I'm trying to connect John's colour printer to my laptop. It is a HP printer that does not have Bluetooth capability. It's connected to my WIFI, but I can't work out how to add it to my devices so that I can use it from my laptop. The laptop assumes that any device I'm connecting to will be via Bluetooth. I can't seem to find a way to connect the printer. I know that John had it connected via WIFI previously, so there must be a way to do it.

You can choose whether to connect via WiFi or Bluetooth. Which laptop? Windows 10 or Windows 11? On my Windows 10, I select Devices in Settings and then Printers and Scanners on the left.

It's pretty much the same in Windows 11. Try this link and see if it helps...

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-set-any-printer-windows-11

The printer doesn't have Bluetooth, just Wifi. The printer doesn't show up in the list of devices.

Now I need to make poster for Dude so I need to have a printer.

I have a poster for Dude ready but I cannot print it!

Can somebody tell me how I can at least get the document to my email so that I can take it to Staples to print? I'm sorry, I'm very stressed and I can't think.

Just read that "the little twerp" showed up! Dude, you shouldn't worry mom like that.

Let's start over. Is your printer connected to your WiFi? Does it have a touch screen? No need for you to stress... I have a glass of wine at hand and I will do it for you!

What is the brand and model number of the printer and I'll look up a few things.

Let's work on this and then we'll set up your phone/computer.

John had two computers. One is a huge HP colour printer, which my laptop cannot find. I suspect it's too old.

The other is a Canon Pixma 5000 which I just turned on this afternoon after He Who Will Henceforth be Known as Twerp vanished. I can see it via Wifi, but apparently I cannot get the drivers for it. Maybe it's too old, too. I can use it if my laptop is connected via USB cable and I did manage to print a few posters, which I will now keep for t he next time the little jerk vanishes. The one thing I cannot do is connect wirelessly, and that is because I can't see a way to connect it to the Wifi. It wants to connect to the old Wifi, and I see no way to reset that. Somewhere I'm sure there is a manual but darned if I know which box it's in.

It may be that these are both dinosaurs that need to be set up as wired printers when I eventually get my office set up. I still have my Razer laptop and that could be my working computer.

Until Drac gets back to you. I have an HP Printer too. Look at this link. It tells you how to reset your Wi-Fi and help computer I’d your printer using HP SMART. Print

First you need to connect the printer to your new WiFi. Like I asked, please get me the model of that Canon and I'll look up how to do that. Also, if you can get me that model number, I can link you to the user manual.

Even though it's an older printer, Winfrey's link might help although I'm not sure HP Smart will work with it because you first must connect it to your new WiFi.

I have to leave here about 10:30 and won't be back until later this afternoon as I'm working a Wagon Days event down at the horse rescue.

I think the link would work for the HP printer but she would first need to put in the printer name and model into the link. It then shows how to reset the Wi-Fi. It worked for me as mine changed from broadband to mobile.

Yes, that is was I'm missing to be able to help much - the model of the printer. Fingers crossed your link will work while I'm gone today!

I have two printers. I can't print wirelessly on either.

15The HP is connected to the new Wifi but I can't find it from my laptop. LaserJet Pro CM1415

The other printer is the Canon Pixma 5000. I can't seem to reset the Wifi. It wants to connect to the old Wifi. The only way I can use it is by hard-connecting it with my laptop.

Have you tried going to : 123.hp.com ? For your HP printer?

THANK YOU for the printer information! You still haven't said which laptop - Windows 10 or Windows 11?????

I looked up the user manual for the Canon. You will need to use the little display panel to change your network settings. It says the network status will be shown on the lower left of the display panel. Selecting that little panel with allow you to now CHANGE those network settings. It's hard to explain, so I would suggest downloading the user manual and following the direction. They do provide helpful photos. I downloaded the manual and this is the link, so I hope it works. Scroll down to page 119 for the LCD and Operation Panel instructions.

Canon Pixma 5000 Series User Manual

I found this page for help setting up the HP Printer. Maybe there are some troubleshooting options in one of the links.

HP LaserJet Pro CM 1415

Your computer will not "find" your printer. You must ADD the printer in settings. Is that the screen where the computer won't "see" the printer?

Oh, sorry. The laptop is Win 11.

Yes, it's in the Settings menu where you add a device. My laptop can see the Canon Pixma 5000; it cannot find the HP.


EDIT: SO the above link for the HP gets me to the point where the HP app I downloaded from it finds the HP printer; however, it says the printer has to be turned on. It is on! I turned it off and back on again; the app again found the printer but again says it needs to be turned on. Not sure where to go from here. I'm just going around in a circle.

I'm having extreme concentration problems for things like this because for the last 5 weeks Dude has paced the house and he meows every 2 seconds, and I'm not exaggerating. It goes on for the entire day, starting when I get up. Playing with him doesn't help. Makes any kind of concentration impossible and it's disturbing Willow, too. I'm actually thinking of rehoming him. I can't think.

It's entirely possible there is an issue with the WiFi adapter in that old HP printer. That might be one you will just have to use with a printer cable.

So, if your laptop finds the Canon in the "add a printer" menu, is this with the printer cable unplugged?

Poor Dude. He is obviously having a hard time adjusting to the move. Probably the only time he was happy was when he was on his walkabout! I know this is not a good solution for him, but what if you set up a feeding station for him outside and just let him be out there for awhile? I live out in the country and my cats are indoor/outdoor cats. I keep food for them on top of the refrigerator in the garage so the neighbor's dogs can't get it. Yes, it's taking a chance, but if he's miserable...???

He really is miserable and I can't comfort him because he doesn't like to be held. Playing with him calms him down for only a few minutes. And he never sleeps. It goes on all day. Right now he's alternating between meowing and scraping on the door and pacing up and down the hallway. I am going to make an appointment for a vet visit, though. I have always suspected that he's hyperthyroid. He's been tested and is apparently normal but I don't believe the results. I had thyroid symptoms for over two decades before I was diagnosed. I'm a bit annoyed, though; we specifically told the SPCA that we didn't want a high-energy cat, and they assured us that he was a lazy, sleepy guy who could be coerced into play sometimes. He is the exact opposite. Not the SPCA's fault if he has a thyroid condition, but if he does it's developed since we got him less than two years ago. I've never seen anything like this before and I've had cats since I was 13 years old. My mother is coming to visit for a month and I have no idea how we'll be able to stand it. It's intolerable.

Of course if I let him be an outdoor cat, Willow will demand the same treatment.


My computer can find the Canon without the cable attached. It just can't print. Apparently the drivers are not available.

Knowing John he had these machines for a very long time, though I would have thought the Canon was new enough to use now. I just hate to ditch them.

My cat who recently passed away was hyperthyroid. Her symptoms were a voracious appetite and losing weight - like 25% of her body weight in spite of eating enormous amounts of food. Dude sounds like he might need some calming meds which they do have for cats. I think a vet visit would be a must.

I checked at the Canon website and it says, "this printer has been retired and drivers and software are no longer being made." It sounds like chucking it and just getting a new printer is going to be the only option. Much less stressful too.

I'm all for chucking the printer, then. At the moment it's the only one that I can use at all, so I'll keep it until I get a new one.

As for the HP, my guess is that it's just too old to bother with, too.

Dude has an appointment tomorrow. I hope they can find what's wrong because a month sitting here with my 92-year-old mother for a month will be a nightmare with this going on.