Updating Printer Drivers Xerox

Xerox publishes V3 and V4 Windows drivers, PCL and PostScript variants, the Global Print Driver and macOS packages. V4 drivers follow the modern Windows print architecture and are often easier to deploy, but some legacy applications and accounting plug-ins expect a V3 driver. Colour and finishing behaviour can differ between the two. Choose the architecture your software stack actually supports rather than assuming newer is always better.

On the device side, AltaLink and VersaLink models often have embedded web pages for scan destinations, address books and accounting. A driver update does not migrate those settings, and a clean queue does not recreate a scan workflow. Back up the device configuration where the model allows it, record the finishing options and test scan-to-email or scan-to-folder separately from printing. For a print server, update one queue, test a representative document and only then widen the rollout.

Decide between the Global Print Driver and the model-specific package before installing. Match V3 or V4 to your application and accounting requirements, remove the old queue, then add the device with the intended driver. On a print server, update the shared queue rather than each client.

1. 01

   Record the baseline and clear the old queue

   Note the exact model code, port, current driver version and any custom defaults. Remove the affected queue and, where relevant, its dedicated port. Restart before installing. This prevents Windows from silently reusing the stale driver.

2. 02

   Download the matching package from Xerox

   Select the exact model, Windows version and architecture. Verify the digital signature and release notes. If you need scan, fax, finishing or accounting features, confirm that the package includes those components rather than assuming they are bundled.

3. 03

   Install deliberately, not by automatic discovery

   Run the signed installer and add the printer on the intended port. For a network device, use a fixed address or DHCP reservation. If a generic queue already exists, remove it before adding the new one so the driver choice is unambiguous.

4. 04

   Reapply options and test real output

   Reselect installed trays, finishers, colour profiles and authentication settings. Print from two applications, test duplex and colour, then reboot and print again. If scanning is part of the workflow, test it separately.

Use the current Xerox macOS package for finishing and colour features. AirPrint may cover basic printing but can omit accounting and finisher controls. Remove an older queue before adding the new driver to avoid a Generic PostScript queue being selected silently.

1. 01

   Remove the existing queue before downloading

   Open System Settings → Printers & Scanners and remove the device. This clears stale driver references and prevents macOS from quietly reusing a generic PostScript queue. Note any presets or custom paper sizes first.

2. 02

   Choose AirPrint or the vendor package on purpose

   If basic printing is enough, readding the device as an AirPrint queue is the most maintainable path. If you need scanning, specialty media, colour profiles or finishing, install the current Xerox package and select the vendor driver explicitly.

3. 03

   Verify scan support outside the print dialog

   Open Image Capture or the manufacturer’s scan utility and confirm the scanner is visible. A print queue can be healthy while scanning is absent. If the scanner is missing, fix discovery or the scan component before changing the print driver again.

4. 04

   Test, then record the working configuration

   Print a real document, a colour page and a duplex job where supported. Note the queue protocol, driver version and macOS release. macOS updates occasionally replace a vendor queue with a generic one, so the record is your baseline.

Xerox provides Linux packages for selected office devices; CUPS may also drive PCL or PostScript queues. Finishing and accounting support is limited. Validate the exact model and driver with a test document before relying on Linux for production output.

Linux support is model-dependent. Where the manufacturer does not publish a current package, a driverless queue or a validated generic PCL/PostScript driver may be the only supported option. Treat unsupported features as unavailable rather than “almost working.”

The three patterns below account for a disproportionate share of Xerox driver support cases. They are worth checking before you download another package.

This guide applies to the Xerox families below. Model suffixes and regional variants matter, so use the label on the device or the configuration page before choosing a package.

The list is illustrative, not exhaustive. A driver page may cover additional models or exclude older regional variants. Always compare the exact model and release notes before installing.