Printer driver is unavailable in Windows 11: how to fix it

Applies to: Windows 11 PCs with a USB, Wi-Fi or network printer that shows Driver is unavailable in Settings. Windows 10 uses the same driver steps, but its Settings pages are laid out differently.

Microsoft’s printer pages don’t define this exact status, so treat the explanation above as the usual cause rather than the only one. It’s a different problem from a printer that shows Offline: an offline printer has a driver but Windows can’t reach the device, which our printer offline guide covers. If your printer shows both, fix the driver first, because a printer without a working driver can’t come online.

Match your symptom

What you see	Likely cause	Start with
Driver is unavailable right after a Windows update	Driver replaced or no longer matched to the new build	Fix 1, Fix 3, Fix 7
Status returns every time you re-add the printer	Old driver package still in the driver store	Fix 6, then Fix 4
New PC or a fresh Windows install	Windows found the printer but no driver for it	Fix 3, Fix 5
Copilot+ or other Arm-based PC	Maker’s installer doesn’t support Arm	Quick checks, Fix 4
Printer disappeared or changed name after a Settings change	Windows protected print mode turned on	Protected print mode section
Printer added again but now uses a Microsoft driver	IPP class driver chosen by Windows	Protected print mode section
Jobs fail with a print processor error instead	Missing or broken print processor	Print processor guide

Quick checks

• Restart both devices. Microsoft’s driver compatibility page suggests turning the printer off for about 10 seconds, restarting the PC, then turning the printer back on. A driver that failed to load at startup sometimes loads fine on the next try.
• Know your Windows version. Open Start > Settings > System > About and note the edition, version and system type (64-bit or Arm-based). You’ll need these to pick the right driver later.
• Arm-based PCs. If System type says ARM-based processor, Microsoft advises adding the printer with Add device in Printers & scanners rather than running the maker’s installer, unless the maker says otherwise. Many older installers are built for x64 PCs only.
• Admin rights. Installing or removing printer drivers needs an administrator account. On a work PC, drivers may be managed by IT.

Fix 1: Run the printer troubleshooter

On Windows 11, Microsoft’s first step for printer problems is the automated printer troubleshooter in the Get Help app. Open aka.ms/PrinterConnection in a browser to launch it, or open Get Help from Start and search for printer problems. Follow the prompts and let it apply any fix it suggests.

The troubleshooter checks common causes such as the spooler and the connection. It may not repair a damaged driver on its own, so if the status hasn’t changed, continue with the driver fixes below.

Fix 2: Update the driver from the printer’s page

Windows 11 can look for a newer driver directly from the printer’s settings page:

1. Go to Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners and select the printer showing Driver is unavailable.
2. Select Manage if Windows shows it, then Update driver and follow the prompts.
3. Print a test page from the same page once the status clears.

Some builds don’t show every option for a printer in this state. If the buttons are missing, go straight to Fix 3.

Fix 3: Check Windows Update and optional driver updates

Microsoft recommends Windows Update as the main source for printer drivers. Many printer drivers don’t install with the normal monthly updates; they’re offered as optional updates that you have to pick yourself.

1. Open Start > Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates. Install what’s offered.
2. Go to Windows Update > Advanced options and turn on Receive updates for other Microsoft products.
3. Under Additional options, select Optional updates. If a driver for your printer is listed, tick it and select Download and install.
4. Restart the PC afterwards, even if Windows doesn’t ask you to.

If Windows Update won’t check or install anything, our guide on how to force Windows Update to check and install updates helps. No printer driver offered? That’s increasingly normal, for reasons explained in the protected print mode section, so move on to the next fix.

Fix 4: Remove the printer and add it again

Removing the printer throws away the broken printer entry, and adding it again makes Windows pick a driver from scratch. Microsoft lists this in both its driver and its connection troubleshooting pages.

1. In Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, select the printer, choose Remove and confirm.
2. Restart the PC. This lets Windows release the old driver files.
3. Turn the printer on and connect it (plug in the USB cable, or make sure it’s on the same network as the PC).
4. Back in Printers & scanners, select Add device next to Add a printer or scanner. When your printer appears, select Add device for it.
5. If it isn’t found, select Add manually. For a USB printer, choose Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings, pick the existing port, and select Windows Update to load the latest driver list (this can take a few minutes) before choosing the maker and model.

If Windows asks whether to keep the driver that’s already installed, Microsoft says to usually choose Replace the current driver. Keeping it would reuse the same driver that failed. For a printer shared from another PC, the host needs the right driver too; see printer sharing in Windows 11 and 10.

Fix 5: Install the printer maker’s driver

When Windows can’t supply a driver, the maker’s own package is the next stop. Get it only from the maker’s official support site, not from driver download or driver updater sites.

1. Find the exact model number, usually on a label on the printer.
2. On the maker’s site, open the Support or Drivers section and search for that model.
3. Pick the download for your Windows version and system type. Microsoft advises against drivers made for older or unsupported Windows versions unless nothing newer exists.
4. Run the downloaded file, follow the prompts (they often include connecting the printer at the right moment) and restart if asked.

