The “Windows cannot connect to the printer” error stops you before your document even reaches the queue. Start with the connection checks below, then move through Windows troubleshooting and installation repairs. If another computer shares your printer, there’s a separate set of sharing and sign-in settings to check too.
Start with the printer’s connection
A loose USB cable or a disconnected network link leaves Windows unable to reach your printer. Resolve any paper jam, open cover, or supply error shown on the printer’s display. Switch the printer off, then disconnect its power for 30 seconds.
Reconnect the power and switch the printer on. For a USB printer, reconnect the USB cable at both ends. Try another USB port on your computer.
For an HP USB printer, connect it directly to the computer instead of through a hub. Replace a damaged HP printer cable or one longer than 3 meters with an undamaged cable no longer than 3 meters. For a network printer, connect your computer and printer to the same local network. Move an HP wireless printer closer to the router if its signal is weak.
If the network connection still fails, restart your computer, then restart the router. For an HP Ethernet printer, reconnect its network cable. Try another LAN port on the router if the Ethernet connection remains unavailable.
Let Windows troubleshoot the printer
Open Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters. Run the Printer troubleshooter, then follow the instructions in Get Help. Stick with Get Help on current Windows 11, since it replaces the older MSDT printer troubleshooter.
Give the printer a fresh installation
Still getting the error? Remove the printer and let Windows discover it again.
Open Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Select the affected printer, choose Remove, and restart Windows.
Return to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Select Add device and complete installation for the discovered printer. If this fails, check the sharing settings below for a printer shared through another computer; for a printer connected directly to your PC or router, continue to the driver updates.
Check the computer sharing your printer
Use these checks when another Windows computer shares the printer. That computer is the host, and its connection, sharing settings, and account credentials all matter.
Connect both computers to the same local network. On the computer trying to connect, enter \\ComputerName in File Explorer’s address bar, replacing ComputerName with the host’s actual name. If the host cannot be reached by name, try its IP address as \\HostIPAddress. If neither works, restore the host’s network connection before reconnecting its printer.
On each computer using your trusted home network, open Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Select the connected network. Under Network profile type, select Private network. Open Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Advanced sharing settings.
Enable Network discovery under the private network settings, then enable File and printer sharing. On the host, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Select your printer.
Open Printer properties > Sharing. If the tab shows a Change Sharing Options button, select it first and approve any administrator prompt. Then select Share this printer. Note the Share name exactly as shown.
Select Apply, then select OK. Back on the computer trying to connect, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Select Add device.
Select Add manually, then choose Select a shared printer by name. Enter \\ComputerName\PrinterShareName, substituting the host name and the exact share name. Alternatively, use \\HostIPAddress\PrinterShareName; this address belongs to the sharing computer.
Complete the installation wizard. When Windows requests network credentials, enter a valid username and password from the host computer. For blocked driver installation or enforced print settings on a work-managed computer, contact your administrator. Signing in to the share does not grant the administrator privileges needed to install its driver.
Update Windows and the printer driver
This addresses Windows and driver compatibility problems. Open Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. Install the applicable updates, then open Advanced options > Optional updates.
Select any relevant printer driver and choose Download and install. Restart your computer. Repeat the update steps on the host computer if you use a shared printer.
If Windows does not supply a suitable driver, check Settings > System > About for your Windows version and system architecture. Download the compatible driver package for your exact printer model and Windows architecture from the manufacturer’s official support site. Windows protected print mode must be off to install third-party printer drivers. Run the manufacturer’s supported installer.
Reconnect the printer when the installer requests it, and restart when requested. If the manufacturer’s installer fails on an ARM-based Windows 11 PC, including some Copilot+ PCs, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Add device. Complete Windows’ printer installation.
If the problem began immediately after a driver change, right-click Start. Open Device Manager and expand Printers.
Right-click your printer and open Properties > Driver. Select Roll Back Driver. This requires administrator access and a previous driver; a disabled button means rollback is unavailable.
Select the reason for the rollback, then confirm with Yes. Restart when requested.
Clear stuck jobs and restart the print service
Use this method when queued documents will not clear, or Windows still has trouble recognizing the installed printer. Canceling the queue removes its waiting documents, so you’ll need to submit them again.
Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Select your printer and choose Open print queue. Open the ... menu and select Cancel all.
Resubmit your document after the queue clears. If the problem continues, press Windows+R to open Run. Enter services.msc, then press Enter.
Right-click Print Spooler and choose Restart. Approve the administrator permission prompt if Windows displays one.
Add an undiscovered network printer by its address
For a supported printer connected directly to your network, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Select Add device, then choose Add a new device manually or Add manually, depending on the label shown. Select Add a printer using an IP address or hostname.
Click Next. For an HP printer supported by its modern-print installation method, select IPP Device. Enter the printer’s hostname or IP address.
Complete the installation wizard. Use the printer’s own address here; for a printer shared through another Windows computer, use the shared-printer path described earlier.
Confirm that Windows can print
A Windows test page helps narrow the remaining problem to the printer, an app, or a document.
- 1.Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > your printer > Printer properties > General > Print Test Page.
- 2.If the test page prints, open File > Print in the affected app and select the intended printer. Check for Ready, and make sure you haven’t selected a PDF destination or Print to file.
- 3.Try another document to check whether the failure is limited to one file.
- 4.Try printing from another app, such as Notepad. A successful Windows test page with failures confined to one app points toward an app or document problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I change the registry to fix printer error 0x0000011b?
Leave the RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled workaround to an administrator assessing a specific compatibility problem. It disables RPC privacy enforcement and is not a universal fix for 0x0000011b. For persistent shared-printer failures, have the administrator check the host’s RPC firewall rules and driver-installation permissions.
Why did my printer disappear after enabling Windows protected print mode?
Windows protected print mode removes printers that use third-party drivers. Re-add a compatible Mopria printer through Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Add device; it installs through Windows Ready Print. If your printer requires its manufacturer’s driver, open Printer Preferences > Windows protected print mode > Turn Off and confirm with Yes before reinstalling the printer and driver. Turning the mode off gives up its security restrictions. Contact your administrator if policy enforces the setting.
Do the 2026 driver changes mean I need a new printer?
No. Microsoft continues to allow existing compatible printer drivers and separately supplied manufacturer packages. Compatibility depends on your printer model, Windows architecture, manufacturer support, and whether Windows protected print mode permits third-party drivers.
Why won’t my Bluetooth-enabled printer print over Bluetooth?
Some printers use Bluetooth only for Wi-Fi setup, which does not establish a Bluetooth printing connection. Check your model’s supported connection types. If it supports Bluetooth printing, enable Bluetooth on both devices, move the printer within range, and follow its model-specific pairing instructions.