Printer Driver Is Unavailable in Windows 11: Causes and Fixes

Driver is unavailable shows under a printer’s name in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Windows still has the printer entry but can’t load a working driver for it, so jobs fail and the printer’s properties often won’t open. On Windows 10 the path is Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners, and the fixes for a printer driver unavailable Windows 10 error are the same.

The printer itself is almost never broken. Something changed the driver: an update replaced or removed it, its files were damaged, it was built for a different kind of PC, or a Windows security setting now blocks it. The table below matches what changed to the fix.

A printer marked Offline has a connection problem instead; see printer offline in Windows 11.

What changed? Match the cause to the fix

The timing of the first message usually names the cause.

To see which driver each printer uses, run Get-Printer | Format-Table Name, DriverName, PortName in PowerShell. Driver load and install failures often show in Event Viewer under Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > PrintService > Admin.

Fix 1: Get the driver from Windows Update

Microsoft’s recommended source for printer drivers is Windows Update, but printer drivers often arrive as optional updates, which don’t install by themselves.

1. Go to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options.
2. Under Additional options, select Optional updates, tick any printer driver listed and select Download and install.
3. Restart, even if Windows doesn’t ask you to.

Device Manager’s Search automatically for drivers has searched only the PC itself since Windows 10 version 2004, Microsoft says; its Search for updated drivers on Windows Update button just opens the route above. Generic software device, which some guides suggest picking there, isn’t a printer driver.

Nothing listed for a newer printer is normal. Under Microsoft’s published timeline (as of October 2026), no new printer drivers go to Windows Update for Windows 11 after January 15, 2026, and updates to existing ones are approved case by case, so newer models lean on the IPP class driver or the maker’s package.

Fix 2: Remove the printer and its driver package

Removing a printer leaves its driver package behind, and Windows reuses it when you add the printer again. Clear both. You need an administrator account.

1. Remove every printer that uses the driver: in Printers & scanners, select the printer, then Remove. If Settings won’t remove it, open Device Manager, expand Print queues, right-click the printer and choose Uninstall device.
2. Restart the PC so nothing holds the driver files open.
3. Remove the package. The usual route is Print server properties > Drivers > Remove > Remove driver and driver package, shown step by step in our printer not printing guide. On Windows 11 Pro, Print Management (printmanagement.msc) also works: under Print Servers, open your PC, select Drivers, right-click the driver and choose Remove Driver Package.
4. If a package refuses to go, use an administrator terminal. pnputil /enum-drivers /class Printer lists the third-party printer packages (on Windows 10, which lacks /class here, run plain pnputil /enum-drivers and look under Class Name). Find the one whose Original Name and Provider Name match your printer and note its Published Name, such as oem42.inf. Then run pnputil /delete-driver oem42.inf /uninstall with your own number.

Delete only the package for the printer you’re fixing. Published names differ on every PC, so never copy someone else’s number, and avoid /force, which deletes a package even while devices use it.

Fix 3: Install the right driver for this PC

• Match the PC’s processor. Check Settings > System > About > System type. Windows 11 is 64-bit only, so a 32-bit driver won’t install. On an Arm-based PC, Microsoft says some makers’ installers fail; use Add device in Printers & scanners unless the maker gives Arm-specific guidance.
• Get it from the maker, for your exact model. Download the current full Windows 11 package from the maker’s support site. Skip “driver updater” tools and third-party download sites, a common source of wrong or bundled software.
• HP printers. HP’s current setup route is the HP app from 123.hp.com, which installs the driver during setup. If your model isn’t supported there, use the full driver from HP’s Software and Drivers page; many LaserJets can also use HP’s Universal Print Driver if HP lists the model. HP removed HP Print and Scan Doctor from its website in May 2025, so don’t download it from other sites. GoPro IT is an independent IT support company and isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by HP.
• Office copiers. Most copier makers publish a universal driver covering many models, often the steadiest choice in a mixed fleet.

Shared printers add one rule: since Microsoft’s August 10, 2021 security updates (KB5005652), installing or updating a printer driver through Point and Print needs administrator rights by default. If adding a shared printer fails with an error code or admin prompt, see Windows cannot connect to the printer rather than loosening that protection.

