Printer Not Working After a Windows Update? 5 Fixes That Help
Your printer worked yesterday. Then Windows installed an update overnight - and now nothing prints. If this sounds familiar, don't worry: you did nothing wrong, and this is one of the most common printer problems there is. Windows updates break printers surprisingly often, and the fix is usually simple.
Quick Answer
If your printer stopped working right after a Windows update, the update most likely replaced or broke the printer driver, or interrupted the Print Spooler service. In most cases you can fix it by restarting both devices, running the built-in printer troubleshooter, restarting the Print Spooler, or reinstalling the printer driver. If nothing helps, you can remove the update itself - Windows allows that, and it is easier than it sounds.
Why Windows Updates Break Printers
It helps to know what actually happens - it makes the fixes make sense.
When Windows updates, it sometimes:
- Replaces your printer driver with a newer "universal" one that does not work with your model
- Interrupts or misconfigures the Print Spooler - the Windows service that manages printing
- Changes security settings that affect how the printer connects
- Resets the default printer to something else, like "Microsoft Print to PDF"
None of this means your printer is broken. The hardware is fine - Windows just lost the right way to talk to it.
Fix 1: Restart Everything First
It sounds too simple, but after an update this fixes more printer problems than anything else.
Steps:
- Turn the printer off and unplug it from power.
- Restart your computer.
- Wait about 30 seconds, plug the printer back in and turn it on.
- Try printing a test page.
A restart lets Windows finish the update properly and re-detect the printer from scratch.
Fix 2: Run the Printer Troubleshooter
Windows has a built-in tool made exactly for this situation.
Steps:
- Press Windows + I to open Settings.
- Go to System, then Troubleshoot.
- Click Other troubleshooters.
- Find Printer and click Run.
The troubleshooter checks the spooler, the queue and the connection, and often fixes the problem on its own.
Fix 3: Restart the Print Spooler
The Print Spooler is the Windows service that handles all printing. Updates sometimes leave it stuck.
Steps:
- Press Windows + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
- Find Print Spooler in the list.
- Right-click it and choose Restart.
- Try printing again.
Fix 4: Reinstall the Printer Driver
If the update replaced your driver with a wrong one, the printer needs its proper driver back.
Steps:
- Press Windows + X and click Device Manager.
- Expand Print queues, right-click your printer and choose Uninstall device.
- Restart the computer - Windows will re-detect the printer and reinstall a driver.
If Windows picks the wrong driver again, download the correct one from the manufacturer's website - HP, Canon, Epson and Brother all offer free driver downloads for every model. If you are not sure how drivers work, our guide on how to update drivers on Windows walks you through it step by step.
Fix 5: Uninstall the Windows Update
If the printer worked perfectly before the update and nothing above helped, you can remove the update. This is allowed, safe, and reversible - Windows will offer the update again later, usually in a fixed version.
Steps:
- Press Windows + I to open Settings.
- Go to Windows Update, then Update history.
- Scroll down and click Uninstall updates.
- Find the most recent update (check the installed date) and click Uninstall next to it.
- Restart the computer and test the printer.
Final Thoughts
A printer that stops working after a Windows update feels random and unfair - but it is almost never the printer's fault, and almost always fixable in a few minutes. Start with the restart, let the troubleshooter try, and work down the list. And remember: most computer problems look scary at first, but they are usually easier to fix than they seem.
If the printer still refuses to work, our general guide Why Is My Printer Not Working? covers more causes - offline mode, stuck print queues and connection problems.
Scanner software often stops working after an update as well. If your Canon scanner no longer opens, see how to fix Canon IJ Scan Utility.
And if Windows now shows the printer as Offline even though it is switched on, that has its own set of fixes - see what to do when your printer says Offline.
