These days we can witness a continuous stream of users to the latest Windows 11. In other words, Windows 11 clearly appeals to all segments of users around the world. After logging into the new operating system, the first thing they usually do is try to connect all external devices to their Windows 11. At this point, many users have recently raised concerns about whether their wired or wireless printer can connect to Windows 11.
Let me tell you; almost all Windows 10 device drivers are compatible with Windows 11. So the printer to which your previous version got connected may be connected to the latest operating system. If you are using an older version than Windows 10, we are not sure about that. Anyway, in this article, we will show you how to add a wired and wireless printer to Windows 11. Let’s see how.
Methods to add a wired or wireless printer in Windows 11:
Method 1: Add the Printer Automatically:
You must first add a printer with an automatic process, and connecting to the newest printer in Windows 11 is a simple process. To do so,
- Firstly, go to the Start menu and click on Settings.
- Then select Bluetooth and devices option.
- Inside the new screen, click on Printers & Scanners.
- There click on Add device button beside the Add a printer or scanner option.
- Again click on Add device to connect with the wireless printer to your Windows 11 (If asked to enter the password and do it to continue the process).
Method 2: Add the Printer Manually:
If the above automatic process did not help you, then you can add a printer manually to Windows 11 using the below-given steps,
- Firstly, go to the Start menu and click on Settings.
- Then from the Settings screen, select Bluetooth and devices option.
- Inside the new screen, click on Printers & Scanners.
- There click on Add device button beside the Add a printer or scanner option.
- Then select Add manually option under the Add device button, and beside the Printer that I want isn’t listed option.
- And in the Add Printer window, click the radio button beside the Add a Bluetooth, wireless or network discoverable printer option.
- In the next window, choose the printer that you need to connect and press the Next button.
- Then follow the instructions that appear on the screen to connect your printer( wired or wireless) in Windows 11.
Method 3: Add a Printer using Control Panel:
In addition to the above two methods, you can connect a printer in Windows 11 through the Control Panel window. You can follow the below steps to learn how to connect,
- Firstly, in the Windows 11 search box, type Control Panel and open the relevant result.
- Then inside the Control Panel, set View by as Large icons and select the Device and Printers option from the menu screen.
- Now click on Add a printer option from the top left side of the screen.
- In the newly opened Add a device window, choose the printer you need to add, and click Next.
- Once done, click on the Finish button, and you have added the printer to Windows 11.
Set the Printer as Default:
Once you have added the printer in Windows 11, then you can set the printer as a default printer to print your document without additional instruction. To set the added printer as the default printer, follow these steps,
- Firstly, in the Windows 11 search box, type Control Panel and open the relevant result.
- Then inside the Control Panel, set View by as Large icons and select the Device and Printers option from the menu screen.
- In the Device and Printers window, select the printer you have added under the Printers section.
- Right-click over the Printer and select the Set as default printer option from the sub-menu.
- Once done, click on the OK button and exit from the window.
Detect the printer to Add in Windows 11:
In case the Network discovery feature is disabled in your Windows 11, your printer might not be detected when you try to add it. To avoid this situation, you need to enable the Network discovery feature. To do so,
- Firstly, in the Windows 11 search box, type Control Panel and open the relevant result.
- Then inside the Control Panel, set View by as Large icons and select Network and Internet option from the menu screen.
- Now select Network & Sharing Center option.
- In the newly opened screen, click on Change advanced sharing settings from the left pane menu.
- Then click on the radio button beside the option Turn on network discovery under the Network discovery section. (If only disabled this option).
- And tick the checkbox beside the option Turn on automatic setup of network connected devices.
- Once done, click on the Save changes button and exit from the Control Panel.
Remove a Printer in Windows 11:
If you like to add a new printer, then you can follow the below steps to remove the current printer in your Windows 11,
- Firstly, go to the Start menu and click on Settings menu.
- Then inside Settings window, select Bluetooth and devices option.
- Inside the new screen, click on Printers & Scanners.
- Now from the Printers & Scanners window, you can see the added printer, double-click on it, and click on the Remove button to disable the printer from the system.
- Once done, click on Yes to confirm and continue.
These are all about to add, set as default, and remove a printer in Windows 11. However, if you have any queries or doubts after reading this article, then please leave a comment in the below-given comment box.