Printer not showing up Windows 11: how to get it detected again

If you are dealing with a printer not showing up Windows 11 problem, the printer itself is usually fine: Windows simply cannot see it. Either the PC is looking on the wrong network, network discovery is switched off, or (for USB printers) the connection or driver is missing. This guide covers the checks in the order that solves the most cases fastest, and shows how to add the printer by IP address so you do not depend on discovery at all.

If the printer used to appear but now shows as Offline, that is a different problem; see the printer offline fix. This page is for printers that do not appear in the list at all.

If your printer is connected with a USB cable rather than over the network, the dedicated guide is USB printer not recognized in Windows 11.

Step 1: Check the basics on the printer

1. Make sure the printer is switched on and not showing an error or a sleep screen.
2. For a wireless printer, look at its display or lights to confirm it is connected to Wi-Fi. If it keeps dropping off, fix that first with printer won’t stay connected to Wi-Fi.
3. Print a network configuration page (sometimes called network status or network report) from the printer’s control panel. It shows the network name the printer is on and its IP address. Keep this page; you will need it.
4. Restart the printer and the PC. If other devices are also having connection trouble, restart the router too, and wait until the printer reconnects before you continue.

Step 2: Try “Add device” properly

1. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Check whether the printer is already in the list, perhaps under a slightly different name.
3. Next to Add a printer or scanner, select Add device.
4. Wait. The search can take a minute. When your printer appears, choose Add device next to it.

If the list stays empty or your printer never appears, continue with the network checks below rather than clicking Refresh repeatedly.

Step 3: Make sure the PC and printer are on the same network

Windows can only discover printers on the same local network. Compare the network name on the configuration page with the Wi-Fi network your PC is using (click the network icon on the taskbar). Watch for these traps:

• Guest networks. Many routers isolate devices on a guest network so they cannot see each other. Put both the PC and printer on the main network.
• Two networks with similar names, for example from a router and a separate extender or a second router. Connect both devices to the same one.
• 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Many printers only support 2.4 GHz. On most routers both bands belong to the same network and devices can still see each other, but some routers or mesh systems keep bands apart. If your router shows two separate names, try connecting the PC to the same band as the printer.
• VPN software on the PC can route traffic away from the local network. Disconnect the VPN while you set up the printer.

Step 4: Set the network to Private and turn on network discovery

Windows sets new networks to Public by default, which hides your PC from other devices and stops printer discovery. On a home or office network you trust, change it to Private:

1. Open Settings > Network & internet.
2. Select Wi-Fi and then your network’s properties, or select Ethernet for a wired connection.
3. Under Network profile type, choose Private network.

Then check network discovery:

1. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Advanced sharing settings.
2. Under Private networks, turn on Network discovery and File and printer sharing.

Try Add device again. Only use Private on networks you control; keep cafe, hotel and other public Wi-Fi set to Public.

Step 5: Add the printer by IP address

This is the most reliable fix, because it does not rely on discovery.

1. In Printers & scanners, select Add device and wait until The printer that I want isn’t listed appears, then select Add manually next to it.
2. In the Add Printer window, choose Add a printer using an IP address or hostname and select Next.
3. Leave Device type on Autodetect or choose TCP/IP Device, type the IP address from the configuration page in Hostname or IP address, and select Next.
4. Windows contacts the printer and looks for a driver. If it asks you to choose one, select your manufacturer and model, or select Windows Update to refresh the list and try again.
5. Finish the wizard and print a test page.

If Windows cannot reach the printer at that address, check the address again on a fresh configuration page. Printers often get a new IP address after a router restart. To avoid that in future, many routers let you reserve an address for the printer in their DHCP settings; check your router’s manual for where this option is.

Step 6: USB printers

If the printer is connected with a cable and still does not appear:

• Plug the cable directly into the PC, not through a hub, dock or monitor.
• Try a different USB port and, if you have one, a different cable. Printer cables do fail, especially where they bend.
• Turn the printer off, connect the cable, then turn the printer on so Windows sees it arrive.
• Open Device Manager (right-click Start) and look under Print queues, Printers or Other devices. A device with a warning icon means Windows sees it but has no working driver.

Step 7: Install or repair the driver

Windows installs a built-in driver for most current printers, but older models may need one from Windows Update or the manufacturer. In Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates, look under Driver updates. In Printers & scanners, also make sure Download drivers and device software over metered connections is on if your connection is set as metered. If the printer appears but says the driver is unavailable, follow printer driver is unavailable. Download drivers only from Windows Update or the manufacturer’s own website.

Step 8: Restart the Print Spooler service

The Print Spooler service manages every printer on the PC. If it has stopped, printers can vanish from lists or fail to install.

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
2. Find Print Spooler, right-click it and choose Restart (or Start if it is stopped).
3. Double-click it and check that Startup type is Automatic.

If it stops again by itself, use the print spooler fix.

Step 9: Check the firewall and security software

Windows Firewall normally allows printer discovery on private networks. To check, open Windows Security > Firewall & network protection > Allow an app through firewall and make sure File and Printer Sharing and Network Discovery are ticked for Private. Third-party security suites can block discovery more aggressively. If pausing one briefly makes the printer appear, turn protection back on and add an exception for the printer in that software instead of leaving it off.

Shows up after a restart, then disappears

If the printer appears after you restart it but vanishes from Windows again after an hour or so, the cause is often its power saving rather than Windows. Many printers drop into sleep or switch themselves off after a period without jobs. A sleeping network printer should wake when a job arrives, but some do not answer discovery requests while they sleep, and some come back with a new IP address. Give the printer a fixed address by reservation in your router, add it by that IP address (Step 5) and check the printer’s auto-off timer. Printer won’t wake from sleep explains the difference between sleep and auto-off and how to set each one.

Shared printers on another PC

If the printer is shared through another Windows PC rather than connected to the network itself, Windows may refuse the connection with an error code instead of simply not finding it. For “Operation failed with error 0x0000011b”, see error 0x0000011b.

Still not showing up?

Run the printer troubleshooter in the Get Help app, then work through the printer troubleshooting guide. If the printer appears but Windows will not make it the default, see error 0x00000709. If the same printer also fails on a Mac in your home, our guide to a printer not working on Mac helps you tell a printer fault from a computer problem.