HP LaserJet 1010, 1018, 1020, 1022 drivers for Windows 11
These small HP lasers came out in 2003-2005 and still sit in thousands of homes and offices - there is very little in them to break. HP stopped releasing drivers for them long ago, so after a Windows reinstall or upgrade the printer “disappears”. The cure is the last package released for your model - for the 1018 the newest is dated 2012, and it usually installs on Windows 11 through the manual path.
Why this happens
- HP no longer releases drivers for these models, so a fresh Windows has nothing to install by itself.
- A Windows reinstall or upgrade removed the driver that used to work.
- The USB cable or port wore out - these printers are old enough for cables to fail first.
Quick checks first
1Rule out paper and toner first
Blinking lights on these models mean paper or the cartridge, not the driver. A steady power light and silence after you send a page - that is the driver case.
2Find the printer in Device Manager
Press Win+X → Device Manager - the list of every device Windows sees. The printer may sit under “Printers”, or hang as an unknown device if the driver is gone entirely.
If the printer is healthy but Windows cannot print to it, install the last package released for your model - the pages below lead to them on official servers.
Drivers most often behind this problem
Fixing it manually
Install the last package for your model
- Find your model on the sticker on the front or top of the case: 1010, 1015, 1018, 1020 or 1022. The 1015 uses the 1010 family packages.
- Open your model's page from the list above and download from the official source.
- Run the installer; if Windows 11 refuses: Device Manager → the printer → Update driver → “Browse my computer for drivers”.
Print a test page
- Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → your printer → Print test page.
- If one program prints and another does not, set this printer as the default on the same settings screen.
Know the exact device model?
Search the catalog by your model - HP LaserJet 1018 - or by the Hardware ID from Device Manager.
The model number is on the sticker on the case. Over USB the printer also reports a Hardware ID - the code that names it precisely (Device Manager → Properties → Details → Hardware Ids).
Try for example: HP LaserJet 1018 · read the Hardware ID guide · or browse the driver category
Browse printers & scanners drivers by brand
Frequently asked questions
▸Which model do I have?
The sticker on the front or top of the case names it. Windows also keeps the name in Settings → Printers & scanners if the printer was ever installed.
▸HP says the printer is not supported.
That only means no new drivers will come. The last released ones keep working - and they are exactly what these steps install.
▸It prints from one program but not from another.
That is the default-printer setting, not the driver. Pick this printer as default in Settings → Printers & scanners.
▸Is it time to replace it?
As long as it prints and cartridges are easy to buy - no. These models outlive the PCs around them; the only thing that ages is the driver, and that is fixable.