Where can I find a driver for Canon MX870 printer?

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Where can I find a driver for Canon MX870 printer?

I just set up a new MacBook Pro running Catalina. I am trying to print from my Canon MX870 printer, but Canon's US website tells me that there is no driver for "my version" of MacOS. Yet, when I go through the printer setup, the dialog box requires me to select a driver - which does not exist. (Whatever happened to the option "generic printer"?) So, somehow, between Apples OS software (that doesn't seem to contain the necessary driver) and Canon's laziness to include a driver on their download site, I am unable to use my printer. It still works just fine with my OTHER, older laptop - a MacBook Air running 10.15.7. In fact, it shows that there IS a driver for MX870 installed - version 16.10.0.0. How can I get that same driver unto my new (M1 chip) computer?

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 11.6

Posted on Dec 7, 2021 4:41 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Jan Hedlund

Level 7

23,407 points

Dec 7, 2021 6:32 AM in response to Sebastian Kuhn

Hi,

As you probably have discovered, the latest supported operating system for a printer driver (Ver. 11.7.1.0 - September 9, 2021) from the Canon web sites appears to be OS X 10.11 El Capitan.

https://www.canon-europe.com/support/consumer_products/products/fax__multifunctionals/inkjet/pixma_mx_series/pixma_mx870.html?type=drivers&language=en&os=os%20x%2010.11%20(el%20capitan)

https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/support/details/printers/support-inkjet-printer/mx-series/pixma-mx870?tab=drivers_downloads

This may not work at all with a later operating system and with your computer, but it could possibly be worth a try anyway. It would of course be entirely experimental, so make sure that you have backup copies of all important files (documents, photos, et cetera).

There is a Canon Printer Drivers v3.4 for macOS download at https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1928?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US . A Canon MX870 series version 16.10.0.0 driver is mentioned in the referenced article. The same here, perhaps of interest for an experiment.

An experimental Gutenprint driver appears to exist as well.

Normally, only driver downloads from Apple or the printer manufacturer would be recommended.

Safely open apps on your Mac - Apple Support

Reset the Mac printing system to solve a problem – Apple Support (UK)

Add a printer on Mac – Apple Support (UK)

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