Hi, Previously i use to add printers by simply going to > network / computer to which printer is connected / and double clicking the printer which i wanted to add. But now when i do that it gets stuck on "windows is checking for updates" I have already disabled the settings to search for device updates in gpedit is there any other way to add printer ?
First at all: your printer is connected with Parallel, USB or Ethernet (LAN) Cable?? For the first 2, you need to have the printer shared on the machine the printer is connected too! The way to add the Printer to another computer is: open on that other computer the Control Panel -->Devices and Printer --> Add Printer --> Add Network Printer and the machine will 'look' for any shared printer on your Network (LAN) and install the require driver. For the Ethernet Cable (LAN) connection, you have first to give the Printer from its own Control Panel a fixed(static) IP like 192.168.1.50. After that from any computer add the printer via the Control Panel using the fixed(static) IP of the printer for connection and install the required driver If the Printer is a Multifunction Printer with Scanner too, you may could add the Scanner as a Network Scanner as well, if the driver is available and allow that!
Install printer driver first using printer oem setup. Then you can add the shared/network printer. Windows 10 will check if you have this driver in local and then from printer network, if both failed it will update from internet.
A real Network Printer will have an Ethernet/LAN Cable Connector for to connect the printer over the Ethernet Switch directly to the LAN Network. That printer will be given a static/fixed IP inside the LAN. A Printer connected to a Computer, even if that's done using a LAN Cable, is not a real working Network Printer, just a locally used Shared Printer, which would be required the computer running all times for the Printer to be accessible. If the Printer is connected by LAN Wire to the Router/Switch, who like to use that printer could install them directly in Windows 10 from Settings/Devices/Printers & Scanner/Add printers & scanner. If a driver is needed, means there isn't one in Windows 10 already, Windows 10 will 'tell' that! The simple fact is, if an OEM Driver is needed/used for to install a device on a Computer, that driver will work only for that computer, and if another Computer is 'pointed' to that driver, that computer mainly will automatically download the driver from the Master Computer for to get the device working with that shared Device. Even if a Driver for a new Device is already part of Windows 10, the installation of the OEM Driver is mostly recommended to get all features to work correctly. That will special happen for Multifunctional Devices like a Printer with integrated Scanner. In an installation using a shared device (where the device is connected a computer), and the Driver is installed on that computer to which the Device is connected, may not all functions could be used from another machine. Using a Network/LAN connected device, that Device to be configured and given a static/fixed IP, and any Network/LAN user could connect too, and used that device. Part of the Driver/Software for that device will have included a managing app which handles the possible multi-connection for to do the requested job properly.