- There are not a few users who say that they have had problems with their printer after upgrading to Windows 11, warning that the computer is not able to recognize an essential peripheral of every PC
- These inconveniences are frequent in every big Windows update and, luckily, we already know what are the tricks that allow us to get rid of them in just minutes
No matter how much trouble you’ve gone through to prepare your PC to install Windows 11, there’s bound to be something wrong. After all, it’s about a revamp of the operating environment of most of the world’s computers, and that means there can be bugs. For example, If you have just updated the operating system of your computer, and you can no longer print, we will show you what to do if Windows 11 does not detect the printer.
And never mind that Microsoft has promised it would be a step forward in terms of fluidity, and has so far only partially delivered. The fact is that these problems exist, and it is better to learn how to act when they are detected.
In any case, it is clear that if you have come this far, it is because Windows 11 cannot find that printer that you have connected, which could be a great inconvenience in terms of productivity.
First of all, let us tell you that you shouldn’t take it easy on your printer and, secondly, that we will see several interesting tricks that will mean that, at the end of the last one, you will probably be able to print as usual.
Tricks if Windows 11 does not detect your printer
Check Windows Updates
The first thing you always have to do in these cases is to check the pending Windows updates. Considering that the problem has to do with an update made, another pending one can fix it.
In fact, most users report that the issue arose after they upgraded to the build codenamed KB5006746so it would not be surprising if a following one solves it.
Even Microsoft has confirmed to be aware of this obstacle, so by the time you read this article, there will surely already be solutions launched by Redmond’s own firm to detect your printer.
Pressing Win + I, in Updates, you can see if there are any that you should install.
Check the drivers
Checking the drivers or controllers is another of the basics when the peripherals do not respond to the demand. You have to see there are no updates that were forgotten or are newly released, just like with the OS.
- Launch the Desktop Search Bar, by pressing Win + C
- Type Device Manager in that box
- Now start Device Manager
- Within this new section, you will notice that there is a list of all the hardware of your PC
- Expand in particular the printers section, by clicking on it
- Then expand the drivers section, and wait until the update pending message appears
If it does not appear, that means that all drivers are up to dateso that’s not the problem.
Disable Windows Firewall
The internal Windows firewall, or firewall as it is also known, can mess up the timing between the software on your computer and the printer, because it thinks there is a security risk.
Just like antivirus, sometimes it kicks in and does its thing when it doesn’t really need to. The interesting thing is that you can disable Windows Firewall in a second, to stop it.
- Launch the Desktop Search Bar, by pressing Win + C
- Type Windows Defender Firewall in that box
- Go to the first result, which is the important one
- In the left panel menu of the firewall, click Enable or Disable
- Do the same later in the Public Network and Private Network Settings
- Finally, click OK to save the changes
Once you’re done with those steps, try again to print some document without the Firewall.
Run the troubleshooter
Like its predecessors, Windows 11 also comes with a built-in troubleshooting utility. which helps to fix subtle glitches and errors. You can take advantage of it when a peripheral does not respond.
- Launch the Desktop Search Bar, by pressing Win + C
- Type Solve other problems in that box
- Search the specific feature for printer-associated issues
- Run that specific troubleshooter by starting click on it
- Give it a couple of minutes to detect the lock, and remove it
Conclusions
In conclusion, we can say that many of the corrections to this problem that we have just pointed out could be of help to most users, solving their errors or errors with the printer.
As almost always you have to identify the root of the problem to finally be able to act on it.
Have you been able to get rid of Windows not detecting printer bug or error with this trick?
