Sushant Mehta, Author at Drivers.com

Canon Pixma – common errors and fixes

By Sushant Mehta on September 9, 2015

The Canon Pixma is one of the biggest series of printer and multi-function devices. The printer supports a variety of connections which includes USB and wireless connection. In the following article we set out the two most common errors related to the Canon Pixma.

Error fix for “Cannot install printer: not recognized”

This error usually occurs when you try to run Canon Pixma setup using the CD provided with the printer. Despite having the right setup file, the computer fails to recognize the printer connected through the USB connection.

Fix Canon Printer Error

The most common cause of this error is an incompatible Driver. You need to download and install the latest Printer Driver for the model. If your computer has a USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 port, try connecting the printer to USB 2.0.

Some Canon Pixma Printers do not work with Windows 8 until you download and install the appropriate Driver for the printer. To do so, complete the following steps:

Go to the official website of Canon
Go to Service and Support Center
Enter the model name in the Search box
Click on Drivers and Software
Download the Drivers for your Canon Pixma Printer
Once the file is downloaded, click it and follow the on-screen instructions to install the Driver
Reboot computer and your Printer

Fix wireless connection problems with Canon Pixma

Sometimes the Canon Pixma Printer may fail to establish a wireless connection with the router. To resolve the issue, follow the steps given below:

Select Setup on the Home screen
Select Device settings and Press OK
Select LAN settings and Press OK
Confirm LAN settings and Press OK
Select Print LAN details and Press OK
Select Yes Print LAN details and then Press OK to start printing
Look at the Signal Level. Recommended values are 70% or higher
Look at Link quality level. The higher the quality, the stronger the connection. If the Link quality level is showing a lower value, try moving the printer closer to your router.

In most cases, the dropping of a wireless connection will be solved by following the steps given above.

Update Canon Printer Drivers

Some of the connection errors can also be caused by incompatible Drivers. You need to ensure you keep the Printer Driver updated at all times to prevent any issues. Manually downloading Printer Drivers can be time-consuming and in cases like this, using Driver Update Software can be very helpful.

To update your Canon Pixma Driver automatically, you can download a driver update tool

6 effective tips to optimize PC for gaming

By Sushant Mehta on August 31, 2015

Modern games require an optimized PC in order to deliver a smooth gaming experience. You don’t have to be a techie to optimize your PC for gaming, It can be done with a few simple steps. Follow the tips given below to get the most out of your hardware and experience much better game performance.

1. Update graphic card drivers

The performance of the PC greatly depends on the components inside. Drivers play an important role in bringing out the optimal performance of graphic cards. Graphic card manufacturers release driver updates to increase performance of their graphic cards or to ensure new games do not have problems with their graphic cards.

Video Graphics Drivers Download & Updates

2. Install latest game patches

The Release of a game doesn’t mean that the development work is finished. Game developers frequently release game patches to increase game performance and/ or fix bugs. You need to install all game patches released by the developer. These game patches improve performance and also might help fix any display issue, besides enhancing the overall gaming experience.

3. Add more RAM

Gamers often ask how much RAM is needed for a smooth gaming experience. In most cases, modern games will not run on your PC if you have 2GB of RAM. The recommended RAM is anything between 4GB and 8GB.

4. Close unwanted background processes

All processes running in your computer use up system resources, reducing the resources available for your gaming. If you take a look at the task manager, you will likely see several background processes running. Before playing, it is best you close process you don’t require.

5. Defragment hard drive

After months of use, the data on the hard drive tends to get fragmented. Fragmentation affects the speed at which the system accesses data. The more fragmentation your HDD has, the more time your system will take to access files stored on it. You can use the in-built defragmenter utility or a third party tool to defragment the hard drive.

6. Disable animation and 3D effects

Modern operating systems focus on animation and the 3D effect to render a good visual experience. However, these functionalities use a lot of system resources, so it is a good idea to disable animation and 3D effects if you have a less than ideal system specification.

For Windows 7

Click the Start button
Right-click My Computer – > Properties
Click Advanced System in the left pane; a System properties window opens,
Go to Advanced Tab and click the Settings button; a “Performance Options” window opens.
Go to “Visual Effects” tab
Select the “Adjust for Best Performance ”radio button

That’s it. Now you can go ahead and fine tune your PC for gaming all by yourself. Happy gaming!

Choosing the best laptop/tablet for college

By Sushant Mehta on August 20, 2015

While there is no shortage of laptops for college students, choosing the right one can sometimes be a task in itself. The different screen sizes, hardware options and other technologies can make the decision difficult if you are not sure of exactly what you will need. There is a very thin line between a laptop and tablet which further ads to the confusion. Here are a few tips to help you choose a good laptop if you are a student.

Pick the right screen size

15-inch laptops are the cheapest. But these laptops are a bit bulky and also have a shorter battery life. 14-inch laptops offer a perfect balance between screen size and portability. These laptops generally weigh less than 5 pounds. If you plan to use the laptop only at home, a 15-inch laptop will do. However, you plan carrying it around throughout the day, a 14-inch laptop would be a wise choice.

A closer look at the specs

What is inside the laptop matters the most and a deeper look at the specs will give you all information you need. Some of the important components are CPU, RAM, and graphics card.

You should look to buy a laptop with the latest CPU, such as processors based on Intel’s Haswell architecture. Haswell processors offer better battery life and also offer good graphics performance. If you have a lower budget, you can consider laptops with Intel’s 3^rd generation processor or Ivy Bridge processors. A Laptop with an AMD processor is equally good. The AMD A series of processor offers better performance than E series processors that are generally fitted in entry level laptops.

The latest Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 have a heavy graphic environment, so it is better if the laptop has an in-built or discrete graphics chip included. Look for nothing less than 4 GB memory. If the laptop has 64 bit OS, you can look for laptops with at least 6GB – 8GB of memory.

At least 5.5 hours battery life

The laptop usage hours depend on the capacity of the battery installed. There are 3 types of laptop batteries:

4 –cell,
6 cell, and
9-cell

The 9-cell offers the highest battery backup while the 4 cell offers the lowest. Go for a laptop with 6-cell battery at least. They have around 5.5 hours battery life, ensuring you wouldn’t have to search for an electric socket to charge your laptop while on the move.

Is a tablet a worthy option?

If you value battery life and portability factors the most, you can consider purchasing a tablet instead of laptop. However, using a tablet for documenting work, among several other things, may not prove so easy, especially if you are accustomed to using a laptop’s keypad for typing.

Ultimately, the decision to go for a laptop or a tablet depends on your comfort and the intended use of the device