Hello all! I'm Emma Gibson and I'm a work-from-home Technical Writer of over 10 years. I write for the DriverFinder site, and have provided thousands of short, step-by-step 'How To' content for the Customer Support portals of various US companies such as HP, Symantec, System Center, Cherwell, and others.When I'm not writing 'tech stuff', I'm mostly likely to be found in the kitchen testing recipes, or outside sporting (to get rid of those calories I consumed while in the kitchen).
Curious about how to set up a VPN connection? That’s not surprising. With privacy and security so important these days, it is a good idea to use a VPN connection in Windows 10.
VPN is short for Virtual Private Network. It helps protect your personal data and shields your location whenever you’re online. But how do you go about this in Windows 10? This article will help you set up a VPN and connect it to Windows 10.
Set Up a VPN Connection in Windows 10
Before you can use a VPN connection in Windows 10, you must first create the VPN connection itself.
To create a VPN connection:
Click on the notification area in the Windows 10 Taskbar (1).
Next, click on the VPN block in the popup window (2).
This will bring up VPN Settings. In this window, click Add a VPN connection.
Now you will need to enter the details for the VPN connection.
For the VPN provider, select Windows (built-in). For the Connection name, you can enter any convenient name for the connection (e.g. Personal Connection, or Work Connection).
For the server name or address, enter the name or address of the VPN server.
Then select the type of sign-in info, or leave the default User name and password.
Enter the details for the sign-in authorization (User name and password, or other means of authorization). Note: For work type of connections, simply request the necessary configuration details from the IT administrator. For Paid VPN services, the VPN provider will give you the configuration details.
Click Save to finalize the creation of the VPN connection.
Connect to a VPN in Windows 10
Once you have created a VPN connection in Windows 10, you need to connect to it to make sure your privacy is shielded when you go online.
To connect to an existing VPN connection:
Click on the notification area in the Windows 10 Taskbar.
Click the VPN block in the popup window.
In the VPN Settings window, click the VPN connection you want to use.
Click Connect.
Optionally, enter the authorization details for the VPN connection to complete the sign-in.
Once you are connected to the VPN, you should be able to see this from the Taskbar. Click the WiFi or Network icon. The VPN connection should show Connected below it.
Use a Browser-Based VPN Connection
Apart from the above described method of using a VPN connection in Windows 10, it is also possible to use a VPN connection through your browser.
Both Chrome and Firefox have extensions or add-ons that offer VPN connections.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article!
Having other problems with your network connection? Easily check if you have the latest drivers for your wireless or network card by downloading DriverFinder.
Need to add a printer in Windows 10? In this article, I’ll show you the steps on how you can add or link a printer to your computer, whether that printer is brand spanking new, or an old one that you’ve had for years.
Add a Printer Automatically in Windows 10
Firstly, make sure your printer is turned on and connected to your computer. Next, follow the steps below to install the printer in Windows 10.
Simultaneously press the Win + R key to open the Run dialog box.
In the Run dialog box, type the following command: control printers, and then click the OK button
Next, click the Add a printer button.
Windows will scan for your plugged printers. Select your printer and then click Next.
Windows will install a printer driver for the device. Once done, click the Finish button. Tip: Click the Print a test page button to test your printer before clicking Finish.
Check if your new printer is added in the list of Devices and Printers.
Use an Older Printer with Windows 10
So, what if you end up getting a new computer, or you upgraded an existing computer to Windows 10, and you still want to use your old printer?
Manufacturers often don’t make new Windows 10 drivers for older printer models. To use an older printer in Windows 10, you start by following the Steps 1-3 above.
When no printer is found, click the link The printer that I want isn’t listed link.
Next, select the option My printer is a little older. Help me find it. And then click Next.
Windows 10 will search for available printers and compatible drivers. Once found, select the compatible printer model, and click Next.
Now type a name for the printer, and click Next.
Skip the Printer Sharing option by clicking Next again.
Use the Print a test page button to check if the printer is working, and then click Finish.
Add a Printer Manually in Windows 10
If both previous options did not enable you to install or connect your printer to Windows 10, you can try to install the printer manually. Here are the steps to follow:
Follow the previous instructions to click the link The printer that I want isn’t listed.
Now select the option Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings, and click Next.
The next step is to choose a printer port. Select the option Use an existing port (this is for a printer connected locally to your computer). In the drop-down list next to it, select the port. For a printer connected through a USB cable, select the USB option. For a printer connected with a parallel cable, select the LPT1 option. Then click Next.
Next, click the Windows Update button. This will make sure Windows 10 checks the online repository for compatible drivers (Microsoft Update Catalog).
