Windows Cannot Connect to the Printer: Fix 0x0000011b and 0x00000709

“Windows cannot connect to the printer” means your PC can’t use a printer shared by another computer: a Windows print server, or a coworker’s PC with a USB printer plugged in. That’s a different problem from a printer showing Offline, or one that accepts jobs and prints nothing (see printer not printing).

Most of these failures trace back to print security changes Microsoft made from 2021 onward, including the PrintNightmare fixes: when the two computers are on different updates or print settings, they can’t agree on how to connect.

Find the code after Operation failed with error in the table below, then work through the fixes in order; only the registry workarounds at the end lower your security.

Match the error code to the cause

The message usually reads Windows cannot connect to the printer. Operation failed with error 0x…. Microsoft’s list of system error codes explains most of them:

Why shared printers stopped connecting

Shared printing uses Windows’ Point and Print: your PC downloads the driver from the host and talks to its Print Spooler over RPC (remote procedure calls). After attackers abused both in 2021, Microsoft tightened three things:

• Installing or updating a printer driver through Point and Print needs administrator rights by default (August 10, 2021, KB5005652, CVE-2021-34481), the source of admin prompts and 0x00000bcb.
• Stronger RPC authentication is enforced on the host (September 14, 2021, CVE-2021-1678). Microsoft says devices without an update released January 12, 2021 or later can’t print to such a host; reports of 0x0000011b started here.
• RPC over TCP replaces named pipes by default on Windows 11 version 22H2 and later, so a firewall blocking the host’s RPC ports breaks sharing that used to work.

Fix it in this order

1. Check the computer that shares the printer

• It’s on and awake, the printer prints a test page from it, and the Print Spooler service is running (services.msc).
• In Printer properties, the Sharing tab shows Share this printer ticked. Note the exact share name.
• Remote printing isn’t blocked. Microsoft’s 2021 PrintNightmare workaround, disabling the Allow Print Spooler to accept client connections policy (gpedit.msc, Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Printers), stops sharing but not local printing. On a fully updated host, set it to Not Configured and restart the Print Spooler; on managed PCs, ask whoever set it.
• From the connecting PC, \\COMPUTERNAME opens with a host account that has a password, not as a guest: current Windows 11 Pro builds refuse guest connections, local accounts with blank passwords can’t sign in over the network, and a Windows Hello PIN only works at the PC itself. For a Microsoft account, use its email address and password. Save the sign-in in Credential Manager > Windows Credentials, as our guide to fixing shared network drives in Windows 11 shows.

2. Update both computers

Run Windows Update on the host and every PC that connects, then restart them. If every PC broke on the same day, check Microsoft’s Windows release health page before you change settings.

A host that no longer gets updates can’t keep up: Windows 10 support ended in October 2025 (see Windows 10 end of support), and Windows 11 version 24H2 Home and Pro stopped getting updates on October 13, 2026; move them to 25H2 or 26H2 (supported as of October 2026).

3. Install the driver on the connecting PC first

Install the manufacturer’s driver for the connecting PC as an administrator (Arm-based PCs need an Arm64 driver), then connect, so Windows doesn’t have to pull one from the host. Match driver versions on host and clients: Microsoft says mismatched driver files cause repeated “Do you trust this printer?” prompts. If the printer then shows Driver is unavailable, see printer driver is unavailable, which covers the built-in IPP class driver and protected print mode.

4. Connect by name

In Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, select Add device. If the printer doesn’t appear, select Add a new device manually, choose Select a shared printer by name and enter \\COMPUTERNAME\ShareName. If the name won’t resolve, use the host’s IP address instead.

5. USB printer on another PC? Point a local port at the share

This avoids the Point and Print connection behind most codes above: your PC uses its own driver and sends finished jobs straight to the share, weakening nothing.

1. Install the driver as in step 3, and open \\COMPUTERNAME once so Windows has a working sign-in.
2. Under Add a new device manually, choose Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings.
3. Choose Create a new port, set Type of port to Local Port, select Next and enter the share path, such as \\OFFICE-PC\HP-LaserJet, as the port name.
4. Pick the driver you installed and print a test page.

