Install Drivers on OS X

Question

Level 1

8 points

Install Drivers on OS X

Let me start by saying that I am primarily a Windows user. I don't know much about OS X, so please dumb down any answers as much as possible.

My wife is an Apple user. She has an older Apple laptop with Snow Leopard installed on it, and she purchased a new laptop over the summer with (I think) Mountain Lion on it. We just bought a new printer (Panasonic KX-MB2000) to use in our house. The older laptop with Snow Leopard works with the printer without any issues. The new laptop doesn't recognize the drivers for the new printer. I know with Windows, you can identify the driver files in the OS and move them over to a new computer as a method of installation (Windows XP drivers to a different Windows XP machine, for example). Since both Apple computers are running OS X, is this an option? If so, how do I locate the drivers on the old machine and install them on the new machine? If this isn't an option, does anyone have any recommendations to get the printer working on the new computer?

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8)

Posted on Jan 26, 2014 9:31 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Jan 26, 2014 9:54 AM in response to robtheman42

There are two broad categories of drivers on OSX. The first are integrated with the OS and obtained automatically through software update. The second are drivers released by third parties that run as applications. Unfortunately the first category are deliberately opaque to the user, and there is no straightforward or reliable way to move them between computers.

If the printer doesn't work automatically with your computer, be sure you've run software update on your mac so that you have the most up-to-date driver lists. If it still doesn't work, chances are Apple just doesn't support the printer in Mavericks yet. Mountain Lion and Mavericks are different OSes, so drivers in one are not necessarily supported in the other. Your next best bet is to check Panasonic's support website and see if they provide an OSX driver you can install.

Edited to add: Have you tried adding the printer manually? Open System Preferences -> Printers & Scanners then click the + button at the bottom left and search for your printer. It may just be that the OS hasn't detected it.

Reply

Answer 2

robtheman42 Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 26, 2014 9:48 AM in response to robtheman42

Correction. The new computer is on OSX 10.9.

Reply

Answer 3

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,590 points

Jan 26, 2014 9:57 AM in response to robtheman42

You should just plug in the printer and add it via the Print & Scan System Preferences. It will download the appropriate driver.

If it is already set up, try removing the printer from the list and re-add it.

However, I don't see any Panasonic printers in the compatibility list: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3669

Even Gutenprint doesn't seem to support that printer: http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/p_Supported_Printers.php

Panasonic has a driver for up to 10.8, that does work with 10.9 with the following caveat:

Though you can use it on Mac OS X 10.9, some functions are restricted.

The formal software will be uploaded in this site later.

http://panasonic.net/pcc/support/fax/common/table/macdriver.html

This pdf may be of some help installing it: http://panasonic.cn/support/download/manual/files/Mac10.5_10.6_Install_USB.pdf

Reply

Answer 4

Jan 26, 2014 10:01 AM in response to robtheman42

The drivers are located in /Library/Printers. And the ppds are in /Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources. You might want to do a search for Panasonic on your system to see if they install files anywhere else.

There's no guarantee that copying over these files will succeed. You could share the printer, see if that works.

Reply

Answer 5

robtheman42 Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 2, 2014 8:44 AM in response to robtheman42

None of the above worked, unfortunately. I am at the mercy of waiting for Panasonic to release drivers. Thank you for the ideas though, it is much appreciated.

Reply