and choose Delete.

Step 2: Clear Leftover Driver Files

Press Win + R, type printui /s /t2 and press Enter. This opens the Print Server Properties. Go to the Drivers tab, select the old driver, and click Remove. Choose Remove driver and driver package if prompted.

Step 3: Restart the Print Spooler

Press Win + R, type services.msc and hit Enter. Scroll to Print Spooler, right-click it, and choose Restart.

Step 4: Reinstall the Correct Driver

Go to the manufacturer's support site and download the full driver package for your exact printer model and your version of Windows:

  • HP: support.hp.com
  • Canon: usa.canon.com/support
  • Epson: epson.com/support
  • Brother: support.brother.com

Run the installer and follow the on-screen steps. For USB printers, plug in the cable only when the installer asks you to. For network printers, make sure the printer is powered on and connected to Wi-Fi first.

Alternative: Use Windows Update Driver

If you can't find the right driver, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Add device. Windows will sometimes download a compatible driver automatically via Windows Update.

Still getting the error? Ask us — we can help identify whether the problem is the driver or something deeper.