A driver reinstall clears corrupted settings, mismatched versions, and broken associations that a restart alone can't touch — but only if the old driver is actually removed first, not just replaced on top of.
A fresh driver install is worth doing when: the printer shows as installed but nothing happens when you print, features like duplex or scanning have disappeared, the printer worked before a Windows or macOS update and stopped afterward, or you're moving the printer to a new network and want to rule out stale configuration. It generally won't help with paper jams, ink issues, or hardware faults, since those live on the printer itself, not in the driver software.
Go to Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners, click your printer, and select Remove. This removes the printer queue entry but can sometimes leave driver files behind. For a fully clean removal, also open Settings → Apps → Installed apps, search for your printer manufacturer's name, and uninstall any associated software package (HP Smart, Canon software suite, etc.) — this clears the underlying driver files, not just the queue entry.
Go to System Settings → Printers & Scanners, select your printer, and click the minus (-) button to remove it. macOS driver files are typically bundled and reinstalled automatically alongside the printer entry, so this single step is usually sufficient on Mac, unlike Windows.
Restart your computer after removing the old driver, before installing anything new. This clears any lingering background processes still referencing the old installation and avoids the new install silently failing because something from the old one is still technically running.
Go to the manufacturer's official support site (or use our driver library) and search by your exact model number — not a generic or "universal" driver, which often lacks full feature support. Download and run the installer, following the manufacturer's setup flow, which will typically also handle reconnecting the printer to your network if it's a wireless model.
After reinstalling, print a test page and check that any previously-missing features (duplex, scan, specific paper size options) have returned. If a problem persists identically after a genuinely clean reinstall, that's a strong signal the cause is on the printer's own hardware or firmware rather than the driver — worth checking firmware next.
An outdated printer firmware version can cause issues a driver reinstall alone won't fix.
See the firmware update guideThe specific sequence that resolves most failed installations.
Read the article →Why it matters, and the safest way to install one.
Read the article →Getting an existing printer working after a computer switch.
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