Wait for Windows to finish scanning the devices and driver catalog. In the next windows, select the printer manufacturer and then the printer model. Note: If the exact model for your printer is not listed, try selecting a model similar to your printer model. Or, if you have a driver disk for the printer, click the Have Disk option and select the INF file location for the printer driver.
Click Next.
The final steps are the same as before. Type a name for the printer, skip the printer sharing option and print a test page.
Click Finish.
Note:Is finding the right printer driver getting a bit too technical for you? No sweat. Download DriverFinder to find the EXACT printer driver your PC needs with just one click.
Install an Old Printer Driver in Windows 10, Using Compatibility Mode
If you have a driver installer for an older version of Windows for your printer, you can still try to use it with Windows 10. Just like some earlier Windows versions, Windows 10 has the ability to run programs in compatibility mode.
Open a File Explorer window and browse to the driver installer file.
Right-click the file and in the popup menu, select the option Troubleshoot compatibility.
Wait for the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter to analyze the file. Once complete, click Test the program to see if the installer will run under Windows 10.
If the printer driver was installed by the program, you can select Next, and then click Yes, save the settings for this program.
If the program failed, and the printer driver was not installed, click Next.
Now click No, report the problem to Microsoft and check online for a solution.
If an online solution is available, you can try the option presented.
In many cases the online troubleshooter will not give you a viable solution for older printers. But if you know which version of Windows the installer is compatible with, you can manually set the Compatibility mode instead of letting Windows 10 analyze it.
Simply right-click the driver installer program, and click Properties in the popup menu.
In the properties dialog box, select the checkbox named Run this program in compatibility mode for:
In the drop-down list below it, select the Windows version that you know the installer is compatible with.
Click OK.
Now double-click the installer in the Explorer window to run it. The program will now be executed with compatibility settings for the selected Windows version. Note: Some installers need to be executed with Administrator rights. So if, running the installer fails. Right-click the file, and in the the popup menu select Run as administrator.
Follow the instructions in the printer driver installer program to finish the printer installation.
The Printer is too old for Windows
It may turn out to be impossible to get your printer working on Windows 10 or Windows 11 because it is too old. In that case, there are only two real options.
The first option is to use a Virtual Machine solution (VMware or VirtualBox), install an older version of Windows, and install the printer software in that.
Using the virtual machine sharing options you can then access and use the printer in Windows 10 or Windows 11.
The second option is to use OpenPrinting with Linux. This is a lot more technical to implement, but it is a good option for older printers. For example, if the old Windows software for the printer is no longer available. Linux has better support for older hardware than the new Windows versions. This method uses the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) to install a Linux distribution in Windows first.
Microsoft Windows uses device drivers to communicate with hardware devices in the computer. One of the important devices in a computer is the PCI simple communications controller. If the PCI simple communications controller driver is not installed, the device will show an error. In addition, it can result in other devices depending on this device failing or not being recognized by Windows.
What is a PCI Simple Communications Controller?
PCI is short for Peripheral Component Interconnect and it is a hardware bus that is used to connect hardware devices to a computer. The bus is inside the computer, on the motherboard, so you will not see it, like a printer or mouse. But it is a critical component to enable communication between the CPU and hardware devices. The PCI simple communications controller is a controller chip that is part of the motherboard chipset. The device manufacturer is Intel.
If the right driver for the PCI simple communications controller is not installed, this will be visible in the Device Manager in Windows. The device will show an error or warning.
The device will be shown in the Other devices category instead of the System devices category. When you right-click the device and check the Properties, the error will often show “The drivers for this device are not installed. (Code 28)”.
Apart from this, other devices might not be recognized and show up as Unknown devices in the Other devices category as well.
Once the right driver for the PCI simple communications controller is installed, the other devices can be recognized by Windows as well and drivers for them can also be installed.
Solving the problem with the PCI simple communications controller is a matter of installing the right driver. The driver needed is the Intel Management Engine driver, which is a chipset driver.
To download the driver from the Intel support website, make sure you have a working Internet connection and visit the Intel download page.
In the search box, type “management engine driver” and then click the appropriate entry for your Windows version in the result list.
In the next page, select the driver that is right for your Windows version and click the link.
This will bring up the download page. Click the Download button to download the ZIP file to your computer. After agreeing to the Intel Software License Agreement, the download will start.
Unzip the downloaded file to extract the driver files. Navigate into the extracted folder (ME_SW_2216.16.0.2805 in this example) and then into the subfolder named ME_SE_DCH.
Install the drivers by executing the SetupME.exe file.
