8.1 cant see wireless printer
- Thread starter dave01
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Did you install all the necessary Software and Drivers for the Printer on your Laptop ?
My Canon Printer's were automatically found when installing all the necessary Software and Driver's and I assume it should be the same with an Epson.
Is your Printer setup / connected via WiFi to your Router ?
My Canon Printer's were automatically found when installing all the necessary Software and Driver's and I assume it should be the same with an Epson.
Is your Printer setup / connected via WiFi to your Router ?
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No, you have to install the drivers for some printers to be detected. Windows 8 is not rubbish, compared to 7. Epson is one of those companies that you have to install the drivers, before the printer can be detected, or connect via USB to have the computer detect the printer.
In order for Wifi to work. The printer has to be set up with the Wireless Access Point.
Personally I really wish that people would quit blaming Windows. Just because the end user does not want to follow manufacturer instructions for a product.
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Yeah, Windows-8 / 8.1 is not rubbish and even that Windows-7 is / was quite good, Windows-8 / 8.1 is much better / faster in a lot of things.
Plenty users sadly judge an OS solely by the look of an UI and completely ignore what's going on under the hood.
Plenty users sadly judge an OS solely by the look of an UI and completely ignore what's going on under the hood.
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Never seen any OS that wouldn't detect a WiFi if it's turned on, in range and everything working, might not recognize device but signal must be there.
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Yeah, but you still have to setup the printer directly on the printer, like the WiFi-Settings, Wireless-Key etc.pp. and then the Driver / Software is able to find it and install it.
The printer finds in my case my router (and surrounding wireless networks) via WiFi and asks me to which one I want to connect the printer.
In the next step I have to enter my WiFi-Key of the router to be able to connect to the router and then I install the driver's / software of the printer locally, where I get asked if I connect to the printer via USB or WiFi and after scanning for any WiFi-Printer's, the printer comes up and is usable afterwards.
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Definitely, WiFi has to be on, should send SSID and other side has to be on, detect it and than drivers can be installed. On the other hand installing drivers before trying to connect to device might help, had to do it like that for my new phone.
Yeah, but you still have to setup the printer directly on the printer, like the WiFi-Settings, Wireless-Key etc.pp. and then the Driver / Software is able to find it and install it.
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- Wynnum Australia
Definitely, WiFi has to be on, should send SSID and other side has to be on, detect it and than drivers can be installed. On the other hand installing drivers before trying to connect to device might help, had to do it like that for my new phone.
Yeah, but you still have to setup the printer directly on the printer, like the WiFi-Settings, Wireless-Key etc.pp. and then the Driver / Software is able to find it and install it.
I can only speak for Canon Printers in that case, because I didn't use any other wireless Printer's yet.
The way above worked so far on our Surface-3-Pro, Windows-7 / 8 / 8.1 - Desktop-PC's and some Windows-7 / 8 / 8.1 - Laptop's.
I never tried to install a printer on our Lumia 920's and I'm not even sure if it's possible.
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Yeah, but you still have to setup the printer directly on the printer, like the WiFi-Settings, Wireless-Key etc.pp. and then the Driver / Software is able to find it and install it.
The printer finds in my case my router (and surrounding wireless networks) via WiFi and asks me to which one I want to connect the printer.
In the next step I have to enter my WiFi-Key of the router to be able to connect to the router and then I install the driver's / software of the printer locally, where I get asked if I connect to the printer via USB or WiFi and after scanning for any WiFi-Printer's, the printer comes up and is usable afterwards.
That's the way I setup my HP wireless printer under Windows 7. On a reinstall of Windows 7 I had to install the drivers and software for it to work. It's a different story in Windows 8 though. No drivers needed at all. The printer is detected and installed in the background without me having to do anything. That's with the printer already setup to use my WIFI though.
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- Wynnum Australia
Yeah, but you still have to setup the printer directly on the printer, like the WiFi-Settings, Wireless-Key etc.pp. and then the Driver / Software is able to find it and install it.
The printer finds in my case my router (and surrounding wireless networks) via WiFi and asks me to which one I want to connect the printer.
In the next step I have to enter my WiFi-Key of the router to be able to connect to the router and then I install the driver's / software of the printer locally, where I get asked if I connect to the printer via USB or WiFi and after scanning for any WiFi-Printer's, the printer comes up and is usable afterwards.
That's the way I setup my HP wireless printer under Windows 7. On a reinstall of Windows 7 I had to install the drivers and software for it to work. It's a different story in Windows 8 though. No drivers needed at all. The printer is detected and installed in the background without me having to do anything. That's with the printer already setup to use my WIFI though.
