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On a Windows laptop, the printer sometimes stays off the list in the pairing dialog, or connecting fails with Windows is holding the printer with its own driver. Follow the Windows printer guide, then retry. That message carries an Open guide button that opens this page. Windows has assigned the printer its own print driver, and that driver keeps the browser from opening the device. Replacing it with WinUSB through the free Zadig tool fixes both symptoms. You do this once per laptop for each printer model.

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Switch the printer to WinUSB

Before you start
  • The printer is powered on and connected to the laptop over USB.
  • You can approve a Windows administrator (User Account Control) prompt.
  • Unplug other USB devices such as receivers and headsets, so the printer is easy to pick out in Zadig.
1

Download and run Zadig

Download the current release from zadig.akeo.ie. It’s a single portable .exe with nothing to install. Open it and click Yes on the User Account Control prompt.
2

List all devices

Open the Options menu and tick List All Devices. Zadig hides devices that already have a driver until you do.
Zadig Options menu with List All Devices ticked

Options → List All Devices

3

Select your printer

Pick the printer from the dropdown. Zebra printers appear under their USB name, for example ZTC ZD220-203dpi ZPL. Check the first USB ID box before you continue: it reads 0A5F for Zebra. Any other value means a different device is selected.
Zadig device dropdown with a Zebra ZD220 printer highlighted

The printer selected in the device list

4

Replace the driver

Make sure the target driver on the right reads WinUSB, then click Replace Driver. Wait until Zadig reports that the driver was installed.
WinUSB selected as the target driver above the Replace Driver button

Target driver set to WinUSB

5

Restart and pair again

Restart the laptop. Then pair the printer from the template editor or the station’s Printer settings as described in Connect a printer.
After the switch, Windows no longer lists the printer under Printers & scanners. To use it with other Windows software again, open Device Manager, uninstall the printer under Universal Serial Bus devices with Attempt to remove the driver for this device ticked, and plug it back in.