Once installed, restart your computer for the changes to take effect. Any devices depending on the PCI Simple Communications Controller should now also be recognized and their drivers installed.
Update the Driver from the Device Manager
Instead of manually downloading and installing the drivers for devices like the PCS Simple Communications Controller, you can also use the Device Manager to update the driver. Especially in later Windows versions, many drivers are automatically installed.
Open the Device Manager from the Start menu, or type devmgmt.msc in the Run box after pressing the Windows + R keys.
In the Device Manager, open the Other devices category.
Right-click the PCI Simple Communications Controller, and in the popup menu click Update driver (or Update Driver Software depending on your Windows version).
Choose the option to let Windows Search automatically for drivers (or Search automatically for updated driver software, again, depending on the Windows version).
Wait for the driver to be installed and then click Close to finish the driver update.
After this, reboot your PC to have the changes take effect and let Windows find any other hardware devices that may now be detected.
If the automatic update fails, make sure you have an active Internet connection. If that is the case, the other option is to choose the option Browse my computer for drivers in step 4 and select the path where you manually downloaded the latest driver for the device.
For finding the right drivers for your computer system, we recommend you use the DriverFinder utility. It scans your hardware devices and allows you to download the latest drivers for all devices.
Fix #1 – Check That Your Mic is Correctly Plugged to Your PC
This fix assumes that you have an external device you’re using as your microphone for your Zoom meetings. If that’s not the case, feel free to move on to the next recommended fix.
Unplug your microphone and plug it back in to ensure that it’s not just loosely connected.
If you’re using a USB audio device, then try plugging it into a different usb port. Note: If you’re using a USB hub or USB extension cable, try plugging the device directly into your computer’s USB port.
For Bluetooth headsets, or microphones, make sure to PAIR the device with your Windows computer.
Fix #2 – Check that your Microphone Device is Not Muted
On the Windows Taskbar, right-click the speaker icon and then click Open Sound Settings.
Under Input, click the Choose your input device down arrow and select the microphone device you want to use.
If you’re using an audio headset, check that its Mute switch – if it has one – is not turned on.
This is my Jabra headset and where the Mute button is on my device.
Fix #3 – Check that Zoom is Allowed to Use Your Microphone
Use the Windows search box, type microphone privacy settings and select this option when it appears.
Under Microphone, switch the Allow apps to access your microphone toggle to On.
Scroll down further till you find Allow desktop apps to access your microphone, and then toggle that to On too.
Note: Ensure that Zoom Meetings is one of the desktop apps listed as allowed to use the microphone.
Tip: Is the Zoom app not listed under Microphone Privacy Settings?
Uninstall Zoom.
Restart your PC.
Re-install Zoom.
Fix #4 – Ensure that Zoom is Using the Default Microphone
Log into your Zoom desktop app.
On the right side of the Zoom pane, under your profile icon, click the Settings icon .
On the left pane, click Audio.
Under Microphone, ensure that audio device selected is the same device you chose under Fix #2 above. If not, click the down arrow and then select Same as System.
While you’re in there, perform a mic test.
Under Microphone, click Test Mic.
Say something into your microphone.
Whatever you say should be played back to you.
While you’re in there, check that the microphone is not automatically set to mute when you join a meeting.
Ensure that the setting Mute my microphone when joining meeting is off.
Note: By the way, the Meeting Host can mute meeting participants so be sure this is not the case.
Fix #5 – Update Your Audio Drivers
If you’re microphone is still not working with Zoom even after going through the Windows and Zoom solutions above, then you may need to update your device drivers.
Audio drivers ensure that Windows can recognize and operate your audio devices, including your microphone. In the same way, USB ports and Bluetooth also need device drivers to function.
Hardware manufactures release new device drivers all the time. This is their way of releasing new product features or new functionality for their devices, as well as fixing any bugs that may have been detected by consumers over use.
How to Update Drivers Manually
Normally, for sound problems you should go your PC manufacturer’s website and install the latest Windows 10 sound drivers available for your laptop or desktop PC. However, if you have a custom PC, or if you built your PC yourself (impressive!), you should probably head to your motherboard manufacturer’s website and download audio drivers from them.
If, like me, you’re using a USB microphone, try to download and install the recent release of USB controller drivers from the manufacturer’s website.
How to Update Drivers Automatically
If you don’t have time or the know-how to properly select, download and install the drivers you need, you can do this process automatically with DriverFinder. (Shameless plug!)
DriverFinder does exactly what its name suggests… instantly find the RIGHT device drivers you need. Once you install DriverFinder, it will automatically recognize your system info and details, as well as all the devices installed or connected to your PC.