Do you get that way all functions or only basic printing ?
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Drivers for any HW are needed weather you install them yourself or let Windows find them automatically. I got some really old printers working by installing drivers thru "Devices and Printers" in control panel. > Ad a Printer > The printer that I want isn't listed > select the way printer is connected, I went for "Local Printer" because they were HP Laserjet 4 and 1300, and windows downloaded thru internet a list of printers with drivers needed for them. They both work just fine but are just pretty basic ones without many custom modes.
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Ok, I thought so.
It would still help the OP, as the printer would at least show-up.
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- Belgrade , Serbia
Ok, I thought so.
It would still help the OP, as the printer would at least show-up.
Just like if it was a wired connection, system has to see a device, connect to it and read it's BIOS and firmware if it's plug and play device. That's his first problem that has to be addressed before anything works. So, this has more to do with WiFi problem than printer itself. If it has a wired USB connection I would make it work like that first, switching to WiFi would be easier than.
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- 6,442
- Location
- Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
Yeah, but you still have to setup the printer directly on the printer, like the WiFi-Settings, Wireless-Key etc.pp. and then the Driver / Software is able to find it and install it.
The printer finds in my case my router (and surrounding wireless networks) via WiFi and asks me to which one I want to connect the printer.
In the next step I have to enter my WiFi-Key of the router to be able to connect to the router and then I install the driver's / software of the printer locally, where I get asked if I connect to the printer via USB or WiFi and after scanning for any WiFi-Printer's, the printer comes up and is usable afterwards.
That's the way I setup my HP wireless printer under Windows 7. On a reinstall of Windows 7 I had to install the drivers and software for it to work. It's a different story in Windows 8 though. No drivers needed at all. The printer is detected and installed in the background without me having to do anything. That's with the printer already setup to use my WIFI though.
Do you get that way all functions or only basic printing ?
It's just a mono laser printer so as far as I know all functions work. My HP All in One installs automatically too, once I turn it on. It's USB. I can scan and print to it no problem from Windows. The photo copier function works too. There are one or two buttons on it that don't do anything without the HP software though. That doesn't bother me enough to make me install the software though. I don't lose any functionality, they are just convenience buttons. I could likely get them working by playing around with the all in ones settings but haven't bothered.
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- Wynnum Australia
It's just a mono laser printer so as far as I know all functions work. My HP All in One installs automatically too, once I turn it on. It's USB. I can scan and print to it no problem from Windows. The photo copier function works too. There are one or two buttons on it that don't do anything without the HP software though. That doesn't bother me enough to make me install the software though. I don't lose any functionality, they are just convenience buttons. I could likely get them working by playing around with the all in ones settings but haven't bothered.
Thanks for Info !
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I have a couple of oldies on my lan, I have been 100% successful by using the standard method:
Control Panel - devices and printers - Add a printer
Then "The printer I want isnt listed"
Then "Add a local printer..etc"
Then, if the printer is not in my list, I then apply the "Windows update ", on the same age.This takes a little while, but I am sure that, if not yet, you will see your printer. It will then load what is required automatically., and, in my case, asks if you want to print a test page.
fwiw. I just ran through the basic as above, and I see your printer on the updated list.
Control Panel - devices and printers - Add a printer
Then "The printer I want isnt listed"
Then "Add a local printer..etc"
Then, if the printer is not in my list, I then apply the "Windows update ", on the same age.This takes a little while, but I am sure that, if not yet, you will see your printer. It will then load what is required automatically., and, in my case, asks if you want to print a test page.
fwiw. I just ran through the basic as above, and I see your printer on the updated list.
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- Belgrade , Serbia
That's exactly i have been doing it even with Win7 and found drivers for some really odd or old printers. HP is notoriously sloppy when it comes to updating drivers for new OSes. Seems like they are expecting us to buy new printer with every windows change. It wasn't too bad at Win98 > XP and XP> Win7 change, most driver for previous system worked but MS changed the way printer drivers work with Win8. Changes are made so drivers are easier to write but HP doesn't seem to care, which is real pity because some older printers like Laserjet4 were practically indestructible. Our old (than new) LJ4m, printed thousands upon thousands labels for factory productions and had at least two or 3 toner changes a week and was still going strong 4 years later when I left company. I have an old one, that used to work at a hospital, connected to a computer in the basement and is still like new. Not to have driver for it would be almost sacrilege.
