How to Fix Network Printer Not Showing up in Windows 11/10?

Fix Network Printer Not Showing up in Windows 11/10:

Network Printer not showing up in Windows 11/10 can irritate you especially when you are in urgent need of a printout. The “Network printer not showing up in Windows 11/10” problem can primarily be attributable to a variety of reasons ranging from a poor network connection to outdated printer drivers.

Friends, I had observed a similar problem wherein my network Printer was not showing up in Windows 11/10 owing to which I decided to consult a technician. I ended up receiving key inputs that actually helped me find a solution for my “network printer not showing up in Windows 11/10” problem.

I take the initiative forward by putting some simple solutions in the form of this user-friendly guide that can probably help everyone to find a fix for the “Network printer not showing up in Windows 11/10” problem.

Method 1 - Giving the Network Connection a Proper Check  

Quite often printers are not paired up in the existing network which may cause a “Network printer not showing up in Windows 11/10” problem, so to diagnose and verify that your printer is not connected with the network you must first execute a “Ping” command and then refer to printer manuals of the specific printer to establish the connection.

Here are a few steps to run the "Ping" command in the context of fixing the “network printer not showing up in Windows 11/10 problem.

Step 1: Simply begin by typing cmd in the search bar located in the bottom pane of your computer’s stand-by screen and then pressing the Enter button further followed by clicking on the Command Prompt option.

Step 2: Now navigate to search and find the IP address on the tag associated with your printer.

Step 3: Type ping, and after providing a space punch in the IP address and then press the Enter button.

Step 4: As a result of executing the above three steps, your computer will start detecting as to whether your printer is connected to the network or not.

If you get to observe that your printer is not connected to the network then you may refer to your specific printer manual to know how you can connect your printer to the network.

Method 2 - Facilitating Your Network Printer to be Added to the Devices and Printers

In a different scenario, your printer might not have been added to the Devices and Printers segment of the Control Panel due to which you may be witnessing the “Network printer not showing up in Windows 11/10” problem.

So to add your network printer to the Devices and Printers tray just follow the simple steps mentioned below.

Step 1: Open the Control Panel by searching it from the “Start” menu.

Step 2: Now resort to clicking on “Hardware and Sound” option.

Step 3: In this step simply click on “Devices and Printers”.

Step 4: Now go to the “Add Printer” option.

Step 5: If your network printer is detected then select it and click on the “Next” button and follow the step mentioned in Step 6 below, else resort to clicking on the “The printer that I want isn’t listed” option and pressing the “Next” button and following Step 6 thereafter.

Step 6: Choose to click on the radio button with the message “Select a shared printer by name” followed by typing in the name of your printer and then pressing the “Next” button.

Step 7: As a consequence of the above-mentioned consecutive six steps, your printer will get added and start getting displayed. Else, you must try the other way out for addressing the “Network printer not showing up in Windows 11/10” problem.

Method 3 - By Enabling the Print Spooler Service 

Many a time failed print spooler service might cause a “Network printer not showing up in Windows 11/10” problem that can be solved by adhering to the steps mentioned hereunder.

Step 1: Launch the “Run” dialogue box by simultaneously pressing the Windows key along with the R button.

Step 2: Now type in services.msc followed by pressing the Enter button.

Step 3: As soon as you press the Enter button you will get to see a long list of services. Just navigate to find and click on Print Spooler.

Step 4: As a result of step 3 getting executed a pop-up box will show up, further navigate to find the “Start” button. Simply click on that “Start” button and then press OK which would ultimately enable the Print Spooler service and may help you fix the “Network printer not showing up in Windows 11/10” issue.

Method 4 - Finding the Right and Updated Printer Drivers

Manual Download

Step 1: Simply go on to launch the official page of your printer’s manufacturer. Select your specific printer to find the driver corresponding to your printer under the “Downloads” section.

Step 2: Now save a copy of the latest driver on your computer’s hard disk followed by running the executable file to install the latest printer driver on your computer.

Automatic Download

Using third-party software to detect the latest version of printer drivers and then allowing it to install successfully on your computer.

Step 1: Execute the installation process of Driver Easy.

Step 2: Scanning the system using Driver Easy that will not just detect the requirement of updating your computer with the latest version of your printer driver but will also allow you to update the same in just a click.

Method 5 - Executing Printer Troubleshooter Successfully

If the above methods of fixing “Network Printer not showing up in Windows 11/10” don’t work then run printer troubleshooter on your computer that may make you aware of other possible reasons for “Network printer not showing up in Windows 11/10” problem.

Step 1: To open the “Settings” menu directly simply press the Windows key along with the “I” button.

Step 2: Move ahead to click on the “Update and Security” option displayed at the bottom-left part of the dialogue box.

Step 3: Now, on the left pane choose to click on “Troubleshoot” followed by clicking on the “Additional Troubleshooters” to look for printer-related troubleshooters.

Step 4: Now find the “Run the Troubleshooter” button and click on the same.