It’s common knowledge that whenever you buy a modern printer, you need to download drivers on your computer that will allow the two devices to work with each other. Since the process can be a bit tricky for first-time users, HP has designed its products so that downloading or updating printer drivers is as easy as it gets.
If you don’t know how to perform the task, read on and find out!
What Is an HP Printer Driver?
A printer driver is a software designed to translate the actions you have input on your computer to your printer. Every printer is designed with unique software and hardware; therefore, each time you buy a new printer or want to update the software of the one you have, you will need to download new drivers.
For perspective, assume your printer can only understand instructions in French, yet your computer is designed to give instructions in English. The only way the two devices will be able to work together is if there is software in the middle that translates the computer’s language to your printer’s language, and that’s exactly what drivers are for.
Keeping the above scenario in mind, if your computer cannot detect your printer or if it’s not able to perform any tasks, it’s because the drivers installed on the computer are outdated or they are not properly installed.
How To Download HP Printer Drivers
If your printer is new and you are just setting it up to be compatible with your computer, it’s advisable to download the drivers straight from the HP website. This way, you are assured you are downloading the right things.
Please note that the procedures below can also apply to those who had already downloaded the drivers but got deleted due to a system failure, such as a corrupt BIOS system, virus attack, etc.
Method #1: By Visiting the Official HP Support Store
- Visit the HP customer support page and click on Drivers and Downloads, which should be on the taskbar. Alternatively, click this link and it will direct you to the page in question.
- Enter your printer product/model name in the provided search box and press Submit. If you don’t know your printer’s name, check the back casing of the device or the user manual to be sure.
- After a few seconds, a list of all the drivers compatible with your device will appear on display, starting from the most important ones. Assess the ones you deem necessary and click the Download icon at the left of each chosen option.
- Give the drivers ample time to download and click on the Download file to start the installation process.
- Follow the steps on your screen for the installation process. Most of the steps in question include you reading through several aspects of the terms and conditions and granting the printer access to your computer.
Once the driver is installed, you’ll be given an on-screen step-by-step guide to connect and start printing with your printer.
Method #2: Downloading Drivers on macOS
If you have a Mac computer, there is a slightly different procedure that you can use to connect a printer to your computer as well as download all the necessary drivers. To use this method, follow the steps below:
- Click the Apple logo, key in System Preferences, and click the search icon.
- Locate the Printers & scanners icon and click on it.
- Make sure the printer is on and connected to the same Wi-Fi as your computer. If so, you should be able to see it in the printer and scanner list.
- Click on your printer from the list, and some details, such as the model of the printer, will appear on the right-side panel.
- Click the Plus sign icon near the screen’s bottom right and accept the Add scanner & printer prompt.
- Once it’s added, click on your Printer name to open.
- Tap on the Use icon to reveal a drop-down menu, and click on Select Software.
- Click on the Add icon on the bottom left of the screen.
- Click on Printer software installed on your Mac or downloaded from Apple.
- Click on Download available printer software, and you can now follow the instructions on your screen to complete the process.
Method #3: Using a CD-ROM Card
Though rare, some printers come with many CDs to help you set up. This feature is mostly seen in old printers despite being relatively easy to use. For that reason, if your printer came with such a disc and your computer has a disc space, follow the steps below:
- Open the CD slot in your computer and ensure it’s well-fitted before you close.
- Your computer should automatically recognize the CD slot; if so, click Open this device.
- Navigate to the Drivers option and click on it.
- Find the necessary drivers and click Download.
- The drivers will take some time to download from the CD to your computer. When the process is complete, open the Downloads folder and follow the steps on the screen to complete the installation process.
How to Update HP Printer Drivers
Like any other worthy software, the HP printer drivers constantly receive updates to incorporate new features and fix bugs or errors. Therefore, you should update your drivers regularly. Failure to which your drivers will start malfunctioning or even stop responding.
There are three ways to go about the task at hand. Find whatever works for you below and follow the steps.
Method #1: Updating Driver Through the Device Manager
- Click on the Windows icon located on your Taskbar.
- Type in Device manager on the search bar and click the search icon.
- Scan the list till you find the printer in question, and click on it to open.
- Right-click and Select Update driver or Update driver software.
- You will have the option of either manually searching for the drivers on your computer or letting Windows automatically search for you. Click on the latter.
- If there is an update, Windows will automatically install and update the current version.
