How to Connect a Canon Printer (5 Steps)

Unpack and set up your printer according to the manufacturer's specifications. Make sure the power is on and ink and paper are installed. If you have one of the Canon photo printers, don't waste your good photo paper yet; just load in some plain business paper.
Connect the square end of the USB cable to your printer. There should only be one port in the back of the printer that will take the connection.
Connect the other end of the wire to the computer. There should be several ports that will take this wire; they are usually located on the back of the machine.
Boot up your computer.
Watch for an announcement that Windows XP or Vista has 'discovered' your printer--it's usually something along the lines of 'New Hardware Found,' then 'Canon xxxx.' Follow the directions that appear on the screen. If this doesn't work, or you have an older version, just insert the driver CD into your computer and follow the directions.