Fix 4: Use Windows’ built-in IPP driver, by IP or USB

If the printer is Mopria certified (Mopria’s website lists certified models), Windows doesn’t need the maker’s driver at all. The Microsoft IPP Class Driver has been built into Windows since Windows 10 version 21H2 and talks to the printer over the Internet Printing Protocol.

1. Print the printer’s network configuration page, or read its IP address from its display.
2. In Printers & scanners, select Add device. Next to The printer that I want isn’t listed, choose the manual option, which Microsoft calls Add a new device manually.
3. Pick Add a printer using an IP address or hostname.
4. Set Device type to IPP Device and enter the address; Autodetect only looks for WSD and TCP/IP printers.
5. Finish the wizard, print a test page, and confirm in Printer properties on the Advanced tab that the driver reads Microsoft IPP Class Driver.

The trade-off is features: maker extras come from a Print Support App, which Windows installs from the Microsoft Store when the maker offers one, and some copier finishing or accounting options may still be missing.

USB printers

The class driver works over USB too. Unplug the cable, remove the printer in Printers & scanners, restart, then plug it back in and let Windows set it up. Microsoft says this works only when the printer’s USB connection is in IPP over USB mode, a menu or web-page setting on some models. Seeing Microsoft IPP Class Driver afterward is expected; under Microsoft’s published plan, Windows has preferred it since July 1, 2026.

Printer not Mopria certified?

Use the same wizard with Device type set to TCP/IP Device, and clear Query the printer and automatically select the driver to use. On Install the printer driver, select Windows Update to load Microsoft’s printer driver catalog (it can take a few minutes), then pick the maker and exact model. For a bare INF file rather than an installer, choose Have Disk.

Windows protected print mode and Microsoft’s driver timeline

Windows protected print mode makes Windows print only through its built-in print stack, which Microsoft calls Windows Ready Print, and blocks third-party drivers. Microsoft highly recommends it for security. When it’s turned on:

• Printers that use third-party drivers are uninstalled, and those drivers are deleted from the driver store.
• Mopria-certified printers can be added back on the built-in driver; incompatible ones can’t be reinstalled until the mode is turned off.
• Microsoft XPS Document Writer, fax and the old OneNote (Desktop) printer are removed; on Windows 11 version 24H2 or later with OneNote version 2410 or later, a OneNote (Desktop) – Protected virtual printer takes its place.

The switch is under Printer preferences > Windows protected print mode on the Printers & scanners page; compatible printers show a small compatibility icon. If your organization enabled it by policy, ask whoever manages your PCs.

The timeline alone doesn’t switch off a working printer: Microsoft says existing drivers can still be installed after end of servicing, makers can still ship installers, and there are no plans to disable older driver features. The change to watch is protected print mode, which Microsoft says will be on by default at an unnamed future date, removing incompatible printers.

Fix it once for every PC in the office

When several PCs show the message, pick one driver per printer model, the maker’s universal driver or the IPP class driver, and deploy it centrally rather than fixing desk by desk.

• Universal Print. Microsoft’s cloud print service needs no printer makers’ drivers on users’ PCs. Printers without built-in Universal Print support need the Universal Print connector, running on a Windows PC or server where those printers are installed. Universal Print is included with Microsoft 365 Business Premium, E3 and E5, not Business Basic or Business Standard, and is also sold on its own. A Universal Print policy in the Intune settings catalog pushes printers to Windows PCs.
• Intune without Universal Print. Package the maker’s driver as a Win32 app that runs pnputil /add-driver on the INF with /install, then adds the printer with Add-PrinterDriver, Add-PrinterPort and Add-Printer. Intune runs install commands as a 32-bit process, where plain pnputil isn’t found, so call %SystemRoot%\Sysnative\pnputil.exe and %SystemRoot%\Sysnative\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe. Test on one PC first.
• Group Policy on a domain. Pre-install each model’s driver on every PC with the same pnputil /add-driver command in a startup script or your PC image, then deploy printers with Group Policy Preferences, so no PC has to pull a driver from a print server.
• Protected print mode for the whole fleet. Use the Configure Windows protected print policy under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Printers, or the Intune OMA-URI ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Printers/ConfigureWindowsProtectedPrint, only after checking every printer and scanner against Mopria’s list, because incompatible ones disappear.

