When you need to print some crucial documents, the “printer driver is unavailable” error message can be really irritating. Old, worn-out, or damaged printer drivers are the primary culprit in this issue. Fortunately, resolving this problem is not as challenging as it initially appears to be.
If the Windows 10 printer driver is unavailable error is bothering you as well, don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. We are providing a few straightforward fixes for common issues, such as the HP printer driver not being available, through this blog post.
You may easily get rid of printer issues, as it was stated in the post’s earlier section. You can attempt the simple methods listed below if your Windows 10 printer driver isn’t working.
Solution 1: Reinstall the Printer Driver
When your system constantly shows the printer driver is an unavailable error, reinstalling the drivers is the quickest way to troubleshoot the issue. Here’re the most straightforward steps to do it.
- On your keyboard, press the Windows logo and R key simultaneously to open the run box
- Once the run box comes up on the screen, type devmgmt.msc and click on OK to open the Device Manager
- After the Device Manager opens, locate and expand the Print queues section.
- Right-click on the problematic printer and select Uninstall Device from the menu that appears on the screen. For example, if your HP printer driver is unavailable, then uninstall the HP printer.
- After clicking on Uninstall Device, restart your computer and open the Device Manager again
- Once the Device Manager Screen pops up, choose “Scan for hardware changes” from the Action menu.
After you click on “Scan for hardware changes,” Windows automatically looks for and installs the compatible printer driver.
Solution 2: Install the Printer Drivers Manually
Suppose the above solution does not work in your case for some reason. In that case, you can fix the Windows 10 printer driver is unavailable error by installing the latest and compatible drivers manually. This method is particularly helpful for users who have migrated to Windows 10 from an earlier version of Windows. Below are the simple steps to do it.
- Visit the printer manufactures official website and look for the latest driver version. For example, if your HP printer driver is unavailable, then go to HP’s official website and find the latest driver.
- Download the latest printer driver from the website and store it on your PC’s local storage.
- Temporarily disable the Internet connection and open Device Manager
- Expand the Printer queues segment and uninstall the problematic device.
- After uninstalling the device, right-click on the driver setup that you have downloaded from the hardware manufacturer’s website.
- Choose Properties from the menu that comes up on the screen
- On the Properties screen, choose the Compatibility tab
- Choose “Run this program in compatibility mode” from the drop-down menu and select a previous version of Windows
Once you have specified the previous Windows version, confirm the changes and run the installer to resolve the printer driver is an unavailable error. After the installation gets completed, restart your PC.
After trying this solution, you’ll no longer get the printer driver error is unavailable, especially if you have migrated to Windows 10 from the previous Windows version.
Also read: Fix HP Printer Driver Not Working in Windows 10,11
Solution 3: Update the Windows
Many times, you get the printer driver is an unavailable error because of the reason that your system has become outdated. The simplest solution to this problem is installing all the available Windows updates. Here’s how to install updates on Windows 10.
- Click on the Start icon and type Update in the search box, and then choose “Check for updates
- Select “Check for updates”
- Once you have clicked on “check for updates,” Windows automatically checks for and installs the available updates.
Solution 4: Update the Printer Driver
This is perhaps one of the easiest ways to get rid of the Windows 10 printer driver unavailable error. However, you can update the printer drivers using the Device Manager on your PC. But that process is a bit complicated and time-consuming. Hence, we would suggest updating the drivers using Bit Driver Updater without any hassles. Download it and leave the rest to it. Apart from resolving the printer driver is unavailable error, here’s what else it does for you.
- Automatically search for and install the driver updates to optimize the PC performance.
- Save your time, as you won’t be required to search for drivers on the hardware manufacturer’s website.
- Lets you update all the outdated, worn-out, and faulty drivers in a single click.
Therefore, download Bit Driver Updater to fix all printing and PC performance issues.
The printer driver is unavailable error had these Sure shot fixes. Please let us know in the comment section below whether these fixes work out for you or if the Windows 10 printer driver is unavailable error is still bothering you. Lastly, before you go, remember to sign up for our updates so you can stay up to date on all the latest developments in technology.
