Microsoft Print to PDF is a handy feature in Windows 10 that makes printing documents to a PDF extremely easy. On some systems though, you might that Microsoft Print to PDF is missing when you go to use it.
That’s because it’s an optional feature in Windows 10 that’s usually on by default, but may need to be enabled and installed on some systems. In this article, we’ll take a look at how to enable and install Microsoft Print to PDF in Windows 10 for systems where it’s missing.
How to Enable Microsoft Print to PDF Optional Feature
Before you can install Microsoft Print to PDF, and its driver, you first need to enable it in Windows 10’s optional features.
- Hit
Windows key + R
on your keyboard to open the WindowsRun
dialog box. - Type in
optionalfeatures
and clickOK
, or hitEnter
on your keyboard. Alternatively, you can go to Windows Settings > Apps > Optional features > More Windows features (at the bottom). - in the
Windows Features
window that appears, locateMicrosoft Print to PDF
and check the box to the left of it then clickOK
.
Now you are ready to install Microsoft Print to PDF!
How to Install Microsoft Print to PDF / Driver in Windows 10
- Click the
Start
button and then click theGear
icon in the bottom left of theStart menu
. - In the
Settings
window that appears, clickDevices
. - Click
Printers & Scanners
underDevices
in the menu on the left. - Click
Add a printer or scanner
and then clickThe printer that I want isn't listed
when it appears (this can take a few seconds). - In the
Add Printer
window that appears, selectAdd a local printer...with manual settings
and clickNext
. - On the next screen, select
FILE: (Print to File)
from theUse an existing port
dropdown menu, and then clickNext
. - In the following screen, select
Microsoft
from the list on the left and thenMicrosoft Print to PDF
in the list on the right. ClickNext
afterwards.
Note: If theMicrosoft Print to PDF
is missing from the list on the right, click theWindows Update
button, then look for it again.
In some cases, the driver will still be missing from the list even after clicking theWindows Update
button. To fix this issue, you’ll need to remove the old driver from the system first and then try the above again. Here’s how to remove the Microsoft Print to PDF driver from your system:
- Open the Windows
Run
dialog box (Windows key + R), type inprintui.exe /s
, and hitOK
. - In the
Print Server Properties
window, click theDrivers
tab. - Locate the
Microsoft Print to PDF
driver underInstalled printer drivers
and remove it. When asked whether to remove only the driver, or the driver and its packages, remove only the driver. ClickYes
on any other confirmation boxes.
- Open the Windows
- Type a name for the printer, or leave it as the default
Microsoft Print to PDF
(recommended), and clickNext
. - Finally, click
Finish
in the Add Printer success window. You may also want to test the printer and make sure it’s working!
Finally an article that helped me out!
Step 7 was the problem solver 🙂
Thanks!
Glad we could help!
This is not accurate:
On the next screen, select FILE: (Print to File) from the Use an existing port dropdown menu, and then click Next.
It should be set to PORTPROMPT
The driver isn’t listed among the available Microsoft drivers, and it isn’t listed as installed using printui.exe /s so it can’t be removed.
What then? Where can I find this driver?
Hello,
Have you made sure that you enabled it under the optional Windows features first?