If It Prints, I'll Let You Know

Finally, you’ve bought that printer you wanted for so long. Not long after plugging it into your computer, though, you find yourself wanting to bash your printer to pieces because it’s not working. Before you do so, consider the possibilities as to why your printer is not working the way it should. Oftentimes, it all goes back to a process called printer setup.

Normally, operating systems such as Windows XP and Vista start printer installation automatically upon first connection. If your computer fails to recognize the printer, then you may have a problem with your USB connection. Make sure you are not using a USB hub to connect your printer to your PC, since most printers require a direct connection in order to work.

Even if you do manage to connect your printer in the right ports, it’s still just a bulky box without its corresponding printer drivers installed. Hence, installing your printer driver is next on the list of things to do in setting up your printer. Most brand-new printers have a driver installation disk prepackaged with each order, and all you really have to do is to follow the instructions. But if you reformatted your computer and realized that you lost the installation disk, don’t panic – manufacturers also provide a set of printer drivers for their products online.

Before downloading your drivers, however, make absolutely certain that your drivers are compatible with your current operating system. The common mistake of most Windows Vista users is that they download the drivers made for previous Windows operating systems. Since Vista runs on a completely new engine, some drivers may not work properly with it. Thus, printer manufacturers design separate Vista drivers ready for download and use.

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