The unfortunate result of having to keep up with the latest printing technology is that compatibility issues will occasionally occur, meaning that sometimes a printer will simply be unable to link with your computer. This can be for a number of reasons, though is an issue most commonly seen after a computer upgrade has been performed.
In this post, we will be looking with particular poignancy at the recent release of Windows 10. Many of you will likely be able to remember the launch of Windows 7, way back in 2009, widely considered a disastrous release. For some printer manufacturers, it took weeks to enable their popular models to overcome compatibility issues, with others having to wait months to make the change. Even worse, some printers weren’t made compatible at all, which meant they were redundant if the owner had already upgraded their computer.
It seems that this debacle didn’t pass by without some sort of internal debate. Both printer manufacturers and Windows have put in a considerable amount of effort to make sure that this doesn’t happen again and, as a result, theoretically any printer purchased within the last three years should be compatible with Windows 10. As well as this, if your printer worked with Windows 7, 8 or 8.1, it should also work with 10. Furthermore, all new printers are built to work alongside the newest Microsoft system, and avoid compatibility issues.
Printer manufacturers from across the industry have endeavoured to ensure that their models are compatible, with the following statements from each:
- For the people who use Pixma Printers, Canon has said that all models released within the last five years will be supported.
- All HP models that are on the shelves at the moment work, with HP also claiming that all their printers from as far back as 2004 will be compatible.
- Brother say models up to 10 years old will be compatible, using either the Windows 10 driver or a Brother Printer driver.
- Samsung has taken a similar approach, with printers launched since June 2013 working from the outset. Older models will need a Windows 8.x driver or a Samsung Universal Printer Driver installed onto them, though.
- Lastly, Epson printers up to 10 years old will function on the new OS. Similar to the other manufacturers, older models will have to have a drive installed onto them to keep a printing function.
If you still have any doubts, all printer manufacturers will have a list of the printers that work with Windows 10 on their websites.
So if you have made the upgrade to Windows 10 and your printer is flat out refusing to work, no matter what you do, then you have three options to consider. The first is to return to the previous operating system and continue to use a less up to date version. Not the most difficult thing by any means, but perhaps a little tiresome when you have a better version available. The other option is buying a new printer, again not great if you have already spent decent money on the first. The third is to speak to EBM. Hopefully, neither of the first two options are necessary, and if they aren’t, then one of our team can find the alternative.