It will then compare the drivers installed on your system against our DAILY UPDATED and ever-growing driver database. From here, just download and install the latest audio driver found for your device.
Click Activate to register your copy of DriverFinder.
Click Start Scan to check for new drivers.
Download and install the latest device drivers recommended for your audio/microphone device.
Fix # 6 – Quit Other Chat & Teleconferencing Software
You may not realize this but perhaps other apps are on/open and are ‘locking’ the use of your microphone. So if you have Skype,GoToMeeting, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, etc. installed on your PC, ensure that all of them are completely closed.
Click the up arrow ^ on the Taskbar notification of Windows to see hidden icons.
If you see any chat or teleconferencing app there, right-click it and then click Quit or Sign Out.
Tip: If you want, you can also uninstall all other chat and teleconferencing apps you have installed on your PC to be sure, apart from Zoom of course. Reboot your PC and then perform a mic test again in Zoom.
Fix # 7 – Disable ‘Audio Enhancement’ Settings
Disable ‘Audio Enhancement’ settings for your output.
On the Windows Taskbar, right-click the speaker icon and then click Open Sound Settings.
Under Output, click Device Properties.
In the DeviceProperties window, click Additional device properties.
Click the Advanced tab.
Uncheck Allow hardware acceleration of audio with this device and Enable audio enhancements.
Click OK.
Note: If you don’t see the above settings, look at the options under Exclusive Mode and uncheck those options.
Disable ‘Audio Enhancement’ settings for your input.
On the Windows Taskbar, right-click the speaker icon and then click Open Sound Settings.
Under Input, click Device Properties.
In the DeviceProperties window, click Additional device properties.
Click the Advanced tab.
Uncheck Enable audio enhancements.
Click OK.
Note: If you don’t see the above settings, look at the options under Exclusive Mode and uncheck those options.
Fix # 8 – Use Your Phone as Your Microphone
If you’re already in a meeting, we understand you’re in a pinch and just want to use any mic ASAP. In this case, you may want to use your phone as your microphone.
Download the Zoom app on your Android or iPhone.
On your phone, login into your Zoom account.
Go back to the Zoom desktop app.
Click on the arrow next to Mute, and then click Switch to Phone audio.
You will be given a meeting ID and password. Use it to join the meeting on your phone.
Fix # 9 – Run the Windows 10 Audio Troubleshooter
Windows 10 has a built-in troubleshooters that can help fix common issues. Especially for non-tech-savvy users the Windows troubleshooters are a good choice. Since there is a troubleshooter for Recording Audio, this can used used to troubleshoot and fix microphone problems.
To run the Windows 10 audio troubleshooter follow these steps:
In the Taskbar search box, type “troubleshoot setting”.
Click the Troubleshoot Settings icon in the search result.
In the Troubleshoot Settings window, click the Additional troubleshooters option.
Next, scroll down to locate the Recording Audio option and click it.
Finally, click the Run the troubleshooter button that appears.
The troubleshooter will execute and identify any problems with the microphone and related settings. In most cases any available fixes will be applied automatically. Just follow the on-screen instructions in case manual actions are required (like selecting the audio input device to troubleshoot).
Zoom Microphone not working on iOS devices
When using Zoom on an Apple iPhone or iPad, the microphone can also be muted.
The very first step is to allow Zoom to access your microphone. So when you see the message “Zoom” Would Like to Access the Microphone, make sure you click the OK option.
In addition the microphone access, the microphone can be muted within the Zoom app itself.
Follow these steps to make sure the microphone is not muted within the Zoom app on iOS.
Open the Zoom App.
Click the Settings icon in the lower-right corner.
Next, click the Meetings
In the Meeting Settings, make sure the option Mute My Microphone is disabled.
Start your meeting, or join your meeting with the Join with Audio option to make sure the audio (and microphone is enabled).
If you are still facing problems, try closing any other apps that might use the microphone. A last option is to restart the phone or iPad.
I hope this article has helped you with your ‘Zoom mic not working in Windows 10‘ issue. Do let me know below which fix worked for you! If you have any questions, or more suggested fixes please feel free to comment below as well.
Like any computer device, printers need additional software to function in Windows. For hardware devices, this software is generally called a driver. By default, Windows supports a lot of devices since many drivers are already included in Windows, but many devices still need a separate driver or additional software to operate; for Hewlett-Packard printers, this is also true.
HP printer driver packages include a lot of additional software, and not only the actual driver. This enables printer troubleshooting and offers additional printing functionality that is beyond the default Windows functions. As a result, the installation of HP printer driver software is a little more extensive and complex than other average drivers. Some HP printer driver installation packages are in the hundreds of megabytes!
