Printer Icon is Missing/Not Showing in Windows 11/10

A missing printer icon in Windows 11 or Windows 10 can make it difficult to access printer settings, check print jobs, or confirm whether your printer is properly connected. Many users notice that the printer icon suddenly disappears from the Desktop, Devices and Printers, Control Panel, or the Taskbar after a Windows update, driver issue, or accidental settings change.

In most cases, the problem is related to hidden devices, corrupted printer drivers, disabled services, or Windows configuration issues. The good news is that you can usually restore the printer icon with a few simple troubleshooting methods.

This guide explains every solution readily so you can easily bring back the missing printer icon in Windows 11 or Windows 10.

Printer Icon is Missing/Not Showing in Windows 11/10 [Fix]

If your printer icon is not showing in Windows 11 or Windows 10, follow these quick steps:

1. Restart your computer and printer.
2. Check whether the printer is hidden in Settings.
3. Re-add the printer manually.
4. Restart the Print Spooler service.
5. Update or reinstall the printer driver.
6. Run the Windows Printer Troubleshooter.
7. Restore the printer shortcut manually.

These methods solve the issue in most situations.

Why Does the Printer Icon Disappear in Windows?

Before anything, it is important to understand why the printer icon disappears. Some common reasons include:

• Corrupted printer drivers can prevent Windows from displaying the printer correctly.
• Windows updates sometimes reset device settings or remove shortcuts.
• The Disabled Print Spooler service can stop printer-related items from loading.
• Hidden devices in Windows settings may cause the printer icon to disappear.
• Incorrect printer installation may prevent Windows from recognizing the printer properly.
• Damaged system files can also affect printer visibility.

Now, let us go through the solutions one by one.

1: Restart Your Computer and Printer

The first thing you should do is restart both the computer and the printer. Temporary glitches in Windows can sometimes hide the printer icon even though the printer is connected properly.

Turn off your printer completely. Disconnect the power cable from the printer for about 30 seconds. After that, reconnect the cable and turn the printer back on.

Now restart your computer. Once the computer starts again, check whether the printer icon has returned.

Go to Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners in Windows 11. If you are using Windows 10, go to Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.

See whether your printer appears in the list.

2: Check If the Printer Is Hidden in Windows Settings

Sometimes the printer is installed correctly, but Windows hides the icon because of a settings issue.

Open the Windows Settings menu. Go to Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners in Windows 11.

In Windows 10, go to Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners. Look for your printer name in the list of installed printers. If the printer appears, click on it and select Set as default.

Now open the Control Panel. Go to Start > Type Control Panel > Open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers. Check whether the printer icon is visible there.

If the printer is still missing, move to the next step.

3: Re-add the Printer Manually

A damaged printer configuration may cause the icon to disappear. Re-adding the printer can often fix the problem.

First, remove the existing printer.

Go to Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Select your printer and click Remove device. After removing the printer, restart your computer.

Now reconnect the printer to the computer using USB or Wi Fi. Go back to Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Add device.

Windows will search for available printers. When your printer appears, click Add device. Wait for the installation to finish.

Once done, open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers and verify whether the printer icon is back.

4: Restart the Print Spooler Service

The Print Spooler service manages all print-related activities in Windows. If this service stops working, printer icons may disappear.

Press Windows + R on your keyboard. Type services.msc and press Enter.

The Services window will open. Scroll down and find Print Spooler.

Right-click on Print Spooler and select Restart. After restarting the service, double-click on Print Spooler. Make sure the Startup type is set to Automatic. Click Apply and then click OK.

Now close the Services window and check whether the printer icon appears again.

Go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers to confirm.

5: Update the Printer Driver

Outdated or corrupted printer drivers are one of the biggest reasons for missing printer icons in Windows.

Open Device Manager. Go to Start > Type Device Manager > Open Device Manager. Expand the Print queues section. Right-click your printer and select Update driver.

Choose Search automatically for drivers. Windows will search for the latest compatible printer driver and install it automatically.