You lose the printer’s status and ink levels, but try this before any registry workaround.

Skip the share: add the printer by IP address

If the printer has its own Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection, each PC can print to it directly, bypassing Point and Print, the host’s spooler and every RPC error above.

1. Print the printer’s network configuration page from its control panel to get its IP address.
2. In Printers & scanners, select Add device, then Add a new device manually.
3. Choose Add a printer using an IP address or hostname, set Device type to TCP/IP Device and type the address.
4. Pick the driver Windows offers or the manufacturer’s, and print a test page.
5. Remove the old shared connection so jobs don’t go to it by mistake.

Reserve the printer’s address in your router’s DHCP settings so PCs don’t lose it. Each PC gets its own queue, so a print server’s central queue, logging or badge release no longer applies.

A USB printer on someone’s PC can’t be added this way; use the local port in step 5, or move it onto the network, which ends this class of error.

If the host is the problem: firewall and RPC ports

On Windows 11 version 22H2 and later, your PC reaches the host’s spooler over RPC over TCP, and Microsoft names firewall rules as the most common reason it fails. On the host:

• On a Windows PC, set the network profile to Private and turn on File and printer sharing in Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Advanced sharing settings. That enables the built-in firewall rules File and Printer Sharing (Spooler Service – RPC) and (Spooler Service – RPC-EPMAP), which are scoped to printing; confirm them under Inbound Rules in wf.msc rather than adding your own.
• If a network firewall or VPN sits between the PCs, allow TCP 135 (the RPC Endpoint Mapper) and the dynamic RPC range 49152–65535 to the host, as Microsoft specifies, or pin print RPC to one port with the Configure RPC over TCP port policy and allow that port plus TCP 135.
• Third-party security suites may run their own firewall; check its rules rather than turning it off.

On a print server, also install drivers for each client type (x64, plus Arm64 for Arm PCs).

0x00000709 when you set a default printer

If Operation could not be completed (error 0x00000709) appears when you click Set as default, the connection is fine. Windows just can’t save your choice.

1. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Under Printer preferences, turn off Let Windows manage my default printer; Microsoft notes the Set as default button doesn’t appear while it’s on.
2. Select the printer and choose Set as default.
3. Still failing? Remove printers that point to a server or PC that no longer exists, restart, and try again.

On Windows 10 the setting is under Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners. Microsoft documents no registry fix for this error, so skip the ones circulating online.

Last-resort workarounds Microsoft documents, and what they cost

Warning: each of these lowers protection Microsoft added against real attacks on the Print Spooler. Use them only after the fixes above fail, only on the computers involved, and undo them once those are updated or replaced. Back up the registry first (Registry Editor, File > Export); on domain PCs, use Group Policy so the change is recorded.

• Make the connecting PC use the RPC over named pipes printer connection (Windows 11 version 22H2 and later): policy Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Printers > Configure RPC connection settings, enabled and set to RpcOverNamedPipes, or from an admin Command Prompt: reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\RPC" /v RpcUseNamedPipeProtocol /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f. Microsoft says this configuration isn’t recommended.
• Let a Windows 11 host accept named-pipe connections: the Configure RPC listener settings policy in the same folder, set to RpcOverNamedPipesAndTcp (registry value RpcProtocols set to 0x7 under the same key).
• Lower the host’s RPC authentication level, the workaround often given for 0x0000011b: on the host only, set RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled (REG_DWORD) to 0 under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print, then restart the spooler. Microsoft labels 0 “Not recommended” and says your devices are not protected.

Avoid setting RestrictDriverInstallationToAdministrators to 0 so standard users can install drivers, or NoWarningNoElevationOnInstall or UpdatePromptSettings to a non-zero value to silence driver prompts. Microsoft warns in KB5005010 and KB5005652 that these leave PCs vulnerable; entering admin credentials once does the job safely.

