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Setting up a printer in Windows XP

A step-by-step guide to getting your printer working in Windows XP. (Updated October 2002)

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follow the wizard

when the wizard won't work

 

Printers used to be the bugbear of computer users. They were difficult to set up and ornery in operation. That's no longer the case and it's likely you'll have no problems getting your printer up and running. This is particularly the case if your printer comes packaged with your computer system or if you stick to well-known brands such as Hewlett-Packard, Epson, Lexmark and Canon.

Connecting a printer involves four steps:

1. Unpacking your printer, removing any packaging material and installing the ink or toner cartridge. Refer to your printer's instructions to guide you.
2. Connecting the printer cable to the printer and to the back of your computer.
3. Connecting the printer's power cord to a power outlet.
4. Installing the printer driver and any additional software. The printer driver is a piece of software that tells your computer how to interact with your printer. 

If your printer comes as part of your system, you may find that its driver is already installed. In that case, all you'll need to do is unpack it, connect the printer cable and power cord and switch on your computer.

geekgirl.tip: Get a cable

One word of warning: Make sure you purchase a printer cable! Often, this is not included in your computer system, despite it being an essential item. You'll need the correct type of cable for your printer: If it's a USB-enabled printer, you need a USB cable (note, the new USB 2 cables work with older USB 1 printers, too; so if in doubt, get a USB 2 cable); if it's a parallel printer, you'll need a parallel cable. Make sure you get a cable long enough to reach easily from your printer to your computer. However, you should avoid cables longer than 10', because long cables can cause problems with communication between printer and computer. Try to position your printer so a 6' (or shorter) cable can make the connection.

Follow the wizard

If your printer's software has not been pre-installed, read any installation instructions that accompany your printer and follow those instructions. If no instructions are provided, follow this procedure:

(Note: This procedure applies to printers which use a parallel connection. If your printer uses a USB connection, you should connect it while Windows is running and it will be recognised.)

1. Make sure you have your original Windows CD-ROM handy. You may need it.
2. Switch the computer off.
3. Connect the parallel printer cable to your computer.
4. Connect the printer's power cord to a power outlet.
5. Switch on the printer and the computer.
6. In most cases, Windows will detect that you've attached a new hardware device and it will launch the Add Hardware Wizard and attempt to search for the appropriate software. If the wizard doesn't launch and Windows appears to ignore your printer, you can launch the Add Printer wizard yourself by clicking the Start button, selecting Control Panel, clicking Printers And Other Hardware, and then clicking Add Printer.
7. If the printer is directly connected to your computer, select the Local Printer Attached To This Computer option. If you will be connecting to the printer via a network connection, select the Network Printer option, then click Next.
8. The wizard will first try to search for any Plug and Play devices (these are components that should, by rights, automatically notify Windows when they're first connected). If the wizard discovers your printer, it will display further instructions to complete the installation. You may need to restart your system to finish.

geekgirl.tip: Update your drivers

Often by the time you buy a printer its drivers are out of date. Before you install the printer, visit the manufacturer's Web site and check to see if there are more recent drivers available for download. Up to date drivers are especially important if you're installing on the latest operating system or if you've been experiencing problems with the original, supplied drivers. A 'driver', by the way, is simply a piece of software which tells the operating system how to work efficiently with a particular device - in this case, a printer.

When the wizard won't work

If the wizard doesn't detect your printer successfully, you can install the printer yourself using the Add Printer Wizard.

1. When the Wizard checks for Plug and Play printers and fails to find one (step 8 above) it will let you add a printer manually. Click Next to do so.
2. You'll be asked for the printer's port. If you have a single parallel connector on your computer, the printer's port is LPT1 (it stands for line printer 1). Select that and click Next.
3. You'll then be asked to select the printer's manufacturer and model from a list. Select your printer's Manufacturer then scroll through the list of Printers and select yours from the list. Click Next and follow the prompts.
4. If your printer is not listed but it came supplied with an installation disk, insert the disk in the drive and click Have Disk. From the Copy Manufacturer's Files From list, click the location of the disk you inserted (if it's a floppy disk, it will be the A: drive; if it's on a CD it will most likely be the D: or E: drives) and click OK. Windows will search the disk for drivers and display a list of matches. Choose the one which most closely matches your printer and then follow the prompts to install the driver.
5. In the final dialog, select Yes to have Windows print a test page to ensure your printer is working correctly, and then click Finish.

geekgirl.tip: Parallel or USB?

Many printers come with both parallel and USB connections. It's usually easiest if you can use the USB connector, but if you encounter any problems with a USB connection, uninstall your printer and remove any drivers, then do a reinstallation following the instructions for a parallel connection. I've noticed that Hewlett-Packard printers in particular can cause problems with USB connections.

© 2002,  Rose Vines