MacOS – Can’t add a printer on Mavericks

macosprinting

I'm trying to use an Epson Workforce 840 over Wifi with Mac OS X 10.9. This Mac has never used the printer before.

I've tried going through the usual steps but it's not working. My Mac sees the printer over Wifi, and I select it. But the response is that "The software for this printer is currently unavailable. Please contact the printer’s manufacturer for the latest software."

Then I go to Epson, and they just tell me to do the same thing I just did.

If I try to add the printer in System Preferences, it also sees the printer over Wifi, but I get the same result. If I click the "Add Printer…" button, choosing "auto select" for the driver produces a message reading "Software for this printer isn't available from Apple. Contact the printer's manufacturer for the latest software."

Lather, rinse, repeat.

But: I have two Macs running Mavericks, and one of them can use the printer. The one where it works "inherited" its printer driver from Mac OS X 10.8, I believe. The one where it doesn't work has never used this printer before.

How do I break this loop and get the printer working?

Best Answer

I eventually found Apple's instructions for how to reset the Mac OS X printing system. Once I did that, the usual automatic download worked.