Our Microsoft 365 management page explains the tenant administration we handle, and the Business Support Plan includes unlimited remote help desk tickets for each user on the plan. Microsoft licenses, including any Universal Print needs, aren’t included in our plan or one-time fixes.

When it isn’t the driver, and when to stop

• The printer is too old for Windows 11. If no 64-bit driver from the maker installs (try its Windows 7 or 8 one too), Windows Update’s list in Fix 4 has nothing for the model and the printer isn’t Mopria certified, reinstalling won’t help. Replacing it is usually more practical than keeping an older, unsupported PC around to drive it.
• The status turns to Offline or Error after reinstalling. The driver is fixed and the connection is now the problem; work through the offline guide linked at the top.
• The IPP route fails on a printer that should support it. Check the maker’s site for a firmware update, and keep the printer powered on and connected until it finishes, because an interrupted update can leave it unusable.
• Registry tweaks from forums. Skip them. Most undo 2021 print security fixes, such as the Point and Print rules in KB5005010 and KB5005652, and Microsoft warns that leaves PCs vulnerable.

Removing a broken driver package, installing the right driver and adding a printer by IP can all be done remotely, with your approval and while you watch; replacing a printer or an office-wide rollout is a different job. If you’d rather not do the driver fix yourself, it’s a typical $59 remote fix through remote support.

Common questions

What does Driver is unavailable mean on a printer?

Windows still has the printer in its list but can’t load a driver for it, so it can’t send jobs. The driver may have been replaced by an update, damaged during an install or built for a different processor. If Windows protected print mode was turned on, printers with third-party drivers are removed from the list instead. The printer itself is usually fine; removing the entry and its driver package, then reinstalling a working driver, normally clears it.

Why did a Windows update make my printer driver unavailable?

Updates, especially version upgrades, can replace a maker’s driver or skip one Windows treats as incompatible with the new version. Look for a printer driver under Optional updates in Windows Update first. If none is offered, remove the printer and its driver package and install the maker’s current Windows 11 package, or add the printer by IP with the built-in IPP class driver.

Is the Microsoft IPP Class Driver good enough for an office printer?

For everyday printing on a Mopria-certified printer, usually yes: it handles normal jobs, paper sizes and common settings without a download, and it isn’t disturbed by maker driver updates. Advanced copier features such as finishing, department codes or secure release may need the maker’s driver or its Print Support App. Test the class driver on one PC before standardizing on it.

How do I fix Driver is unavailable on Windows 10?

Most fixes are the same; only some menus differ. The printer list is at Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners, and optional driver updates are under Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View optional updates. The built-in IPP class driver is included from Windows 10 version 21H2. Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025, so plan to move that PC to Windows 11 or replace it.

How do I turn off Windows protected print mode?

Turning it off gives up print security protections Microsoft highly recommends keeping, so first try re-adding a Mopria-certified printer with the mode on. If you still need it off, go to Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Printers & scanners, scroll to Printer preferences and select Turn off under Windows protected print mode, then confirm. Windows may ask for an administrator’s approval. If your organization set it by policy, the switch is locked, so ask your IT administrator. Removed printers must be reinstalled by hand.

Why can’t I remove a printer that says Driver is unavailable?

Settings sometimes can’t remove an entry whose driver won’t load. Restart and try again, or open Device Manager, expand Print queues, right-click the printer and choose Uninstall device. If the driver package then won’t delete, list printer packages with pnputil /enum-drivers /class Printer in an administrator terminal (plain pnputil /enum-drivers on Windows 10) and remove the matching one with pnputil /delete-driver.

Why does my HP printer say Driver is unavailable?

Often an HP software install stopped partway, or a Windows update replaced HP’s driver. Disconnect any USB cable, remove the printer in Printers & scanners, uninstall HP’s printer software from Settings > Apps > Installed apps, and restart. Then set the printer up again with the HP app from 123.hp.com. If the message comes back, delete the leftover HP driver package before reinstalling, or try HP’s Universal Print Driver on a LaserJet that HP lists as supported.