Alex Ruben
How To Install Any Printer Driver Without a Driver CD or Printer Connection
Getting a printer up and running without a CD or having it plugged in at the start can be kinda tricky — especially if the driver isn’t already built into Windows. But honestly, it’s doable and saves you the hassle of hunting for discs or waiting for the printer to be connected. The key here is downloading the right driver beforehand and then installing it manually, so when the printer finally arrives or gets connected, everything should just work, ideally.
This process is pretty much the same across most brands — HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, Samsung — you name it. The main thing is to dip into the manufacturers’ official sites, grab the latest drivers, and install them manually. No fuss, no frantic troubleshooting later. This way, your printer’s ready to go on the day it’s physically connected or turned on.
How to Fix Printer Driver Installation Without a Connection
Download the Correct Printer Driver
First off, get the right driver for your model. This is crucial because Windows doesn’t always have the latest or most compatible driver built in, and some printer features might be missing if you go with generic Windows drivers. Why? Because installing the exact manufacturer’s driver makes everything smoother, especially if you want to print from multiple applications or get access to special functions like scanning or duplex printing.
- Open up your favorite browser — Chrome, Firefox, Edge, you know the drill.
- Type in your printer model followed by “driver” — for example,
Canon MG3620 driver. Be specific to avoid downloading the wrong thing. - Click on the official website link. Usually, that’s the first or second result, something like official Canon site.
- On the manufacturer’s site, find their Support or Downloads section, and choose your OS — Windows 10, Windows 11, etc.
- Download the setup file — it’s usually an executable
.exeor.msi. Save it somewhere easy like your Downloads folder.
Install the Printer Driver Manually
After grabbing the driver package, it’s time to install. The goal here is to sidestep Windows’ automatic driver detection, which can sometimes pick the wrong driver or fail entirely.
- Navigate to the downloaded setup file, double-click it.
- If prompted by User Account Control, click Yes.
- Follow the on-screen instructions. During setup, you might see an option to set the printer as default or enable automatic updates—tick those if you want, but not necessary.
- If there’s an option to choose a custom connection type, pick No USB cable connected or Manual setup. That way, Windows won’t try to auto-detect it right away.
On some machines, the driver install might hang or crash if the driver isn’t compatible. Restarting after the initial failure sometimes helps, but be ready to re-download the latest driver if weird errors pop up.
Selecting the Connection Type During Setup
Once the driver is installed, Windows might ask how you’re planning to connect the printer.
- Choose No USB connection — because that’s what you’re doing in advance.
- Look for options like Wireless (Wi-Fi) or Ethernet if you plan to connect over the network later.
- Set it to Manual if asked, and then select the port the driver recommends — typically
USB001or a network port.
This setup means that when you finally turn on or connect the printer, Windows should recognize it automatically if it’s on the same network or plugged in, without having to fetch drivers again.
Verify Everything Works After Installation
Once installed, it’s a good idea to double-check how it looks.
- Open Control Panel — just search in the Start menu.
- Go to Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers.
- If your printer shows up here, right-click and pick Printer Properties.
- Click Print Test Page to make sure all parts of the driver are working well. If it prints, congrats! If not, double-check the driver version or try reinstalling.
What to Do if Things Go Wrong
If the driver refuses to install or the printer is nowhere to be seen, don’t freak just yet. Sometimes Windows messes with driver signatures or updates cause conflicts.
- Confirm you downloaded the correct driver from the official site for your exact printer model.
- Check Windows Update — maybe some pending updates can solve driver issues. Head to Settings > Windows Update.
- Reboot the PC — sounds basic, but sometimes Windows needs a good rest to get everything aligned.
- Finally, try installing the driver again. If that fails repeatedly, you might want to disable driver signature enforcement temporarily, which is a bit advanced but doable via recovery options.
Summary
- Download the right driver directly from the official site for your printer model.
- Install the driver manually, choosing the right options to set up the connection the way you want.
- Verify your printer appears in Devices and Printers and print a test page.
- If issues pop up, make sure you’ve got the correct driver, check Windows updates, and give your PC a restart.
Wrap-up
Honestly, this process sounds more complicated than it is — once you get the hang of choosing the right driver and installing it manually, future setups are a breeze. Plus, having it all set before connecting the printer saves a lot of headache later. Of course, Windows sometimes throws curveballs, but with patience, most printer drivers can be installed without the need for a CD or pre-connected device. Fingers crossed this helps someone get that printer working smoothly without a bunch of fuss.