- Restart your computer so that the new changes can come into effect.
Method #2: Updating Drivers Through Windows Update Checker
- Click on the Windows icon on your keyboard.
- Once it opens, type in Check for updates on the search bar and press Enter.
- Assuming your computer is connected to the internet, you will receive a list of all the available updates for the different software running on the computer.
- If any Printer drivers have an update, click on them to download. Alternatively, you could click Download now so that every available update is installed.
- Depending on your internet speed, give the process a few minutes to finish downloading, and the computer will automatically install the updates for you. Another reason why using this method is really good is because the old version of the driver will be automatically saved as a backup just in case the new version has some undiscovered issues.
Method #3: Updating Drives Through the Main HP Site
- Key in the HP support assistant on your preferred browser and click on the Search icon.
- Click on Software and Drivers.
- You will be required to input your printer’s name in the box provided. If you don’t know the printer name, check the back casing of the printer body or the user manual.
- Once you input the necessary details, click Submit, and all the drivers that are compatible with your device will come on display.
- If you have ever logged into your HP account, you can press the Update icon next to the drivers that need an update.
- After the updates are downloaded, click on the download bar and click Install.
Why Are My Printer Drivers Not Working?
As previously mentioned, drivers act as the link between your computer’s software and the printer. Therefore, if your printer won’t respond to your prompts or cannot be detected by your computer, chances are there is a problem with your printer drivers.
The problem could either be that your BIOS (Basic input/output system) has crashed or that your drivers are infected by malware.
To know whether the drivers have been infected by malware, follow the steps below:
- Click on the Windows icon.
- Type in Settings on the search bar.
- Type in Virus & Threat protection and click on it.
- Tap on Scan Options and select Windows Defender Offline scan.
- Click on Scan now and give the process about 15-20 minutes.
- When the process is done, your PC will automatically restart.
- Repeat the first three steps.
- Click on Protection history.
- At this point, your PC will have scanned for any malware and alerted you of what to do next. However, sometimes, the issue is dealt with automatically.
Steps To Take To Protect Your Printer Drivers
When buying an HP printer, chances are you are chasing quality which brings forth convenience. However, if the drivers keep glitching, then you will still be on the disadvantaged side. To avoid such a situation, apply the tips below:
Only Download Drivers From the Official HP Site
While several third-party sites offer quality HP drivers for download, only consider downloading the drivers from the official HP site. This is because some third-party site developers may include viruses and malware in the download link, corrupting your computer and even its other drivers.
Download a Firewall
Considering you are bound to download many things from the internet, you won’t always know whether or not they are malware and virus free. So, to protect your computer and the downloaded drivers, ensure you download a proper Firewall that will constantly let you know of any threats and corrupt files.
Download HPJETADVANTAGE
HP JETADVANTAGE is a great and secure software that prevents unauthorized access to your computer’s components through shared network connections such as the one connecting your computer to the printer. As you may know, wireless connections are privy to cyber-criminal attacks, thus needing extra security.
Change the Printer’s Security Settings
Immediately after buying the printer, change the printer name and security logins. Cybercriminals may take advantage of the fact that the printer’s security details are easy to find out from the HP database. If they find the printer’s security logins, they may use the information to spread malware to devices connected to the printer.
Conclusion
Whenever you buy a new printer or need to update the software in the old one, you will need to download new drivers or update the ones you have. Luckily, the team at HP made the process as simple as possible, meaning anyone can hack it. The above article contains all the procedures you can follow to accomplish the task with minimal effort.
FAQS
Would I need to download and install drivers into my smartphone or tablet if I want documents to be printed straight from my phone to my HP printer?
No, you won’t. Instead, you will need to download the HP Smart app on a compatible Android or iOS device and then connect your device to the printer.
Are the HP printer drivers free to download?
Yes, they are. If the site you are trying to download it from is asking for payment, that’s a sign that you are dealing with cybercriminals.
Why did my computer instantly get an HP printer assistant feature even though I didn’t download it?
Suppose your HP printer was released after the year 2010. In that case, when you download any HP printer driver, the HP printer assistant will download as a bonus to make the user experience better/easier.
Is it advisable to use a third-party app to scan my computer for drivers that need to be updated or downloaded?
Yes, it is. If you have no computer skills or don’t have the time to go through the process of downloading and installing printer drivers, you can download a third-party app developed for that exact purpose.
