download alters printer

Welcome susan Gulliver,

Thank you for posting in the Microsoft Q&A Forum. I'm sorry your printer stops working after every update, especially when it works fine on your husband's laptop.

To help narrow this down, could you please tell me:

• Which version of Windows is your laptop running? Press "Windows key + R", type "winver" and press Enter, then tell us the version and build shown.
• What exactly happens after an update? For example, the printer doesn't show up, it shows as "Offline", jobs get stuck in the queue, or you see an error message (if so, what does it say?).
• How is the printer connected to your laptop: Wi-Fi, USB cable or Bluetooth? And what is the printer's model?
• Is your husband's laptop on the same Windows version and fully updated?

While you get that information, you can try these steps:

Step 1: Restart the Print Spooler service The print spooler service handles print jobs and restarting this can resolve temporary issues with printer recognition.

• Press Windows key + R, type services.msc and press Enter
• Scroll down to Print Spooler, right-click it and select Restart

Step 2: Remove and add the printer again

• Go to Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners
• Select your HP printer and click Remove, then click Yes to confirm.
• Restart your laptop. Make sure the printer is turned on and connected to the same network as your laptop (or plugged in by USB).
• Go back to Printers & scanners, click Add device and follow the prompts.

Step 3: Update or reinstall the printer driver Outdated or incompatible drivers may cause recognition issues.

• Right-click Start and select Device Manager
• Expand Printers (or "Print queues"), right-click your HP printer and select Update driver
• If no update is available, select Uninstall device. After uninstallation, restart your computer, and Windows will attempt to reinstall the printer drivers automatically.

Looking forward to your update.