printer not showing in devices and printers

Ron

Is the printer on a network shared with other computers?

I would check the status of the Print Spooler Service.

Click on the Start button and select Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services. Locate Print Spooler in the list. Check that it has started and that the StartUp type is Automatic. If it has stopped check that just starting does not solve the problem. If it is not set to Automatic right click and select Properties, General tab. There is a box after StartUp type. The options are available on a drop down by clicking on the arrow down to the right of the box. Make the change and click on Apply and OK. Restart the computer and check whether it has started.

You may need to show hidden files. Type Folder Options in the search box above the Start button and select View, Advanced Settings and verify that the box before "Show hidden files and folders" is checked and "Hide protected operating system files" is unchecked. You need to scroll down to see the second item. You should also make certain that the box before "Hide extensions for known file types" is not checked.

Now access Windows Explorer and select c:\windows\system32\spool\printers. Normally this folder should be empty but there is a problem when files with “spl” and “shd” extensions stick there. Delete the files and restart your computer. This may resolve your immediate problem.