How to Install a Printer Without a CD: Windows, Mac and More

You can install a printer without a CD on almost any modern computer. Windows 11, macOS and ChromeOS include driverless printing support for most printers made in recent years, and iPhones and Android phones print through AirPrint and Mopria. Connect the printer to Wi-Fi or plug it in with USB, then add it from your device’s printer settings. If something is missing, download the current software from the printer maker’s support site. The disc is not needed, and it is often out of date.

Why the CD is no longer needed

Printer discs were made to deliver drivers at a time when computers did not include them. Three things have changed:

• Standard printing protocols. Most network printers support IPP Everywhere, AirPrint or Mopria, which let computers and phones print without a model-specific driver.
• Built-in drivers. Windows 11 includes the Microsoft IPP Class Driver, macOS includes AirPrint, and ChromeOS supports IPP Everywhere printers out of the box.
• Online downloads. When a model-specific driver is needed, the maker’s website has the newest version. The disc in the box is usually older than the printer you bought, because it was pressed when the model was first made.

Many laptops and small desktops no longer have a disc drive at all, so this is now the normal way to set up a printer.

Step 1: connect the printer

Before any computer can add the printer, it needs a connection.

Connection	How to set it up without a CD	Guide
Wi-Fi, printer with a screen	Run the Wi-Fi setup wizard on the control panel	Wireless printer setup
Wi-Fi, screenless printer	WPS button or the maker’s app on your phone	WPS setup
USB cable	Plug the printer into the computer	Connect a printer to a laptop with USB
Ethernet	Plug the printer into the router	Ethernet printer setup

If the printer is brand new, do the unboxing steps first (packing tape, ink or toner, paper); our new printer setup checklist covers them.

Step 2: add the printer on your computer

Windows 11

1. Open Settings, then Bluetooth & devices, then Printers & scanners.
2. Select Add device and wait for the printer to appear.
3. Select Add device next to it. Windows chooses the driver automatically.

If the printer does not appear, select Add manually and add it by IP address. The full walkthrough is in how to add a printer in Windows 11.

Mac

1. Open the Apple menu, System Settings, then Printers & Scanners.
2. Click Add Printer, Scanner or Fax.
3. Select the printer; macOS chooses AirPrint or a suitable driver in the Use menu.
4. Click Add.

See how to add a printer on Mac for adding by IP address.

Chromebook

Open Settings, Advanced, Print and scan, Printers, then save the printer from the list or add it manually. Chromebooks never used installation discs; see how to add a printer on a Chromebook.

Phones and tablets

Phones never needed a CD. iPhone and iPad print with AirPrint; Android uses its default print service or Mopria. See print from iPhone and print from Android.

Step 3: download software only if you need it

Install the maker’s software if:

• the computer does not recognise the printer, or it shows as a generic or text-only printer;
• you need the maker’s scanning software, for example to scan to a folder from the printer’s own buttons;
• the printer is old and does not support driverless printing.

To get it:

1. Find the exact model name on the printer (front, top or the rating label at the back).
2. Go to the maker’s own support site and search for the model. Avoid third-party driver sites and “driver updater” programs.
3. Choose your operating system and download the recommended package. On Windows, our guide to installing a printer driver in Windows 11 explains the options.
4. Run the installer. For USB printers, plug the cable in only when the installer asks for it.

Some makers also offer a setup app in the Microsoft Store, the Mac App Store or on phones, such as HP Smart; see our HP Smart setup guide. These are optional for printing but can help with first Wi-Fi setup.

A word of caution about setup websites

The quick-start sheet in the box sometimes prints a short web address for setup. Type it exactly as printed. Search results for “printer setup” can include sites that imitate printer makers and push people to call a phone number or pay for “activation”. Printer setup is free; you never need to pay or call anyone to install a driver.

Command-line and offline installs

If a computer has no internet connection, or you set up several PCs, you can install from a driver package you downloaded once on another machine. Copy the unpacked folder (the one containing an .inf file) to a USB stick. On the offline PC, use Add a printer using an IP address or hostname, then Have Disk in the driver step and browse to the .inf. Our Windows 11 driver guide walks through Have Disk.

For several PCs, PowerShell can stage the driver and add the printer in a script: pnputil adds the .inf to the driver store, then Add-PrinterDriver, Add-PrinterPort and Add-Printer do the rest. See add a printer with PowerShell. On Linux the equivalent is a single lpadmin command; see add a printer from the Linux command line.

If a previous attempt left a broken driver behind, remove the printer and its driver package first, as explained in remove a printer in Windows 11, so the new install starts clean.

If the printer still will not install

• Check the printer and computer are on the same network (or the USB cable is connected directly, not through an unpowered hub).
• Restart the printer, then the computer, and try again.
• On Windows, look at Optional updates under Windows Update for a driver.
• Find the printer’s IP address and add it manually; see how to find your printer’s IP address.

Once the printer is installed, set it as your default printer so every job goes to it.