Can T Connect to Network Printer Windows 10

A lot of Windows are reporting that they’re no longer able to connect to their network printer afterwards installing the KB5006746 update on Windows eleven. Upon trying to print something, affected users run into an mistake prompt with the error message ‘Windows couldn’t connect to the printer‘.

The irony of this ongoing upshot is that the
KB5006746
update was supposed to fix a whole slew of printer connectivity issues that we’re preventing Windows 11 users from connecting to their network printers.

And while this update was successful for the most office, a small segment of the user base of operations ended upward with an entirely new issue where their network printer became entirely unusable.

Fortunately for those of you lot affected by this issue, there are actually a number of potential fixes that you can deploy in order to make your network printer usable once once more. Here’due south a list of fixes that other affected users have successfully used to set up the functionality of their network printer after installing the KB5006746 update:

At present that you are aware of every potential fix that is capable of allowing you to finally connect your network printer to the internet, move downward to the outset potential fix below.

Install ‘the Fix’ of the Fix

Microsoft was quick to denote a fix to the fix (the KB5006746 update) that introduced this new slew of issues for people that are using a network-connected printer.

If you had no issues connecting to your network printer and you lot’re all of a sudden no longer able to after yous installed the KB5006746 update, the first thing you should do is cheque Windows Update to see if a new update is bachelor.

Microsoft has already announced that they have started deploying a hotfix for the KB5006746 update in club to resolve the unexpected consequences.

If you are affected, follow the instructions below to install the hotfix for the KB5006746 update and resolve your issue with the network connected printer:

Notation:
Considering Microsoft releases these hotfixes on segments, it’s possible that you haven’t yet received the hotfix while others accept. If no new update is available yet, check back regularly or motion down to the side by side potential fix below.

1. Printing
   Windows key + R
   to open up upwardly a
   Run
   dialog box. Next, type
   ‘ms-settings:windowsupdate’
   within the text box and press
   Enter
   to open upward the
   Windows Update
   tab of the
   Settings
   menu on Windows xi.

   

2. Once you’re inside the
   Windows Update
   screen, motion downwardly to the right-manus section and click on
   Check for Updates
   to check if the hotfix is set to be installed.

   

3. If a new update is waiting to exist installed, click on
   Install Now
   and expect patiently until the new hotfix gets installed locally.

   

4. Once the update is installed, reboot your PC and effort to connect your network printer once again after your computer boots back upwards.

In case this issue didn’t resolve the trouble in your case or no new update is available inside WU, motion down to the adjacent potential fix beneath.

Run the Printer Troubleshooter

In case the problem is non actually related to the
KB5006746
update, chances are you’re dealing with this problem due to a general inconsistency that is in no way related to this bad update that has gotten everybody riled upwards.

If your item problem has nothing to do with the
KB5006746
update, the best affair you can practice is run the
Printer Troubleshooter
and apply the recommended ready.

Note:
Upon running the
Printer Troubleshooter
utility, the tool will commencement scanning your electric current printing components for any inconsistencies information technology tin can discover. If a recognizable problem is identified, the tool will then suggest the appropriate automated fix that yous tin typically enforce in just 1 click.

Follow the instructions below for step-by-step instructions on running the Printer Troubleshooter and applying the recommended fix:

1. Open up a
   Run
   dialog box by pressing
   Windows key + R. Next, blazon ‘ms-settings:troubleshoot‘ inside the text box and printing
   Enter
   to open up the
   Troubleshoot
   tab of the
   Settings
   app.

   

2. Once you’re inside the
   Troubleshoot
   tab, click on
   Other Troubleshooters
   from the menu on the right-hand side.

   

3. One time you’re within the
   Other Troubleshooters
   menu, click on the
   Run
   button associated with the
   Printer.

   

4. At the initial screen, look until the browse is consummate. If a viable issue is identified, you volition be presented with a screen when y’all can apply the recommended fix.
5. If a viable recommended fix is pushed forward by the troubleshooter, click on
   Apply this gear up
   to enforce it.

   

   Note:
   Depending on the ready that gets recommended, you might exist required to do some transmission steps – just follow the on-screen instructions.

6. Reboot your PC and see if you are now able to connect to your network printer.

In example no viable printer fix was recommended or you already enforced it and you saw no comeback to the printer network connectivity, move downwardly to the next potential prepare below.

Re-Enable the Print to PDF feature

Equally information technology turns out, you can as well look to come across this item outcome occurring due to a complementary characteristic (Print-to-PDF) that was unexpectedly affected by the latest update that you lot installed.

According to some affected users, your disability to connect to a network printer might be related to the Print to PDF feature that ended up being disabled after the installation of the update.

if this scenario is applicable, follow the instructions below to re-enable the Impress to PDF feature from the Windows Features screen:

1. Press
   Windows key + R
   to open up a
   Run
   dialog box. Next, type
   ‘appwiz.cpl’
   inside the text box and printing
   Enter
   to open up the
   Programs and Features
   carte.

