In Windows, printer can
refer to two separate entities: the physical printer and the printer
software. The physical printer is the hardware device that creates
output. The printer software is a virtual printer—a system containing a
set of Input/Output routines and the configuration and management
interface that translates program output into the mechanical actions
that the hardware performs.
Physical printers are relatively low-speed
devices, so printer software typically contains a buffer called a
“print spooler” to store instructions until the physical printer can
complete them. With a print spooler, you can continue working and
specifying new print jobs while your old print jobs make their way from
the queue to your printed output.
There are three basic ways to connect a printer to Windows 8:
• Direct connections. You plug a printer directly into your computer or tablet.
About 75 percent of direct connections
are made through USB ports, but Windows supports numerous other direct
connections, including LPT, COM, and FireWire ports.
• Wireless connections.
Most printers now come with a Wi-Fi transceiver, a Bluetooth
transceiver, or both and can be detected by an access point or by a
Bluetooth transceiver attached to your computer or device, often
automatically.
Thanks to the proliferation of tablets
and smartphones, wireless printers (and other wireless devices) will
become much more prevalent over time.
• Network connections.
Most printers also now come with Ethernet connections and can be shared
over a network. Windows can find network printers, access them, and
print to them.
The printer software that manages a network printer is called the print server, and through a print server, printers can be shared between computers.
HomeGroup comes with capabilities for sharing a network printer in a workgroup.
Each of these methods of printer attachment
requires its own driver type, but usually the printer installation
software bundles them all in the same installation. To add a simple
device or printer, just plug it in; if Windows recognizes and installs
the printer, a dialog box will appear . If your printer or device has additional features, use the manufacturer’s installation software before you plug it in.
When a device is automatically installed, you see a dialog box similar to this one.
To install a local (directly connected or attached) printer from media
1. Insert the CD or DVD that came with your printer into your device’s optical drive.
2. Press 
+E, and open the optical disc’s window.
3. Locate the Setup program and double-tap or double-click it to launch it.
4. Follow the installation wizard to completion.
5. You may be asked by User Account Control to allow the program to make changes. Click or tap Yes to continue.
Steps in the wizard should ask you to
name the printer, pick the printer port or specify a network printer,
and perhaps share the printer (if it is a network printer), among other
options.
6. Plug your printer
into your personal computer or device when the software indicates that
you should do so or after the software installation completes.
Note that the printer is attached at the end
of the installation. If you attach the printer before performing the
software installation, Windows may install a generic driver, which
might not be the one you really want or the one that is the most up to
date; in either case, you will not get all of the features that your
printer is capable of.
If you do not have the installation disc, or
if you want to install the latest version of the software, go to the
manufacturer’s website and download the software that contains the
printer driver for your system. Then run that software directly.
If you want to simply install a print driver, use the Add Printer wizard.
To install a printer driver using the Add Printer wizard
1. Press 
+X
or right-click the lower-left corner of the display to open the
Computer Management menu; then select the Control Panel command.
2. On the Control Panel home page, click the View devices and printers link .
Open the Devices and Printers control panel from this link on the Control Panel home page.
3. In the Devices and Printers control panel, click the Add a Printer button .
Access the Add Printer wizard from the Devices and Printers control panel.
4. The Add Printer dialog box appears, and Windows detects the available printers. Click the printer you wish to add, and click Next.
Windows shows detected printers in the Add Printer dialog box.
5. After adding the printer, the Add Printer wizard posts the dialog box shown in . Enter the printer name, and click Next.
This screen allows you to name your printer.
6. To set the new printer as the default, select the “Set as the default printer” check box . Test the printer by tapping or clicking the Print a Test Page button. Click Finish.
The completion step of the Add Printer wizard
When you designate a printer as the default printer, its icon displays a check mark .
A default printer icon
To install a device using the Add Device wizard
1. Press +X
or right-click the lower-left corner of the display to open the
Computer Management menu; then select the Control Panel command.
2. On the Control Panel home page, click the View Devices and Printers link in the Hardware and Sound section.
3. In the Devices and Printers control panel, click the Add a Device button.
4. The Add Device
dialog box appears, and Windows detects the available devices. Click
the device you wish to add, click Next, and finish the wizard.
Tip
When you buy a new printer or
device, don’t assume that what came with the item is the latest
software or even the correct software. Check the manufacturer’s website
to see if a better version of the software exists. This advice is
particularly true when a new operating system is released. Although
many devices come with software that performs automatic updating, many
do not. It’s a good idea to check the manufacturer’s website to see if
driver and software updates exist, and to install them if they do.
