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Example: Install Legacy Printer Drivers On Windows 11 25H2
NOTE: At the time of writing, the workflow used in this example is vendor neutral and technically accurate, so it can be used with other OEM / White Box ODM models, despite the fact that the device listed as "Lexmark MX610de", in the following example, is not actually installed on my operating system, neither do I own one of these copiers / multifunction printers. Even if the signed driver is older, the copy machine itself still receives firmware updates in 2026, and the encrypted fax function does support the TLS 1.3 draft spec.
1.) Use the following control panel item to install printer drivers, if the executable installer fails after not being able to detect the printer without the Add Printer Wizard, and a program like 7-Zip is required to decompress files contained within the self-extracting installer executable file: Control Panel -> Device Manager -> Add Drivers ( Toolbar icon right below the Help drop-down menu ) -> %UserProfile%\Desktop\Lexmark_MX610_Series_ADV_Installation_Package\InstallationPackage\Drivers -> Enabled / Checked: Include subfolders
NOTE: The printer may be listed as "Lexmark MX610de" in the Bluetooth & devices settings menu, under Printers & scanners, though you won't be able to print using this device name, and if you remove it, Windows will reinstall it after the next reboot. It's extremely important to NOT SELECT THIS DEVICE NAME when using the Add Printer Wizard, to avoid overlapping device driver conflicts. It won't show up in the print dialog menu regardless of what you do, so the only method that works, is to use the drivers you installed in conjunction with the Add Printer Wizard, in order to set up the printer.
2A.) Settings -> Bluetooth & devices -> Printers & scanners -> Add a printer or scanner -> Add Device -> The printer that I want isn't listed -> Add a new device manually -> Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings -> Use an existing port: USB002 (LexmarkLexmark 610 Series) -> Install the printer driver -> Manufacturer: Lexmark -> Printers: Lexmark MX610 Series XL -> Which version of the driver do you want to use? -> Use the driver that is currently installed (recommended) -> Printer name: Lexmark MX610 Series XL -> Printer Sharing: Do not share this printer -> Set as the default printer
2B.) Alternate: Settings -> Bluetooth & devices -> Printers & scanners -> Add a printer or scanner -> Add Device -> The printer that I want isn't listed -> Add a new device manually -> Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings -> Use an existing port: USB002 (LexmarkLexmark 610 Series) -> Install the printer driver -> Manufacturer: Lexmark -> Printers: Lexmark MX610 Series XL -> Printer name: Lexmark MX610 Series XL -> Printer Sharing: Do not share this printer -> Set as the default printer
NOTE: While the Xerox Global Print Driver *may* work, it doesn't let you fully configure the printer prior to queuing any print job.
2C.) Last Resort: Settings -> Bluetooth & devices -> Printers & scanners -> Add a printer or scanner -> Add Device -> The printer that I want isn't listed -> Add a new device manually -> Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings -> Use an existing port: USB002 (LexmarkLexmark 610 Series) -> Install the printer driver -> Manufacturer: Xerox -> Printers: Xerox Global Print Driver PCL6 -> Printer name: Lexmark MX610 XL -> Printer Sharing: Do not share this printer -> Set as the default printer
3.) Open the "Devices and Printers" Control Panel item to verify that the printer is listed as the default printer: Settings -> Bluetooth & devices -> View more devices -> More devices and printer settings
4.) Modify the printer settings to maintain page and margin alignment, regardless of the type of paper placed in the paper feeder tray:
Settings -> Bluetooth & devices -> Printers & scanners -> Lexmark MX610 Series XL -> Printing preferences -> Layout -> Print on both sides (Duplex) -> Print on both sides -> Long edge
Settings -> Bluetooth & devices -> Printers & scanners -> Lexmark MX610 Series XL -> Printing preferences -> Layout -> Document Reading Order Preset -> Left to right
Settings -> Bluetooth & devices -> Printers & scanners -> Lexmark MX610 Series XL -> Printing preferences -> Layout -> Page Layouts -> Normal
Add or install a printer in Windows - Microsoft Support -> https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/printer/add-or-install-a-printer-in-windows
3 Replies
If the executable installer fails, use 7-Zip to extract the contents of the self-extracting installer to a folder on your desktop (e.g., Lexmark_MX610_Series_ADV_Installation_Package).
Hi Mousefluff, this is a helpful write-up. For anyone following it, I would add one caution: only use legacy printer drivers from the printer vendor or a trusted internal driver repository, and avoid random driver download sites. On Windows 11, it is also worth testing the printer with the Microsoft IPP Class Driver first before installing older vendor packages. If the legacy driver is still required, document the exact driver version so it can be repeated safely on other machines.
This guide is written for people who only use the official OEM drivers from the website, so it will work as it did before. These drivers I'm describing are signed WHQL drivers, they aren't 3rd party drivers. It's not made for the latest printers, it's for printers that are probably 5 or 10 years old, but still have signed drivers that work fine on Windows 11 25H2, or Windows 10 22H2. The purpose is so that you don't have to throw the printer / photocopier away, as Microsoft might suggest, though they don't explicitly recommend to discard a printer or photocopier just because it doesn't support secure print. The benefit is that you can keep using it, especially if there are still supplies available for it and firmware updates. Xerox owns Lexmark btw, so that's why I made the comparison there, showing the functionality level of the Xerox Global / Universal Print Driver, vs the older official driver, which is better than the Xerox Global / Universal Print Driver.
On Windows 11, it is also worth testing the printer with the Microsoft IPP Class Driver first before installing older vendor packages.
