Is It Time to Replace My Aging Printer?

Recurring paper jams and diminished print quality are potential signs to upgrade

Edward C. Baig,

AARP

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Published November 04, 2025

AARP members and readers are invited to submit pressing technology questions they’d like me to tackle in my Tech Guru column, including issues around devices, security, social media and how all the puzzle pieces fit together. This week, I’m addressing a reader question on repairing or replacing a printer.

I have an old HP black-and-white printer. Will it be compatible with the latest version of Windows, or will I have to get a new printer? I don’t think I even have the software disk to install it on a new computer. —Karen H.

Although you are specifically asking about a printer, Karen, your question hits at the heart of many tech quandaries: When is it time to replace what you’ve got, as opposed to repairing or upgrading what you already have?

The overarching answer largely has to do with the age of the machine and its current condition. Do all the features still work, or just some? Many printers do more than just print; they also function as copiers and fax machines. If yours prints but can no longer handle those other tasks, a replacement is likely in order.

Among other considerations, determine if the model you have is still officially supported by the tech companies involved: in this case, HP and Microsoft. Do these companies still provide firmware and/or security updates?

Printers are cheap, but cartridges are not. Perhaps most importantly, do you have room in your budget to replace the printer, especially if you also need a new computer?

The good news is that printers are generally inexpensive compared to other types of tech hardware, but in the classic razor/razor blade analogy, the biggest outlay is typically the cost of cartridge replacements.

Is it versatile enough? You also mentioned that yours is a black-and-white printer. Can you still live without the need to print in color? Would you like your machine to feature additional capabilities, including a document feeder or the ability to automatically print on both sides of a page? Can it print wirelessly without hiccups?

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Ask yourself if the printer is showing other signs of aging. Are you experiencing frequent paper jams? Is the print quality lousy even after you swap in new ink cartridges?

Go with fresh software. If I’m reading you right, your old printer still works, but you wonder if it’ll continue to make nice with your PC since Microsoft recently pulled support for Windows 10, thus forcing you to upgrade your current PC to Windows 11 and eventually Windows 12.

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According to HP, if your printer was compatible with Windows 10, it should also work with Windows 11. Just ensure that all the software is up-to-date.

If printing fails, you must install fresh printer software and drivers. Drivers are specialized software that, well, drive the printer (or other hardware) with which you’re attempting to communicate.

First, jettison the old printer software, including drivers and plug-ins that reside on your computer. Search for files on the PC that include your printer’s name to identify those you need to remove.

Next, remove the printer hardware itself from the computer. Search for Printers & scanners, select the name of the printer from the list and click Remove.

You’ll likely have to restart the computer multiple times to complete the hardware and software exorcism.

Now it’s time to install the latest software. Don’t worry if you no longer have the old printer installation disk, which is unlikely to be current anyway. The latest software should be readily available on HP’s website, or for those with printers from Brother, Canon, Epson or other brands, on their respective sites. If compatible software is not available, then the time may have indeed come to retire the printer.

Bonus tip: Weigh the pros and cons of an ink cartridge subscription

If you do a lot of printing and frequently replace ink cartridges, you may potentially save money with an ink subscription service offered by leading printer brands.

When the printer detects that the ink is running low, it signals to manufacturers that it’s time to ship replacement cartridges.

Some companies charge a flat monthly fee that varies by the number of pages you expect to print during that month. When new cartridges arrive, you ship the old ones back to be recycled. Other printer makers charge according to the ink and toner shipped to you, regardless of the number of pages you print.

HP’s subscription plans are an example of the former and vary depending upon your printer model. For one of its consumer printers, options range from $1.79 per month for printing up to 10 pages to $61.99 for up to 1,500 pages. You’ll pay extra per page if you go over your monthly allowance, though in some instances you can roll over pages. So do your best to estimate your printing needs.

For an extra fee, you can add paper to your ink plan.

With any of these plans, you will need a compatible printer that is connected to the internet so that the companies can monitor ink levels and track the number of pages you’re printing.

Be mindful of privacy. Printer companies don’t know the content of what you are printing, but they can determine whether you’re printing photos or PDFs, say. And they may share such information with marketing partners.

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Edward C. Baig covers technology and other consumer topics. He previously worked for USA Today, BusinessWeek, U.S. News & World Report and Fortune, and is author of Macs for Dummies and coauthor of iPhone for Dummies and iPad for Dummies. Follow him on LinkedIn; Threads; and X, formerly known as Twitter.