First, let's answer these questions - "What Is a Printer Driver?" and "What Does It Do?"

In general, the printer driver is the "middleman" between your PC, your printer, and you. It is a software program that translates the language of an application on your PC to the language of the printer.

The printer driver has two major jobs to do: it acts as a translator and also as a supervisor.

As a translator, it converts the text or graphic image that you've created into a pattern that the printer can understand. In inkjet technology, it does this by transforming the text or image into a pattern of dots. The dots are put on the paper in four (sometimes six) separate color planes, one for each color (CMYK - cyan, magenta, yellow, and black). They are then superimposed to create the right color. Since computer monitors use just three colors (RGB -red, green, and blue), the printer driver first has to convert the monitor's color scheme to the printer's.

After it has translated all the data, the printer driver switches into supervisor mode. Here, it tells the printer what to print and how to transfer it onto the page. It does this by specifying which print head nozzles to fire at which time to get the right pattern. It also synchronizes the printer's carriage mechanism and the paper feed with the firing of the print head.

Sometimes the print driver will not print the exact matching colors that you see on your monitor. Most drivers have a way to make color adjustments. Each is specific to your printer but once you set it up you rarely have to fool with it. Look under "Color Management" in your drivers properties.

Now, back to the heading topic of "What To Do When Your Printer's Driver Has Crashed..."

Printer driver (software) is easily "corrupted" and often out of date.

Companies constantly update and tweak their drivers as bugs are fixed, new features are introduced and operating systems evolve. The software (drivers) that ship with your printer are often NOT up to date!

To find out what driver version your printer is using, click Start > Settings > Printers or, go to Control Panel> Printers and Faxes, locate your printer's name (icon) and right-click on it. Next, choose Properties from the drop-down menu. Select the Main tab, and click the About button.

** Before installing a printer driver, check your printer manufacturer's Web site to ensure that you have the latest version. They will have instructions for downloading and installing. We have links to your printer manufacturer's site here.

Out-of-date or corrupted Windows drivers are a common source of printer problems. Reinstalling a driver is pretty easy: First, go to the Printers folder (acceess as described above) and delete the printer icon. Then, double-click the Add New Printer icon. The Add New Printer wizard will ask you to select your printer from a list of possible choices. You may need to insert the Windows CD-ROM at this point to load a driver. If you have the printer software disk that shipped with your printer, just click the "Have Disk" button on the screen and follow the prompts.

Once you have a good driver installed, check your printer's settings. Right-click the printer icon and select Properties. The type, number and location of the settings vary from printer to printer, but many are common to most printers.

How To Quickly Update Your Printer Drivers:

First, download the latest drivers for your printer model from the manufacturer's web site. (save them to a folder you can find or on the desktop!)

In (Win98)Click Start>Settings>Printers. In (WinXP)Click Start>Control Panel>Printers and other hardware>View installed printers.

- Right-click the printer icon (picture) whose driver you wish to update.
- Click Properties and then the Details or Advanced tab. Click on New Driver.
- Answer Yes to the warning box that (may) pop up.
- Click Have Disk, and click Browse to get to the folder containing your updated drivers.
- Follow the on-screen directions to install. (It's best to reboot your computer after you are finished installing).