Canon Printer Driver Problems: Install, Update, or Reinstall via Canon IJ Network Tool

A Canon printer driver is the software that lets your computer talk to your printer. When it is missing, out of date, or damaged, printing stops, scans fail, or Windows flags the printer as unavailable. This usually shows up on a new computer, after a Windows update, or when an older setup finally breaks.

This guide walks through downloading the correct driver from Canon, installing it on Windows and Mac, updating it, and fixing the driver errors people run into most. Printer Tales is an independent troubleshooting resource and is not affiliated with Canon, so every download step here points you to Canon's own website.

Which Canon printer driver do you need?

Canon splits its printers into two families, and each uses a different kind of driver.

Inkjet printers (PIXMA, MAXIFY, PIXMA G series). The driver comes inside a software package, often listed as the Canon Inkjet Printer Driver or MP Drivers. The same package usually installs the scan utility and the wireless setup tool. These drivers are matched to your model or series, so there is no single inkjet driver that fits everything.

Laser printers (imageCLASS, i-SENSYS). These use Canon's Generic Plus driver family, which supports a wide range of models from one package. UFR II is the standard version for everyday printing. PCL6 and PostScript versions exist for specific office environments, so use one of those only if your IT team asks you to.

On a Mac, iPhone, or iPad. Most Canon printers released in the last several years print through AirPrint with no driver at all. A Canon driver is optional and mainly adds full scanning and advanced print settings on some models.

Before you download, have two things ready: your exact model number, and your operating system version. On Windows, almost every current system is 64-bit.

Why Canon printer driver problems happen

Most Canon driver trouble traces back to one of these:

• The driver was never fully installed, or the installer was interrupted partway through.
• Driver files were corrupted by a system crash, a cleanup tool, or conflicting software.
• The installed driver is older than your current version of Windows or macOS.
• A Windows feature update replaced or disabled the driver that was working.
• The wrong driver was installed, often from a model with a very similar name.
• The connection changed. A new USB port, router, or IP address can leave the driver pointing at a path that no longer exists.

Nearly all of these are solved by downloading the current driver for your exact model and reinstalling it. The sections below cover download, install, update, and a full clean reinstall.

How to download Canon printer drivers from Canon

1. Find your exact model number. It is printed on the front of the printer, under the scanner lid, or on a label at the back or bottom. Note the full string, including letters at the end, for example PIXMA TR8620a or imageCLASS MF445dw.
2. Go to Canon's official support site for your region. In the United States that is the Support section of usa.canon.com. For PIXMA and MAXIFY inkjet printers you can also use ij.start.canon, which is built around entering your model.
3. Open your model's Drivers & Downloads page. Search the model number and select it from the results.
4. Set the operating system. Choose your exact version, such as Windows 11, Windows 10 (64-bit), or your macOS version. The page often detects this, but confirm it is right.
5. Pick the driver. For an inkjet printer, choose the full driver package or recommended software bundle. For a laser printer, choose the UFR II (Generic Plus) driver unless you have been told to use PCL or PostScript.
6. Download the file. It saves to your Downloads folder, usually an .exe on Windows or a .dmg on Mac.

Canon drivers are free. If a site asks you to pay, subscribe, or run a "driver scan" first, you are not on Canon's website.

How to install a Canon printer driver on Windows 11 and Windows 10

The standard way: run the installer

1. Connect the printer. Plug in the USB cable, or make sure the printer is on the same Wi-Fi network as your PC.
2. Turn the printer on before you start.
3. Double-click the downloaded .exe file. If Windows asks for permission, choose Yes.
4. Follow the prompts. Accept the license, choose USB or network connection when asked, and let the installer find the printer.
5. When it finishes, print a test page from the installer or from Settings.

The manual way: driver files only, no installer

1. Open Settings, go to Bluetooth & devices, then Printers & scanners. On Windows 10, go to Settings, then Devices, then Printers & scanners.
2. Click Add device, wait for the scan, then click "Add manually" or "The printer that I want isn't listed."
3. Choose "Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings" and click Next.
4. Select the correct port. For a USB printer, pick the USB port it is connected to. For a network printer, add or select the correct TCP/IP port. Click Next.
5. Click Have Disk, browse to the folder where you extracted the driver, and select the file that ends in .inf.
6. Choose your model from the list, finish the wizard, and print a test page.

