The software for this printer is currently unavailable [Lion]

Lion no longer installs all the printer drivers out of the box, I guess to cut down on unnecessary downloading from the Mac App Store. On 10.7.1 it wouldn’t let me add a printer with the error:

The software for this printer is currently unavailable. Please contact the printer’s manufacturer for the latest software.

However by running Software Update (from the Apple menu bar) after connecting the printer, it successfully downloaded the correct drivers. The Add Printer option then automatically installs the printer once selected.

Update, thanks to Rob in the comments for his suggestion that seems to be helping a lot of people:

If run­ning Apple’s Software Update doesn’t fix it for you, open Preferences->Print & Scan and then hit ctrl-click (or right mouse) over the list of print­ers and select “Reset Printing System…”. That will unin­stall all your print­ers but then I was able to add the Officejet by click­ing the “+” but­ton and the error went away.

56 thoughts on “The software for this printer is currently unavailable [Lion]

  1. But how do you connect the printer after you get that error message?

    I see my printer listed on “nearby printers,” select it, then get the error message. The only option at that point is to cancel and be left with my list of previously installed printers, not including the one I wish to use.

  2. Looks like if I want to set up a network printer, I have to install it via USB first. I even downloaded the 500MB driver pack Apple has on it’s support page for HP (made for Lion), but it still won’t install while networked.

    And well, software update opened it when I plugged it in USB, asking to update the drivers. But it failed too. Apple Software Update says I’m up to date. This kind of sucks.

  3. If running Apple’s Software Update doesn’t fix it for you, open Preferences->Print & Scan and then hit ctrl-click (or right mouse) over the list of printers and select “Reset Printing System…”. That will uninstall all your printers but then I was able to add the Officejet by clicking the “+” button and the error went away.

  4. Hey thanks Rob, worked for me too. Gotta love the Net, always an answer you don’t expect out there somewhere

  5. Oy, Robbo, thanks so much mate. I couldn’t have done it without your help

  6. Rob, you’re my hero. Wish I’d found this post about 2.5 hours ago.

  7. “If run­ning Apple’s Software Update doesn’t fix it for you, open Preferences->Print & Scan and then hit ctrl-click (or right mouse) over the list of print­ers and select “Reset Printing System…”. That will unin­stall all your print­ers but then I was able to add the Officejet by click­ing the “+” but­ton and the error went away.”

    Awesome! Thank you! This finally fixed my issue. I was trying to update the printer using system update, but it wouldn’t work. Then I tried installing the printer using the print/scan system, and that didn’t work either. But resetting my printing system allowed me to add the printer without installing an update.

  8. kudos Rob – I have been having seemingly infinite issues with printers since upgrading to Lion, this seems to have fixed all of them – thanks!

  9. Thanks, Rob! The “Preferences->Print & Scan and then hit ctrl-click (or right mouse) over the list of print­ers and select “Reset Printing System…” worked for my Epson Stylus NX430 too!

  10. I don’t like to be a me-too-er but this did work for me to.

    Thanks for that!

  11. Thanks, Rob! The “Preferences->Print & Scan and then hit ctrl-click (or right mouse) over the list of print­ers and select “Reset Printing System…” worked for my HL-2132 Brother too!

  12. THANK YOU!!!! Been working on trying to get this to work for hours. The CTRL-Click worked perfectly for me. Thanks again.!!!!

  13. Thank you! The “Preferences->Print & Scan and then hit ctrl-click (or right mouse) over the list of print­ers and select “Reset Printing System…” worked for my computer too! It’s the best trick to force Lion to make printer work. Impossible to make 3 printers to work on my mac after upgrade and after the magic reset it works like a charm!!

  14. Thank heaven I found this!! For days I’ve been unable to print on my two printers, either via network or via USB. This solved my problem. Such an easy fix after so much pain and searching. Thank you, thank you!!

  15. THANK YOU, Resetting the printing system worked great! I hate Apple…

  16. thanks! i couldn’t figure out how to get the printer to show up in list, after ctrl-click it worked!

  17. Magic Man! I was going a bit crazy, your reset trick worked instantly – very helpful
    Thanks
    Hugh

  18. Thank you!!
    This worked for 10.8.3 as well. I didn’t have to re-install the software. As soon as I connected them, they showed up on the list. Thanks again. (Epson 1400, Epson WF-7510, Brother HL-2040, Epson V-500 scanner)
    Thanks,
    Pam

  19. THANK YOU! Just spent a day completely frustrated… This trick (while extremely simple) worked like a charm!
    Big ups to you.

  20. Just bought a HL2280DW and was getting the errors above when trying to install it on 10.8.3. Resetting the printers worked great.

  21. Rob, thank you SO MUCH. I literally just burst into an ad-libbed chorus of “Halle-f***in’-lujah.”

  22. Hey Rob, For me it doesn’t work. Maybe you know a sollution? My printer is a Canon printer: IP 4200, and I just bought a new macbook pro: 10.8.3. I tried to download different driver programs but non of them work. The printer simply doenst show up in my printer list. I’m curious about what you think!

  23. Thanks Rob. Printer was almost leaving by the nearest window! You’ve saved it from a certain death! epson XP-205.

  24. Rob,

    This was the solution that I was hoping to find!!! This was the only thing that actually worked to get my new Brother DCP-7065DN printer to actually install on my 2 Macs!!! 1 is running 10.7.5 (Lion) and the other is running 10.8.5 (Mountain Lion). Nothing else worked!!!

    This was such a frustrating ordeal before I found this simple solution! Thanks again! You deserve the praise that you have received for posting this information! Cheers 🙂

  25. Purchased a Brother printer from Staples and after an hour of unsuccessful trial and error failed to connect to my MacBook Pro swapped to a Canon.
    Another hour at home without success left me feeling that I was destined not to print again then I found this advice which worked straight away – massive thank you.

  26. MANY thanks. This was such an annoying problem. Something that should have taken two minutes took thirty after I discovered that I no longer just download the print driver from HP’s support site. Why would a printer company give all control of their drivers over to a third party??

  27. Thank you!!! I have been trying to solve this for two days and you did it!!!!!

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