The problem we are addressing here is when the installation of an HP printer driver fails, resulting in error messages like “driver fatal install”, or “fatal error during installation”. Further error details can contain file names, error codes, or version mismatches.
You can also see the following errors: “The drivers for this device are not installed (Code 28). To reinstall drivers, click Reinstall Driver.” “Fatal Error 2753 — MSI.dot4wrp ”
How to Solve HP Printer Install Failed Errors
In most cases, driver installation errors can be solved by simply reinstalling the software again, sometimes a reboot is required before attempting the installation again.
But in the case of more complex software like HP printer software, a failed installation can cause all subsequent installation attempts to fail. The reason is that a failed installation can leave behind locked files, or registry information, which causes the next installation to fail.
In these cases, the next step is to first uninstall the previous installation, so that a clean system can be used to reinstall the HP driver software. The simplest way to do that is to uninstall the HP printer software from the Control Panel -> Uninstall (or Add/Remove programs) option. The Uninstall a program is found in the Control Panel under Programs -> Programs and Features in Window 7 and later.
In addition you can remove the HP printer in the Devices and Printers section of the Control Panel.
If, however, the HP printer software installation failed in an early stage, the software might not show up in the Control Panel uninstall list. That means the removal of the failed software will not be possible that way. The next thing to try in that case is to use a cleanup utility to fix the corrupted registry. Microsoft used to have the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility for this purpose, but due to conflicts with Office 2007, it was replaced by the Microsoft Fix It solution.
The Fix It solution will clear bad registry keys that can prevent programs from being installed. Keep in mind that it does not actually remove any files from the failed HP driver installation. Those will simply be overwritten by the next installation. Instead of the Microsoft solution, you can also try using a program to scan and fix the complete Windows registry, which does not limit itself to installer issues only. You can use such a program to clean all HP entries from your system before attempting the reinstall. We recommend using PC Cleaner for this purpose. Note: by Choosing to install PC Cleaner (5.72MB), you consent to it’s End User License Agreement and Privacy Policy of the site.
If you are running XP or Vista, it is also possible that the Windows Installer itself is corrupted. In that case you can simply try to download the Windows installer and reinstall that.
If reinstalling the Windows Installer is not possible, try to re-register it:
– Open a command prompt with administrator rights. – Type: msiexec /unregister and press Enter. – After the command completes type: msiexec /register and press Enter again.
For HP Officejet printers, HP used to offer a driver removal utility that could help you remove the HP printer driver for specific models. Unfortunately, this utility is no longer available from them.
Other steps that can help:
– Run a disk cleanup to clear out the temp folders, which are used for temporary installation files. – Stop the HP services using the Manage Computer option to prevent DLL files being locked.
Reinstalling the HP Printer Software
After the install cleanup is finished and the Windows installer is fixed, you need to reinstall the HP Printer driver software. Unplug the HP Printer and reboot before you do this so that Windows does not install any default drivers for the HP device. During installation, you can reconnect the printer when the installation process indicates it. Please consider that even for wireless printers you sometimes need to make a physical connection with the PC during the initial installation. Please check the printer manual for details.
If installation still fails, and you are using a USB connection, try using a different USB port, and make sure not to use an external USB hub between the PC and the HP printer.
Windows 10 HP Printer Compatibility
Although a lot of HP Printers are supported even under Windows 10, not all HP printers will work. Especially older printer models have no direct support under Windows 10, more so when it is the 64-bit version. There are a few things you can try to get an HP printer to install in Windows 10 anyway. The first is to try and run the printer installer in Compatibility Mode. Simply right-click the driver installer file and in the popup, select Properties.
You can now select Run compatibility troubleshooter. Windows will try to determine which Windows version the file is compatible with. Or you can manually choose the Windows version by using the Run this program in compatibility mode for option. After this, click OK, and execute the installer.
In some cases this method works, even though not all printer functions might be supported due to compatibility issues (often the case with printer/scanner combinations).
Use a Virtual Machine to circumvent the HP Printer Install Failed error
If the printer is not supported at all, even with the compatibility mode, you can choose to use a Virtual Machine (VM). In the Virtual Machine, you then run a version of Windows that still has support for your HP printer. The advantage is that you can still use the printer, the disadvantages are that you need to first still have a version of Windows that supports your printer, and you need to run the VM for all print functions, which means transferring all documents to be printed between the host (Windows 10), and the VM. Apart from being a complex solution, this is not a very convenient solution, so it is only interesting in a few scenarios.
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