(NOTE: If you do happen to have any printer documentation, such as a setup poster or user guide, read it and follow the directions, paying attention to special setup procedures unique to the printer. Also, certain special features may not be enabled unless you follow these directions.)

Skipping the printer's driver leads to harsher consequences – your computer may not recognize the printer (or some of the printer's features) without its proprietary driver, Manufacturers post free printer drivers on their Web sites, so be sure to download them before you start the installation process.

In fact, it doesn't hurt to check the manufacturer's Web site even if you already have the driver on a CD, as the manufacturer may have posted a newer (and presumably, better-performing) driver since it first shipped the printer.

When downloading printer drivers, knowing your printer model name and number is a must. It usually appears on the front of the printer (such as the HP DeskJet 6122), but other printers (such as many Brother printers) display the model number on a tag at the back of the unit.

Once you have the printer driver, you're ready to start the installation.

1. Give it a test. Try to test the printer before installing it; if the printer is already connected to another computer and working, print out a test page. If it is a color printer, make sure you print something that has color, such as a Web page. This ensures the printer is functional and has ink or toner. A printer that is either low or empty of ink/toner may send error messages to the next computer it connects to, which may cause an installation problem.

If the printer isn't connected to another computer, such as when someone gives you an old printer, there are still ways to test it, depending on the model. First, before connecting it to a computer, plug it in to an outlet, load paper, and turn it on. A laser printer will run through a self-test and internal RAM check, displaying status indicators on its LCD (liquid-crystal display) or LED (light-emitting diode) screen. When finished, you should see text such as Online or Ready. Also, a Ready or Online light or status indicator should be lit. Inkjet printers usually have no built-in display, but after a brief internal test, an inkjet printer's Power or Ready light should be lit. Usually, a blinking light on an inkjet printer, and some laser printers, indicates a problem. If the Paper light is blinking, make sure there is paper in the printer, and if necessary, restart the printer.

Most laser printers, and some inkjet printers, let you print a test page by simply manipulating the printer's buttons. For a laser printer, press the Online or Menu button on the printer control panel until you see something such as a Test Print or Printer Test menu and then select whatever option seems like it will print a test page. After a moment, the printer will print a page that not only shows that the print engine is working, but should display how much toner remains and how much printer memory is installed. You'll need this information later.

Lexmark and Epson inkjet printers also have a basic self-test, as do many older HP and Canon printers. To run it, turn the printer off, hold down the Paper or Form Feed button, and turn the printer on. After about three seconds, release the Paper or Form Feed button, and the printer will start making noise and generate a test page, where you can at least tell if the print engine is operational and if there is ink remaining. If the Paper or Form Feed button doesn't seem to do anything, try the same procedure with other buttons.

2. Check the ink. If a laser printer's test page is completely blank, then the toner cartridge is probably empty, and you should replace it with a new (or remanufactured) cartridge. If an inkjet's test page is totally blank (no color or black), or if an Ink light is blinking or lit, you either have one or more empty cartridges, or all of the ink nozzles in the print head are clogged, or both. This is probably a good time to install fresh ink cartridges because you can't clean clogged print heads without ink. Some inkjet printers, such as older HP's and Canon's, have ink cartridges that come with fresh print heads. If only black or color ink is missing from a test print, or if only one Ink light is active, then replace only that ink cartridge.

You can usually find instructions for replacing ink cartridges (frequently in pictograph form) under the printer lid. You can often find part numbers for ink cartridges under the lid, too.

3. Make a connection. Next, check your connection and cable options. Printers usually connect to computers via two connection types: USB (Universal Serial Bus) and parallel. The most popular connection for newer printers is USB because it offers a faster printer connection and a slimmer cable that doesn't require thumbscrews. If you're out of USB ports on your computer, use a USB hub to add more. If the printer only has a USB port for connection, then this is your only option.

Older printers usually only use a parallel connection, which is fine, but make sure your computer has a parallel port (many new machines don't) and that your parallel port is enabled in your computer's BIOS (Basic Input/Output System; many come disabled from the factory). Ideally, if your BIOS offers you a choice of parallel port modes, the ECP (Extended Capabilities Port) setting is preferable, followed by EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port), and then PS/2 or bidirectional.

Other infrequently used printer ports include serial (used mostly on older Macs), FireWire (used for high-volume printers), and Ethernet (used for network printers). If a printer has multiple ports on it, you only need to use one per computer. You can connect printers with multiple ports to different computers at the same time, meaning that if a printer has a USB port, a parallel port, and a serial port, you may be able connect it to three computers at once.

