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Can't add a printer in High Sierra

Since installing High Sierra I cannot add printer anymore. After I have selected printer and driver and click on the "Add" button the window closes and nothing happens. No printer is added to the list.

iMac, macOS High Sierra (10.13)

Posted on Oct 4, 2017 5:49 AM

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Posted on Nov 10, 2017 6:01 AM

Seeing this issue also. We use Macs in a Windows AD environment, where printers are shared out by one of our domain controllers. We can connect and see the printers, but adding them through the wizard results in nothing being added to the list. Nothing added within CUPS either. We observed this behaviour only in High Sierra so far.


Tried the following, to no avail:

  • reset printing system
  • tried different drivers (between HP or generic)
  • Local admin account and a domain account
  • unbinded from domain and rebinded
  • Replicated issue on a fresh install
43 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Nov 10, 2017 6:01 AM in response to Chrilu

Seeing this issue also. We use Macs in a Windows AD environment, where printers are shared out by one of our domain controllers. We can connect and see the printers, but adding them through the wizard results in nothing being added to the list. Nothing added within CUPS either. We observed this behaviour only in High Sierra so far.


Tried the following, to no avail:

  • reset printing system
  • tried different drivers (between HP or generic)
  • Local admin account and a domain account
  • unbinded from domain and rebinded
  • Replicated issue on a fresh install

Oct 6, 2017 8:11 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Thanks for your suggestions, sadly neither of them works. I still have an empty print panel.


I may have to add that the printers I have to add are network printers provided by the university (two different canon office printers and copy machines), but that should not make a difference. I can select them without issue, but once I try to add them nothing happens.

Nov 13, 2017 2:49 PM in response to Chrilu

Same here. I just upgraded and I can see both of my two network printers (one Samsung, and one Epson), when press the + sign to add them. I’ve tried using both the Epson/Samsung drivers and AirPrint, but after I’ve added the printers they just fail to show up in the list of installed printers.


I don’t get an error message whatsoever -they just don’t appear!

Jan 29, 2018 2:28 AM in response to Chrilu

I had same problem but managed to fix it using the IP option. Printer was not working since latest High Sierra update, so I deleted it in "Printer & Scanners" and tried to add it back in. No printers at all showed up in the "Add" window so there was nothing I could select — just a blank window pane. The appropriate printer driver was in my mac's library folder, so there was no reason why it shouldn't show up. Eventually problem solved by switching from the "Default" tab to the "IP" tab in the "Add" window and typing my printer's IP address. (This was fairy easy to find on my HP printer's display.) The IP number was recognised immediately (as confirmed by my printer's model number appearing underneath) and printing worked straight away after that. You can then rename your printer if you want to call it something other than a string of IP numbers.

Feb 6, 2018 2:35 AM in response to Corinne Orde

Obviously it work with IP. The problem happens when you try to add the network printer as it should be added.... If you add it with IP basically you avoiding to use the printer server (the print job goes to the printer directly and not goind through the server) which is what we don't want to. Printers and print jobs need to be monitored and managed by the server that is the point of it. Otherwise a basic user will never get to know the IP address of the printer or photocopier in a proper environment.

Feb 6, 2018 2:39 AM in response to Chrilu

I've reported the problem to Apple Support, but they printed they don't know anything about this problem, it seemed they did not really wanted to understand the problem. That is why a recorded it with quicktime and sent the video to them. But no reply no fix so far. I can't believe that they don't care about it. Obviously it's not a problem at home, but in a workplace, a school or university where they use shared network printers it is a serious problem. Just imagine that the new iMacs and MacBooks coming out with High Sierra buy default and you cannot install the printers in a school etc...

I'm pretty sure this problem would be easy to fix for the developers.

Mar 14, 2018 3:27 AM in response to Ph4s5ki'1

The only problem with this is that we have issue with adding NETWORK printers in High Sierra, not problems with printer drivers. Your solution will cause that everybody start resetting the printing system which cause the whole list being emptied and after that they wont be able to add the network printers back again.

Mar 19, 2018 10:55 PM in response to Chrilu

I have successfully installed a USB printer and my HP5500 as a network printer but if I try to connect my HP4100 as a network printer it doesn't work.

I reset the printing system which deleted all my printers.

I then turned on each printer and the USB was quickly recognised and installed, the 5500 took a little while but it was eventually installed.

The 4100 will not install despite having had it running under High Sierra previously.

I tried using the IP method but the printer was not recognised.

I replaced the network cable and even tried a different socket in the hub with no positive result.

Can't add a printer in High Sierra

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