How Do I Install Or Add a Computer Printer?

Although there are many brands and kinds of printers, the process of installing or adding a printer to your computer is basically the same. The first thing is connect the printer to the computer. Most modern printers can be connected to the computer through a cable that is plugged into the USB port. Be sure that you have the drivers installed first before you connect the printer otherwise it will not be detected by your computer. Printers come with an installation CD that contains the printer drivers and other software need by your computer to communicate with the printer. It is very easy to install the drivers and other software, just follow the installation prompts.

If there is no installation CD that comes with the printer, try to plug the printer's USB cable to your computer's USB port and see if it triggers the Add New Hardware Wizard. When the New Hardware Wizard is running, click on "Next" and choose "Search for the best driver for this device". Your computer will search for drivers in your computer that is compatible with the printer. The computer will also search the internet (if you are connected) for the proper drivers if there are no available drivers in your computer. You can also go to the website of the company that manufactured your printer and see if they have a downloadable driver for the model of printer that you have.

After installing the printer and the driver you can then see the icon name of your printer in the dialog box that comes up if you go to Start>Printers and Faxes.