To fix the “Windows cannot connect to the printer” error,disable theRpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabledvalue in the Registry Editor. This will bypass the error screen and allow you toadd the network printeragain.
If that does not work, uninstall thelatest security updatesoradd the printerusing a local port.
I have encountered the exact error several times here at my office while trying to add the HP Ink Tank Wireless 410 printer.So, in this article, I will discuss everything I did to resolve the problem.
Make Changes in the Registry
Before moving to the actual fix, let me quickly explain why this error occurs. Users startedfacing this issue back in 2021when Microsoft released security updates to fix thePrintNightmare vulnerability (Forbes explain).
Since then, every time you try toadd the shared printer, you encounter an error. More often, it isfollowed by the error code0x0000011b.
Sadly, there’s no permanent patch to fix this bug to date. Yet, here’s aquick workaroundthat has helped thousands of users get rid of it.
Uninstall Security Updates From Microsoft
If we look deeper into the issue, there are a fewsecurity updateslikeKB5006670,KB5005565,andKB5007186responsible for the error.
As discussed earlier, Microsoft deployed these updates tofix the PrintNightmare vulnerability. However, it has been more of a problem.
So, you may try uninstalling these security updates from the host computer and see if that resolves the error. For that,
Install Printer Using a Local Port
Well, I hope the two fixes discussed above have already helped you eliminate the error. If that does not work, install the printer using a local port.
Here’s what you need to do,