After the update finishes, restart your computer. Now check whether the printer icon appears correctly.

If Windows cannot find a new driver, visit the official website of your printer manufacturer and download the latest Windows 11 or Windows 10 driver manually.

Install the downloaded driver and restart the PC.

6: Reinstall the Printer Driver Completely

If updating the driver does not help, reinstalling it completely may solve the issue.

Open Device Manager. Go to Start > Type Device Manager > Open Device Manager > Print queues.

Right-click your printer and select Uninstall device. If you see an option that says Delete the driver software for this device, check the box and continue.

Restart your computer after uninstalling the printer. Now reconnect the printer.

Windows may automatically reinstall the printer driver. If it does not, manually download the latest driver from the printer manufacturer’s website.

Install the driver and restart the computer.

After restarting, go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers and check for the printer icon.

7: Run the Windows Printer Troubleshooter

Windows includes a built-in troubleshooter that can automatically detect and fix printer-related issues.

Open the Settings app.

Go to Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters in Windows 11.

In Windows 10, go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters. Find Printer and click Run.

Windows will scan your system for printing issues.

Follow the instructions shown on the screen.

If Windows finds a problem, it may automatically repair it.

After the troubleshooter finishes, restart the computer and check whether the printer icon is restored.

8: Create a New Printer Shortcut Manually

Sometimes the printer works normally, but the shortcut icon itself is missing from the desktop.

You can create a new shortcut manually.

• Go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers.
• Right-click your printer.
• Select Create shortcut.
• Windows may ask whether you want the shortcut on the desktop.
• Click Yes.

The printer icon should now appear on your desktop.

If the shortcut still does not appear, continue to the next step.

9: Check Windows System Files

Corrupted Windows system files can prevent hardware icons from displaying properly.

Use the System File Checker tool to repair damaged files.

Press Windows + X and select Windows Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin).

Type the following command:

sfc /scannow

Press Enter.

Windows will begin scanning system files. This process may take several minutes.

After the scan completes, restart your computer.

Now check whether the printer icon is visible again.

10: Enable Device Icons Using Registry Editor

In some cases, Windows registry settings may hide device icons.

• Press Windows + R.
• Type regedit and press Enter.
• The Registry Editor window will open.
• Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace
• Carefully check whether printer-related entries exist.
• Do not modify other registry values unless necessary.

If you are unsure about editing the registry, create a restore point before making changes.

Restart the computer after checking the registry.

11: Install Pending Windows Updates

Missing system updates can sometimes cause hardware and printer display problems.

Open Settings.

Go to Start > Settings > Windows Update in Windows 11.

In Windows 10, go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.

Click Check for updates. Download and install all available updates. Restart the computer once the installation finishes.

After restarting, check whether the printer icon is restored.

12: Use Control Panel Instead of Settings

In some situations, the printer may not appear in the Settings app, but still exists inside Control Panel.

Open the Control Panel manually. Go to Start > Type Control Panel > Open > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers.

If the printer appears there, right-click the printer and select Set as default printer.

You can also create a desktop shortcut from this location.

This method often helps users who cannot find the printer in the modern Settings app.

FAQs

Why is my printer icon missing in Windows 11?

The printer icon may disappear because of outdated drivers, disabled Print Spooler service, corrupted system files, hidden devices, or Windows update issues.

How do I restore my printer icon on the desktop?

Go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers. Right-click the printer and select Create shortcut. Windows will place the printer icon on the desktop.

Why is my printer not showing in Devices and Printers?

This usually happens due to corrupted drivers, incomplete installation, or connection problems. Reinstalling the printer often fixes the issue.

Can Windows updates remove printer icons?

Yes. Some Windows updates may reset printer settings or temporarily remove shortcuts and drivers.

What does the Print Spooler service do?

The Print Spooler service manages print jobs and printer communication in Windows. If it stops running, printer-related features may stop working properly.

Is reinstalling the printer safe?

Yes. Reinstalling the printer is completely safe and often resolves missing icon problems caused by corrupted settings or drivers.