Windows 7 / Getting Started

Installing Printers Using the Add Printers Wizard

In addition to the new Network Printer Installation Wizard used in Print Management, the end-user Add Printer Wizard is still available in Windows 7, and it has been enhanced to allow users to easily add local, network, wireless, and Bluetooth printers. This wizard is not needed when installing USB printers, however, because the user can simply attach the printer to a USB port on the computer and the printer is automatically installed.

Note In Windows 7, standard users can install network printers without administrator credentials provided the driver is safe (i.e., signed and packaged). If you see an elevation prompt that says, "Do you trust this printer?" when you try to install a printer, it is because the printer driver is not trustable. Only local administrators can install an untrusted driver.

To start the Add Printer Wizard in Windows 7, follow these steps:

To start the Add Printer Wizard in Windows 7, follow these steps:

  1. Click Start and select Devices And Printers.
  2. Click Add Printer on the toolbar to start the Add Printer Wizard.

    Add Printer
  3. Do one of the following:
    • To install a local (non-USB) printer, click Add A Local Printer and specify the port, printer driver, and other information required by the wizard. Installing a local printer manually like this is needed only for non-Plug and Play printers. USB printers are detected and installed automatically when they are connected to a USB port on the computer.
    • To install a network, wireless, or Bluetooth printer, click Add A Network, Wireless Or Bluetooth Printer, select the printer you want to install from the list of found printers, and then click Next to install the printer.

On a managed network where AD DS is deployed, the Add A Network, Wireless Or Bluetooth Printer option in the Add Printer Wizard finds network printers published in AD DS as well as available wireless Bluetooth printers. On an unmanaged network without AD DS, selecting this option causes the Add Printer Wizard to scan the local subnet for TCP/IP, WSD, wireless, and Bluetooth printers.

Note Network administrators can also set the number and type of printers to find using Group Policy settings found under Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Printers. If you do not want a printer to show up, set the number of printers of each type to 0 in either Add Printer Wizard - Network Scan Page (Managed Network) or Add Printer Wizard - Network Scan Page (Unmanaged Network).

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In this tutorial:

  1. Managing Printing
  2. Enhancements to Printing in Windows 7
  3. Printing Enhancements Previously Introduced in Windows Vista
  4. Additional Printing Enhancements in Windows 7
  5. How Printing Works in Windows 7
  6. Understanding XPS
  7. Understanding the Windows Printing Subsystem
  8. Understanding Printer Driver Isolation
  9. Understanding the Print Management Console
  10. Enhancements to the Print Management Console in Windows 7
  11. The Print Management Console
  12. Adding and Removing Print Servers
  13. Configuring Default Security for Print Servers
  14. Adding Printers Using the Network Printer Installation Wizard
  15. Creating and Using Printer Filters
  16. Creating and Using Driver Filters
  17. Managing Printers Using Print Management
  18. Configuring Properties of Printers
  19. Publishing Printers in AD DS
  20. Managing Printer Drivers
  21. Configuring Printer Driver Isolation Mode
  22. Configuring Printer Driver Isolation Mode Using the Print Management Console
  23. Configuring Printer Driver Isolation Mode Using Group Policy
  24. Troubleshooting Driver Isolation
  25. Exporting and Importing Print Server Configurations
  26. Printer Export Files
  27. Performing Bulk Actions Using Print Management
  28. Client-Side Management of Printers
  29. Installing Printers Using the Add Printers Wizard
  30. Searching for Printers
  31. Installing Printers Using Point and Print
  32. Using Devices And Printers
  33. Using the Color Management CPL
  34. Managing Client-Side Printer Experience Using Group Policy
  35. Configuring the Add Printer Wizard
  36. Disable Client-Side Printer Rendering
  37. Configuring Package Point and Print Restrictions
  38. Extending Point and Print Using Windows Update
  39. Deploying Printers Using Group Policy
  40. Preparing to Deploy Printers
  41. Deploying a Printer Connection
  42. Limitations of Deploying Printers Using Group Policy
  43. Migrating Print Servers
  44. Migrate Print Servers Using Print Management
  45. Migrating Print Servers Using PrintBRM
  46. Monitoring and Troubleshooting Printers
  47. Configuring E-Mail Notifications
  48. Configuring Print Server Notifications
  49. Configuring Script Actions
  50. Configuring Detailed Event Logging