You may encounter “Windows Cannot Connect to the Printer, Access is denied ” or Operation failed with error 0x0000007e while trying to add or access a printer, either locally or over a network. This error message typically indicates a breakdown in the communication between your computer and the printer. It can triggered due to several factors, such as missing or outdated printer drivers, incorrect network settings, or misconfigured printer sharing settings. Additionally, problems with the print spooler service or restrictive firewall rules may also contribute to the issue. Here is how to troubleshoot and Fix printer connection and printing problems in Windows PC.
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Fix Windows Cannot Connect to the Printer
The most of common reasons you get this Windows Cannot Connect to the Printer Error is that your printer is turned off, you don’t have the correct printer drivers installed, or your PC has a minor glitch.
- Driver Issues: Missing, outdated, or incompatible printer drivers can cause this error.
- Network Configuration Problems: Incorrect IP address or printer sharing settings can disrupt connectivity.
- Spooler Service Problems: The print spooler service may be stopped or malfunctioning.
- Insufficient Permissions: Lack of administrative privileges or incorrect user permissions can block printer access.
- Firewall or Security Software: Overly restrictive security settings may block printer communication.
- Corrupt Printer Installation: Faulty or incomplete printer installations can trigger this error.
Restart Your Printer
One commonly overlooked reason your PC can’t make a connection with your printer is that your printer is turned off or its error state. Check that the printer is plugged in and turned on, and if you’re using a power strip, make sure that’s turned on, too.
Restart the Print Spooler Service
The print spooler service manages all print jobs sent to the printer. It acts as a buffer between your computer and the printer, ensuring that print jobs are processed in an orderly manner. Restarting the spooler service clears temporary issues, such as stuck jobs or service glitches.
- Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
- Locate the Print Spooler service in the list.
- Right-click it and select Stop.
- Wait a few seconds to ensure the service has completely stopped.
- Right-click it again and select Start.
- Restart your computer and try reconnecting to the printer.
Then look for Service status, if its running then click Stop button, To stop the service, And Start the service again using Start button. That’s all click apply and ok to make save changes. After that, add the printer again and see if the problem persists.
Create a New Local Port
Also Creating a new local port for the shared printer will help to fix the printer installation Error, windows cannot connect to the printer.
To Create a New Local Port first open Control panel -> Hardware and Sound then click on Devices and Printers. Here Click Add a printer from the top menu.
Windows will scan for available shared printers on local network, If you don’t see your printer listed click the link that says “The printer that I want isn’t listed.“ Here From the next screen select “Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings” and click Next.
Select Create a new port and then from type of port drop-down select Standrd TCP / IP Port and then click Next. Here Type the printer’s address in Printers port name field in the following format:
\\IP address or the Computer Name\Printers Name
For example \\192.168.1.50\HP LaserJet Pro M1136
Note: Type the IP address or computer name where the shared printer physically installed. For network printer type the IP address of the printer.
If you don’t know the IP Address of the computer where the printer is physically connected to and shared from, Hold Windows Key and Press R. Now type cmd in the run dialog and press enter. Type ipconfig in the black window and press enter. Look for IPv4 Address for the computer’s IP in the black window.
Now click OK and then click Next. Select your printer model from the directory to install its drivers, Click Next. If you have a disk, insert the disk, click “Have Disk” and browse to the driver’s location in the disk. Click OK. Type in a name for your new printer. Click Next. Print a test page to check its connection. And click Finish.
Delete Incompatible Printer Drivers
Sometimes The problem can be caused due to incompatible printer drivers. Also, the installation of previous printers can prevent the printer spooler from adding new printers. So you can try to remove these outdated drivers and re-install them again.
You can do the by Press Win + R then type printmanagement.msc and hit Enter. This will open print management, here From the left pane, click All Drivers.
Now in the right window pane, right-click on the printer driver and click Delete. If you see more than one printer driver name, repeat the above steps.
Then restart Windows and Again try to add the printer and install its drivers. Hope This time you install printer without Windows Cannot Connect to the Printer error.
Update or Reinstall Printer Drivers
Printer drivers are critical for facilitating communication between your operating system and the printer. Outdated or corrupted drivers can lead to compatibility issues, preventing successful connections.
- Press Windows + X and select Device Manager.
- Expand the Printers category and locate your printer.
- Right-click the printer and select Update driver.
- Choose Search automatically for updated driver software to allow Windows to find the latest version.
- If the issue persists, uninstall the printer driver:
- Right-click the printer and select Uninstall device.
- Confirm the uninstallation and restart your computer.
- Visit the manufacturer’s official website to download and install the latest drivers for your printer model.
Verify Printer Sharing Settings
Incorrect printer sharing settings can prevent network-connected devices from accessing the printer. Ensuring proper configuration allows seamless connectivity.
- Press Windows + R, type control, and press Enter to open the Control Panel.
- Navigate to Devices and Printers.
- Right-click your printer and select Printer properties.
- Go to the Sharing tab and ensure Share this printer is checked.
- Note the network path displayed and share it with other devices trying to connect to the printer.
Clear Temporary Spooler Files
Temporary files stored in the spooler folder can become corrupted, causing connection problems. Clearing these files resets the spooler environment.
- First, open Windows services using services.msc, locate print spooler right click on it select stop.
- Next you need to Navigate to the spooler folder, Open File Explorer and go to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS.
- Delete all files in this folder. Restart the print spooler service and reconnect the printer.
Clearing these files eliminates any corrupted data, allowing the spooler to function correctly.
Check Permissions and Firewall Settings
User permissions and firewall settings play a significant role in determining access to network resources. Improper configurations can block printer communication.
- Right-click the printer in Devices and Printers and select Printer properties.
- Navigate to the Security tab and ensure your user account has Print and Manage this printer permissions.
In addition Open Windows Security > Firewall & network protection. Select Allow an app through the firewall. Ensure printer-related services like the Spooler Subsystem App are allowed through the firewall.