I have installed the printer driver for Windows 7, but I cannot find the icon for it.
When installing a printer driver in a Windows 7 environment, sometimes the printer icon is displayed normally during installation but disappears when the Devices and Printers screen is opened again. This happens when the printer driver is installed under the same port as an existing printer in the system. Initially, the two printers are displayed as different printers, but when the Devices and Printers screen is opened again, printers with the same port assignment are grouped into a single entry. The printer icon in Devices and Printers is shown as one entry, but by clicking on the Printer Properties, different printers can be selected.
Problem 1
Regardless of the manufacturer or model number of the driver, grouping printers by their port information alone may cause the printer software to malfunction.
Solution 1
- Change the port that is causing trouble. (This can be done through Printer Properties.)
- The printer may function properly without changing the port, but to avoid further trouble, it is recommended to assign a different port.
Problem 2
The options for the Default Printer's driver are limited to those listed in the Devices and Printers screen.
In this case (e.g. when several of the same printer drivers must be installed), the drivers that are displayed only in the Properties screen cannot be chosen as the Default Printer's driver.
Solution 2
- Install the printer driver for the Default Printer.
- Then, install the other driver under a different port assignment.
- After installation is complete, go to the printer's properties and change the port to match the printer driver installed in step 1.
- * In some cases, when two drivers are installed under the same port, only the printer installed later is displayed in the Devices and Printers screen.
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