First of all, printer drivers are the piece of software that works as the translator between the printer and the Operating system. These drivers are essential for the error-free printing experience. Expired or Corrupted Printer drivers often cause HP Printer drivers Unavailable issues with HP users.
Majority of the HP printer users are encountered with printer drivers which is an unavailable error. Here, we are trying to find the reason why my printer says drivers are unavailable. Also, from this, we guide the users in solving the printer driver’s unavailable error.
In This Article
You might be facing this issue of HP printers randomly stopping in the middle of an essential job. Everything looks good from the system’s end but the printer seems to be not communicating at all. If you give a command to print and it is not working or responding, so far, in your favor. The main reasons for HP printer drivers are unavailable are mentioned below:-
- The printer drivers are out of date.
- Also, these are missing
- Moreover, printer drivers are not recognized by the system.
- Incompatible Printer Drivers.
- An operating system is not updated.
It’s easy to fix HP printer drivers that are not available for errors. Users can follow the solutions given in this content to solve the HP printer drivers unavailable problem.
Reinstall your Printer driver
In case your HP printer driver is unavailable then chances are your drivers are corrupt. The thing you need to do is uninstall the current one and reinstall the recent version, which you can get from the HP support site free of cost. Here we have drafted several steps that will help you reinstall the drivers on your system if your HP printer shows the driver is unavailable. Below are the steps:-
- Firstly, press the Windows and R keys together to open the Run dialog box.
- Then, type devmgmt.msc and press enter to open the Device Manager on the system.
- After that, from the list of options choose Print Queue that has been mentioning the HP printer model.
- Find your HP printer model and right-click to Uninstall.
- Next, download the most recent version of the HP printer driver in your system and go to install it.
- In case you find it difficult to install the latest version of the drivers, click on the start button and type Update in the search box.
- In the following window, it will give a range of options regarding the update related to Windows or device drivers.
- Choose Check for updates from the list of options available.
- There you will see an update available for your HP printer’s driver. When you click on that, the windows will begin the update process as you will see all the on-screen instructions running by the screen.
- Once this process is finished, reboot your computer and try the printing task again.
These issues can arise on any HP model. For example, if your HP Envy 4520 printer driver is unavailable, you need to follow the same steps as mentioned above. But, if you continue to experience the same issue, then you can try the next method.
Update Drivers & Windows
The other resolution to the driver that is unavailable on the HP printer issue is Windows updates that we normally skip at times. T
his builds bugs, mainly in the printer driver, but makes it incompatible with your operating system. When you assign any print job, this troubles your printer with the driver being unavailable for HP printers on Windows 10.
You can manually update your system’s operating system by following these steps:-
- Firstly, press the Window button on your keyboard. You will see the Start screen.
- Click on the browser icon. Write Update in the field box and press enter.
- Followingly, a new window pops up that contains a list of pending updates available on the system that you may have skipped.
- Then, click Check for Update and it will take you to the PC settings window.
- In the Windows Update section, it shows pending updates, if any.
- After that, click on the update button to install the most recent update.
- When it is complete, restart your system to resume the printing task.
Check the Connection
First of all, make certain that your printer is appropriately connected to the computer. Pull out all cords and make sure they are all firmly inserted. Ensure that your printer connects to the same network as your computer if it is a wireless connection.
Restart the Printer and Computer
At times, the driver problems may be easily fixed by simply restarting the device. Switch off your printer and computer, wait for a few minutes, and then turn them on again. This can reboot the system and remove any current temporary glitches.
Update the Printer Driver
“HP Printer Driver is Unavailable” is usually a result of out-of-date printer drivers. To update the driver, follow these steps:
- Open the start menu, and type “device manager” on the search bar. Choose the Device Manager alternative that pops up.
- Open the “Print Queues” section on the Device Manager window.
- Open the device manager and right-click on HP printer, select “Update driver”..”
- In the driver setup window, check the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option. Thereafter, Windows will conduct a driver update for you and install the one that is up-to-date for your printer.
Reinstall the Printer Driver
However, if updating the driver still fails to solve the problem, perhaps, it is time to uninstall and then reinstall the printer driver. To do this, follow these steps:
- Type “Control Panel” in the Start menu’s search field. Select the Control Panel option that will be displayed.
- Navigate to Devices and Printers on the control panel.
- Click on “Remove device” or “delete”.
- Remove your printer from the computer.
- Go to HP’s homepage and obtain the most recent printer-driver software to install on your machine.
- Use the step-by-step guidelines provided on the screen to install the driver software.
- After installation is made, plug in a printer and monitor if there are no more errors.
Run the Windows Troubleshooter
Windows comes with a troubleshooter, which can be used to recognize and rectify printer issues. To run the troubleshooter, follow these steps:
- Go to settings on the Start menu.
- Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
- Find and fix other problems – Click “Printer” at the bottom of the section. #
- Click on “troubleshoot the computer” and follow these instructions.
- The troubleshooting will look out for any problems and try to resolve them automatically.
Temporarily Disable your Anti-virus and Firewall
In some instances, the anti-virus or firewall software may prevent the printer driver installation. Turn off temporarily your anti-virus and firewall software, then try installing the printer drivers again. Make sure you turn them back on after installing the driver.
Step 7: Contact HP Support
In case any of the above did not help with the “HP printer driver is unavailable,” calling the HP support team will be necessary. They can give you step-by-step procedures on how to troubleshoot the problem or walk you through the process of solving it.
Therefore, HP Printer driver is unavailable problem can be very frustrating however, if you follow the steps as discussed in this guide, the issue should be solved.
Ensure that you confirm the connection, update, reinstall the driver, run the Windows troubleshooter, and temporarily disable the anti-virus and firewall if required. Contact HP support in case this does not work.