4. Driver check. Windows XP/Vista have more built-in drivers than any previous versions, and as such, can automatically recognize many more printers than their predecessors. If a built-in driver exists for your printer, then you're practically home free. To check in WinXP, go to the Control Panel, double-click Printers And Faxes, and then click Add A Printer. The Add Printer Wizard appears. Click Next, uncheck Automatically Detect And Install My Plug And Play Printer, and click Next twice.

To check in Vista, click the Start orb and then click Control Panel. When the Control Panel opens, click Printer under Hardware And Sound. Click Add Printer to start the wizard.

What appears is the built-in printer driver list. Click your printer's manufacturer from the list on the left, and see if your printer is listed on the right. (You may need to scroll down a long list of printers.) If it is listed, click Cancel and move to step 5. If it isn't listed, click Cancel and download the driver package from the manufacturer's Web site or locate the driver disc.

All printer manufacturers have drivers available for download at their Web sites, usually in the Support or Download section. Once you download it, you'll need to save the driver to a folder (keep track of where you put it); most driver packages are self-extracting, but some require a decompression tool such as WinZip. It may be helpful to create a new folder, such as C:\PRINTER_DRIVER, and place the driver files inside.

5. Is it detected? Turn the printer and computer off, plug the printer cable into the printer and computer, and turn the computer on, letting it boot into Windows. (If using USB, you can leave the computer on.) Wait at least a minute after Windows finishes booting to see if Windows automatically detects the printer and installs its built-in drivers.

If Windows detects the printer, but then complains that the hardware may not be installed correctly, or if nothing happens, turn the printer on. For almost all USB-connected and most newer parallel-connected printers, Windows automatically detects the printer via Plug and Play, and if there's a built-in driver, Windows automatically selects and installs it. In WinXP/Vista, small cartoon bubbles appear in the Taskbar displaying progress; for older versions of Windows, the Add New Hardware Wizard appears where you'll need to accept the defaults by repeatedly clicking Next until you are finished.

If your printer doesn't have a built-in driver, all versions of Windows will prompt you for the location of the drivers. When prompted, click the Browse button and locate the folder where you saved the drivers in step 4, such as C:\PRINTER_DRIVER.

6. Add manually. Still no response from WinXP? Then you can manually add the printer. Go to the Control Panel, double-click Printers And Faxes, and click Add A Printer. Click Next to start the Add Printer Wizard, recheck Automatically Detect And Install My Plug And Play Printer, and click Next. Windows will spend up to a minute searching for the printer; if it finds it, follow the instructions in step 4 to install the driver. Otherwise, click Next, select your Connection Type (parallel, called LPT1 in most cases, or USB), and click Next again. Windows displays the printer list from step 4.

In Vista, click the Start orb and then click Control Panel. When the Control Panel opens, click Printer under Hardware And Sound. Click Add Printer to start the wizard.

If you found a built-in driver in step 4, choose it now from the list. Otherwise, click the Have Disk button, select Browse, and then select the folder where you saved the downloaded drivers. Click OK and follow the prompts.

Ultimately, you're looking for a message that says, "Your Printer/Hardware is successfully installed." When you see it, congratulate yourself.

7. Configure your printer. Once installed, some printers could use some configuration. Go to Printers And Faxes in the Control Panel, right-click the printer, and choose Properties. Look for various configuration options by clicking the Printing Preferences button or by clicking all of the tabs along the top of the dialog box. Laser printer drivers should be set to the same amount of printer RAM listed on the test print generated earlier. Also set your paper size (Letter, Legal, A4, etc.) and Print Quality settings (Draft, Normal, High Quality, etc.).

8. Good to go. Choose Print from the File menu of any program you want to print from.

by Warren Ernst

Bridge The Connection Gap You've inherited a high-speed laser printer with a parallel connection, but your computer doesn't have a parallel port. No problem, you have some options. If you have a desktop PC and are handy with a screwdriver, you can add a parallel port interface card to any available PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) slot. Such cards are less than $35, Plug and Play, and compatible with Windows XP and earlier. Most are recognized by Windows automatically, requiring no extra drivers, and work transparently. If you have a notebook computer, or you don't want to or can't open your PC to add a PCI card, there are USB (Universal Serial Bus)-to-parallel adapter cables that will do the job. These require extra drivers that normally come with the adapter itself, but some adapters don't like some printers, so double-check printer compatibility or return policies before buying. Such converters also cost less than $35. Finally, if you have a USB-only printer and no USB ports on your computer, add some. Desktop PCs users should look for USB 2.0 PCI adapter cards because they are faster and more likely to be recognized with WinXP's built-in drivers than the older USB 1.1 cards. Notebook users can use PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) USB cards. Expect to spend between $10 and $80 for such cards. Add-in USB (Universal Serial Bus) 2.0 cards are compact and inexpensive—usually less than $30.