Windows 8 Bible

Installing a New Printer

Before you can use a new printer, you need to connect it to the computer and install it. Earlier in this chapter, you learned how to set up a printer using the new Windows 8 Devices tool. Let’s look at adding a printer using the Devices and Printers folder. Many printers give you the choice of using the USB port to connect the printer or a parallel printer port. In most cases, USB will work just fine for printing. In fact, most of today’s standard computer configurations do not even have a parallel printer port, so USB might be your only option. Likewise, most new printers do not have parallel or serial port connections.

Tip

If your printer offers only a parallel port, and your computer does not have one, you can either buy an add-on adapter card to add the parallel port or buy a new printer that supports USB.

As mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, the main rule on installing a printer is to follow the instructions that came with it. Sometimes you need to install drivers first, sometimes you don’t. There is no “one rule fits all” when it comes to installing printers, or any other hardware device for that matter. But in a pinch, when there are no instructions, the techniques in the following sections will be your best first guess.

Installing printers with USB and infrared connections

If you have the option to connect the printer through a USB port, or by infrared, the installation procedure should go like this:

1. Close all open programs ...