When you add a printer, Windows Update may install a basic Canon driver on its own. That covers plain printing. Canon's full package adds scanning, ink or toner levels, and the complete set of print options.

How to install a Canon printer driver on a Mac

1. Turn the printer on and connect it to the same Wi-Fi network as your Mac, or plug in the USB cable.
2. Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings (System Preferences on older macOS), then Printers & Scanners.
3. Click the Add Printer button (the plus sign).
4. Select your Canon printer from the list. If the "Use" or "Driver" field shows AirPrint or Secure AirPrint, you are set. Click Add.
5. If you need full scanning or advanced print settings, download the Canon driver for your model and macOS version first. Open the .dmg, run the installer, then repeat steps 2 to 4 and choose the Canon driver instead of AirPrint.

If the printer does not appear, check that your Mac and the printer are on the same network, and that a firewall is not blocking AirPrint.

How to update a Canon printer driver

Most reliable: download and reinstall

1. Go to your model's page on Canon's support site.
2. Compare the listed driver version with the one you have. On Windows, check Settings, then Printers & scanners, then your printer, then Printer properties, or look in Device Manager.
3. If Canon's version is newer, download it and run the installer. It replaces the old driver in place.

Through Windows

• In Settings, go to Bluetooth & devices, then Printers & scanners, and select your printer. Some models show an update option here.
• Open Device Manager (right-click Start, then Device Manager), expand Printers or Print queues, right-click your Canon model, choose Update driver, then Search automatically for drivers.
• Check Windows Update, then Advanced options, then Optional updates, then Driver updates for a Canon entry.

Canon's consumer drivers do not update themselves in the background. Check the support page once or twice a year, and again whenever a new version of Windows or macOS is released.

How to fix “Canon printer driver is unavailable”

Windows shows "Driver is unavailable" under your printer's name when it cannot load the driver. The driver is missing, damaged, out of date, or not compatible with your current build of Windows. It often appears right after a Windows update.

Work through these in order and test printing after each step:

1. Power cycle. Turn the printer off, unplug it for about 30 seconds, then turn it back on. Restart the PC.
2. Run the printer troubleshooter. Go to Settings, then System, then Troubleshoot, then Other troubleshooters, and run Printer. On Windows 10, go to Update & Security, then Troubleshoot.
3. Install pending updates. Check Windows Update and its Optional updates, then Driver updates section. Restart afterward.
4. Reinstall the driver. Download the current driver for your exact model and OS from Canon, run the installer, and let it repair or replace what is there.
5. Do a clean reinstall. If it still reads as unavailable, remove the printer and its driver package completely, then reinstall. See the next section.
6. Wait for a Canon release if needed. If the problem started right after a major Windows update and no newer driver exists yet, use the basic Windows-supplied driver for now and check Canon's support page again in a week or two.

If your printer also shows as offline or simply will not print, those have their own fixes worth checking after the driver is sorted.

How to remove and reinstall a Canon printer driver

1. Disconnect the printer. Unplug the USB cable. A network printer can stay on.
2. In Settings, go to Bluetooth & devices, then Printers & scanners. Click your Canon printer and choose Remove.
3. Remove the driver files. In Printers & scanners, open Related settings, then Print server properties. Or press Windows + R, type printui /s /t2, and press Enter. On the Drivers tab, select the Canon driver, click Remove, choose "Remove driver and driver package," and confirm.
4. Uninstall Canon software. Go to Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps, and remove entries such as Canon Inkjet Printer Driver, Canon MP Drivers, or the Generic Plus driver. Some inkjet models include a Canon uninstaller tool you can run instead.
5. Restart the computer.
6. Run the freshly downloaded installer from Canon and set the printer up again.

A clean reinstall clears out corrupted files and old settings. It fixes most driver errors that a simple update does not.

Before you download a Canon driver from anywhere else

• Use only Canon's own websites. In the United States that is usa.canon.com and canon.com, plus ij.start.canon for inkjet setup. Other regions have their own Canon domain, such as canon.co.uk.
• Canon drivers never cost money. Any page that charges a fee, requires a subscription, or runs a "driver health scan" is not Canon.
• Skip third-party driver-updater programs. They often install a generic or mismatched driver, add extra software you did not ask for, and can make the "driver is unavailable" error harder to clear.
• Printer Tales is not affiliated with Canon. We send you to Canon's official downloads on purpose.