Fixing it once for the whole office

With several PCs, set this up once:

• Approve your print server with the Group Policy settings Package Point and Print – Approved servers and Point and Print Restrictions (under Administrative Templates > Printers), with Users can only point and print to these servers ticked and both driver prompts on Show warning and elevation prompt. Microsoft calls these partial mitigations.
• Pre-install drivers in your PC image, or push them as an app with Intune or your management tool.
• Deploy printers by IP with Group Policy Preferences, so no share is involved.
• Consider Universal Print, Microsoft’s cloud print service, so PCs stop connecting to a shared queue. Printers without built-in Universal Print support need the Universal Print connector, running on a Windows PC or server where those printers are installed. Universal Print is included with Microsoft 365 Business Premium, E3 and E5, not Business Basic or Business Standard, and is also sold on its own.

Our Microsoft 365 management page explains the tenant administration we handle; Microsoft licenses, including any Universal Print needs, aren’t included in our plan or one-time fixes.

When it isn’t a settings problem

• The printer drops off the network even when added by IP: suspect its network card, Wi-Fi module or power supply, not Windows.
• No current driver exists for your Windows version or Arm PCs, and the printer isn’t Mopria certified for Windows’ built-in IPP class driver: it may be at end of life.
• The host can’t run a supported version of Windows: it can’t meet today’s print security, and loosening every client to match isn’t a fix.
• A USB printer works on its host but drops jobs partway through: suspect the cable, hub or port.

Most of these steps can be done remotely, though someone at the office may need to wake the host or move a cable. If you’d rather not do this yourself, getting a PC connected to a shared printer again is a typical $59 remote fix through remote computer help; printer repairs and replacement hardware aren’t included, and on-site visits can be arranged, where available, through vetted local partner technicians as a separate paid add-on.

Common questions

How do I fix error 0x0000011b without editing the registry?

Install the latest updates on both the computer sharing the printer and the one connecting, then restart both; that fixes it when one side is behind on Microsoft’s 2021 print security changes, but the error has also been reported between fully updated PCs. If it persists, add the printer by IP address if it has its own network connection, or through a local port pointed at the share if it’s plugged into the host. If the host can’t be updated, replace it rather than weakening every client.

Is it safe to set RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled to 0?

Not as a permanent fix. Microsoft labels a value of 0 not recommended and says devices aren’t protected with it, because it switches off the stronger authentication added for CVE-2021-1678. If you use it to keep a legacy host working, apply it only on that host, write the change down, and remove it once the host or the clients that needed it are updated or replaced.

Why does Windows ask for administrator credentials to add a shared printer?

Since Microsoft’s August 10, 2021 security updates (KB5005652), installing or updating a printer driver through Point and Print needs administrator rights by default. Connecting to a shared printer usually means downloading its driver from the host, so standard users get a prompt or an error such as 0x00000bcb. Installing the driver ahead of time, or entering admin credentials once, avoids it without weakening security.

Can I still share a USB printer from one Windows 11 PC to others?

Yes. Turn on sharing in the printer’s properties on the host, keep that PC awake and updated, and make sure the others can sign in to it with a real user account and password, because current Windows 11 Pro builds won’t connect as a guest. For a printer the whole office relies on, a network-connected printer added by IP address on each PC is more dependable.

Why did our shared printer stop working right after a Windows update?

Updates sometimes change print security defaults or introduce a printing bug, and if only some PCs updated, the host and clients can end up on different rules. Check Microsoft’s Windows release health page for your version to see whether a known issue is listed, install the latest update on every machine, and avoid uninstalling security updates as a fix, since that reopens the holes they closed.

Does a small office need a print server?

Often not. With a handful of PCs, adding each network printer by IP avoids shared-printer errors, and Group Policy or Intune can push it to every machine. A print server helps with central queues or job accounting. Microsoft’s cloud alternative, Universal Print, is included with Microsoft 365 Business Premium, E3 and E5, not Business Basic or Business Standard, and is also sold on its own. Printers without built-in Universal Print support need the Universal Print connector, running on a Windows PC or server where those printers are installed.