How to Update Printer Drivers Manually in Windows 11 Device Manager

Open Device Manager in 🪟 Windows 11

Device Manager shows every piece of hardware Windows knows about, including printers. The right-click menu on the Start button is the fastest way to open it, and that menu is the same on Home and Pro.

1. Right-click the Start button in the bottom-left corner of your screen, or press the Win+X. A short menu of system tools appears.
2. Select Device Manager from the menu. The Device Manager window opens with a list of hardware categories.

If the menu does not show Device Manager, click Start, type Device Manager, and open the top result.

In the list, look for a category named Print queues. On some PCs you may also see Printers. Either one can hold your printer. If you see neither, make sure the printer is turned on and connected by USB or network. Wait a few seconds and look again.

Locate and Select Your Printer

You have to find your exact printer in the list before you can update its driver. Pick the entry carefully, because Print queues often contains several items.

1. Click the arrow next to Print queues to expand the list. The printers installed on this PC appear underneath.
2. Find your specific printer model in the expanded list. Ignore entries such as Microsoft Print to PDF or OneNote. These are built-in virtual printers, not physical hardware.
3. Right-click your printer name. A context menu🖱️ opens.
4. Select Update driver. The Update Drivers window opens and asks how you want to search for drivers.

Choose the Manual Update Method

The manual method lets you choose the driver yourself instead of letting Windows search online. You can pick a driver Windows already has stored, or point Windows to a driver you downloaded.

1. Click Browse my computer for drivers in the Update Drivers window. The other option, Search automatically for drivers, makes Windows look online instead.
2. Click Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer. Windows shows the drivers stored locally.

3. Check the box labeled Show compatible hardware to filter the list to drivers that fit your device. If you can’t find the right model with the box checked, uncheck it to see the full manufacturer list, but choose carefully.

If you downloaded a driver from the manufacturer’s site, click Have Disk on this screen, then Browse. Select the driver’s .inf file from the folder where you unzipped it. Windows then lists the models in that package.

Select and Install the Driver Package

Safety first. Before you replace the driver, create a restore point and note the current driver version. If the new driver fails, you then have a clear way back.

1. Click Start, type Create a restore point, and open the result. The System Properties window opens on the System Protection tab.
2. Select your Windows drive under Protection Settings. If protection shows as Off, click Configure, choose Turn on system protection, and click OK.
3. Click Create, type a name such as Before printer driver update, and click Create again. Wait for the message that the restore point was created, then click Close.

Next, write down the current driver details. In Device Manager, right-click the printer and choose Properties. If a Driver tab is shown, note the Driver Date and Driver Version.

Now install the new driver:

1. Choose your printer manufacturer from the list on the left.
2. Select the exact model from the list on the right.
3. Click Next to begin the installation. If Windows warns that the driver is not recommended or is unsigned, stop and confirm you chose the right file before continuing.
4. Wait while Windows applies the new software package. This usually takes under a minute.
5. Click Close when you see the message that Windows has successfully updated your drivers.

If the new driver causes problems, you can undo it. In Device Manager, right-click the printer, choose Properties, open the Driver tab if it is shown, and click Roll Back Driver. The button is greyed out when Windows has no earlier driver to go back to.

In that case, repeat these steps and choose the previous driver from the list, using the version you noted. If that fails too, open System Properties again, click System Restore on the System Protection tab, and choose the restore point you made.

What to do next

Restart your computer so Windows loads the new driver files cleanly. It also clears any print jobs stuck in the queue. After you sign back in, confirm that the printer works.

1. Open Settings and click Bluetooth🔷 & devices.
2. Select Printers & scanners.
3. Click your printer in the list, then click Printer settings.
4. Click Print a test page. The page should print without errors, and the paper trays and options should be available again.

If the test page fails, check that the printer is online and has paper. Then try the roll-back steps above or install the driver from the manufacturer’s website.

If the printer still misbehaves, remove it and add it again. This makes Windows set up the printer and its driver from scratch.

1. Go to Settings › Bluetooth🔷 & devices › Printers & scanners and click your printer.
2. Click Remove and confirm when Windows asks. The printer disappears from the list.
3. Click Add device and wait while Windows searches. When your printer appears, select it and let Windows finish installing💿 it.

If Windows does not find the printer, unplug the USB cable and plug it back in, or check that the printer is on the same network as your PC.