Print from iOS with Windows AirPrint Installer

I have had few clients have asked me about how to print from their iPads and iPhones because certain applications such as Notes and Mail have had a print button available since iOS 4.2.1. The problem is unless you have a printer with a feature called “AirPrint”, you cannot print from the iOS devices. That was until some smart coders created a free application called “AirPrint Installer” that will allow any USB printer to become an AirPrint printer.

In order for this to work you need the following:

• iTunes 10.1 or above installed on the system
• The USB printer must be shared on the local PC
• The iOS device and the printer are on the same network
• Make sure you have administrative rights on the computer as this will be installing a service

To Install:

• Download the attachment on THIS forum post
• Unzip the file, right click on the file “AirPrint_Installer.exe” and choose “Run as Administrator”
• After the executable finishes installing, run one of the registry files “AirPrint iOS 5 Fix – ##Bit.reg” choosing the appropriate system architecture (32bit or 64 bit). Do not run both
• Go back to “AirPrint_Installer.exe” and make sure “Service Startup” is set to “Auto” and click “start
• Restart the computer

Please keep in mind that this application is a hack made by a member of the MacRumors.com forum so it has little to no support and could break in a future iOS update. If you are looking for something more solid to recommend to your clients, checkout FingerPrint which is a more polished paid product.