Many makers offer a full software package and a smaller basic driver. The full package adds scan and maintenance tools; the basic driver is often enough to clear the status. For two common HP models, see our HP Envy 4500 driver guide and HP OfficeJet Pro 8600 driver guide. Disc software that came with the printer still works in principle, but Microsoft notes it may be out of date.

Fix 6: Delete the old driver package

If the status returns every time you re-add the printer, Windows is probably reusing a damaged driver that’s still stored on the PC. Removing the printer doesn’t remove its driver. You can delete the driver itself from Print server properties, a classic dialog that Microsoft’s driver page also uses for adding drivers.

Before you start: a driver package can be shared by several printers. Removing it breaks every printer that uses it until you reinstall a driver, so note which printers you have first. You need administrator rights.

1. In Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, remove the affected printer (and any duplicate copies of it), then restart the PC.
2. Back in Printers & scanners, scroll to Related settings and select Print server properties.
3. Open the Drivers tab. If the buttons are greyed out, select Change Driver Settings first, if shown.
4. Select the driver for your printer under Installed printer drivers, then select Remove.
5. Choose Remove driver and driver package and confirm. If Windows says the driver is in use, a printer still uses it; remove that printer or restart the Print Spooler service and try again.
6. Restart, then add the printer again as in Fix 4 or install the maker’s driver as in Fix 5.

The dialog’s exact wording can differ slightly between Windows versions. On Pro, Enterprise and Education editions, the Print Management console (printmanagement.msc) shows the same drivers under Print Servers and can remove driver packages too; Home editions don’t include it.

Need to add a driver without adding a printer, for an older model? Microsoft’s last-resort option is the Add… button on the same Drivers tab. It opens the Add Printer Driver Wizard, where selecting Windows Update downloads the full driver list so you can choose the maker and model.

Fix 7: Roll back the driver

If the printer worked until a recent driver update, going back to the previous driver is quicker than a full reinstall.

1. Select Start, type Device Manager and open it.
2. Expand Printers or Print queues and right-click your printer.
3. Select Properties, open the Driver tab and choose Roll Back Driver. If it’s greyed out, there’s no earlier driver saved, so use Fix 5 or Fix 6 instead.
4. Restart the PC and try printing.

A stuck spooler can also stop a driver from loading. If printing still fails, clear and restart the Print Spooler with the steps in our printer offline guide.

Protected print mode and the IPP class driver

Two recent Microsoft changes affect which driver your printer ends up with. Neither is listed by Microsoft as a cause of Driver is unavailable, but both explain why a printer may vanish or come back with a different driver.

Windows protected print mode

Windows protected print mode (WPP) makes Windows use only its own print support, called Windows Ready Print, and is designed for Mopria-certified printers. When you turn it on, printers that rely on third-party drivers are uninstalled and those drivers are deleted from the driver store. Mopria-certified printers can be added again and then use Windows Ready Print; others can’t be used while WPP is on.

Check Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, under Printer preferences. If Windows protected print mode is on and you need your maker’s driver, select Turn off, then Yes, and add the printer again. If WPP was set by group policy on a work PC, you can’t turn it off yourself; ask your administrator.

The IPP class driver and the end of new maker drivers

Microsoft’s end of servicing plan for third-party printer drivers says that since January 15, 2026, no new printer drivers are published to Windows Update for Windows 11, and since July 1, 2026, Windows ranks its built-in Microsoft IPP Class Driver above maker drivers. That driver works with Mopria-compliant printers over the network and USB without any maker software.

So on a newer printer, re-adding it may give you a Microsoft driver instead of the maker’s one. That’s expected and normally prints fine, though some maker-specific features can be missing. Microsoft says makers can still offer their drivers as separate installation packages and that existing drivers can still be installed, so Fix 5 remains the route for older printers that aren’t Mopria-certified.

Known issues in 2026

Microsoft’s Windows 11, version 25H2 known issues and notifications page, last updated on November 5, 2026, lists no printing, print driver or spooler issue when this guide was checked on November 8, 2026. Its open and recent entries cover Remote Desktop, a black screen after sign-in, AC-3 audio, domain trust and USB audio devices, none of which affect printer drivers.

Known issues change, so check the release health page again if the status appeared straight after an update. For a problem nothing here fixes, Microsoft points people to the Feedback Hub app and the Microsoft Support Community, and the printer maker’s support team can confirm whether your model has a current Windows 11 driver.

Related guides

• Printer offline in Windows 11: how to get it back online
• The Print Processor Does Not Exist: How to Fix It
• Printer sharing in Windows 11 and 10: how to share a printer on your network
• How to force Windows Update to check and install updates
• Print Spooler keeps stopping in Windows 11: how to fix it

Official sources

• Microsoft: Fix printer connection and printing problems in Windows
• Microsoft: Download and install the latest printer drivers
• Microsoft Learn: Windows protected print mode