   

2. Once you’re inside the
   Programs and Features
   menu, use the menu on the left to click on
   Turn Windows features on or off.
   
   

   

3. When you’re prompted by the
   User Account Command (UAC), click
   Yeah
   to grant admin access.
4. One time you’re inside the
   Windows Features
   screen, coil downward to the
   Microsoft Impress to PDF
   and enable the checkbox associated with it before clicking on
   Ok
   to salve the changes.

   

5. At the confirmation prompt, accept the alter and await until the Microsoft Impress to PFF component is enabled.
6. Reboot your PC and see if you are all the same not able to connect your network printer.

In case the same kind of issue is all the same occurring, move down to the side by side potential set beneath.

Uninstall the KB5006746 update

If none of the methods higher up have proven to exist effective in your case, ane way to be certain that you eliminate the effects brought about by the bad Windows 11 update is to only uninstall the problematic
KB5006746
update via the
Update History Tab.

Nevertheless, doing this is likely not enough since the Windows Update component volition likely end upwards re-installing the problematic update once again. Considering of this, yous’ll as well need to
apply the Microsoft Show or Hide troubleshooter to hide the update
that is causing this effect for you.

Annotation:
Go on in mind that if the
KB5006746
update was installed weeks agone, you will likely not exist able to uninstall information technology at this bespeak. In this case, the only affair we tin can do

Follow the instructions below to uninstall and hide the
KB5006746update in club to fix the issue related to your network printer:

1. Printing
   Windows key + R
   to open a
   Run
   dialog box. Adjacent, type
   ‘appwiz.cpl’
   within the text box and press
   Enter
   to open up upward the
   Programs and Features
   screen.

   

2. In one case you lot’re inside the
   Programs and Features
   menu, use the vertical bill of fare on the left to click on
   
   View installed updates.
   
   

   

3. Once yous’re inside the
   Installed Update
   screen, right-click on the
   KB5006746
   update and choose
   Uninstall
   from the context menu.

   

4. At the confirmation prompt, click
   Aye,
   then wait until the uninstallation is complete.
5. Once the KB5006746 update is uninstalled, don’t restart your computer. Instead, visit the
   
   official download page of the Microsoft Evidence or Hide troubleshooter
   .
   Note:
   The download should start automatically.
6. After the download is complete, open the
   .diagcab
   file and click on the
   Avant-garde
   button at the start prompt. Next, check the box associated with
   Employ Repairs Automaticallybefore clicking on
   Next.

   

7. Wait until the utility scans your arrangement to figure out which pending updates are not installed. Once the next screen appears, click on
   Hibernate Updates
   from the list of available options.

   

8. From the next screen, bank check the box associated with the
   KB5006746
   update, then click on Next to hide information technology – this will prevent the
   Windows Update
   from attempting to install the update one time over again.
9. Reboot your PC ane final time and see if you lot are at present able to connect your network printer without receiving the aforementioned ‘Windows couldn’t connect to the printer’.

If the aforementioned kind of issue is still occurring or this method was not applicable, move downwardly to the terminal potential fix below.

Enforce the Fix Manually via Registry Editor

In case you were non able to follow the method above due to the fact that the installation of the problematic KB5006746 update was older than 2 weeks, you will no longer be able to uninstall it.

Yet, what you can still do is enforce the same kind of fix that the hotfix for the bad update already does.

This tin be washed by opening an elevated
Registry Editor
prompt and creating a new DWORD 32-flake cardinal named
RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled
and setting it to
0.

Follow the instructions beneath for pace by footstep instructions on how to practise this:

1. Press
   Windows key + R
   to open up a
   Run
   dialog box. Next, type
   ‘regedit’
   inside the text box and press
   Ctrl + Shift + Enter
   to open upwardly the
   RegistryEditor
   with admin access.

   

2. When you lot’re prompted past the
   User Account Command,
   click
   Yep
   to grant admin access.
3. Once you’re inside the
   Registry Editor
   tool, use the vertical menu on the left to navigate to the post-obit location:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print

   Note:
   You lot tin can either navigate there manually or you can paste the full path above straight into the navigation bar at the top and printing
   Enter
   to get at that place instantly.

4. Next, move over to the correct-hand section – once you lot’re at that place right-click on an empty space and choose
   New > Dword (32-bit) Value.

   

5. Finally, proper noun the newly created DWORD value to
   RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled,and then double-click on information technology and set the
   Base
   to Hexadecimal and the
   Value information
   to
   0
   earlier clicking on
   Ok
   to relieve the changes.

   

6. Shut the elevated Registry Editor utility and restart your computer in social club to allow the changes to take result.
7. Once your PC boots back up, attempt to connect your network printer once once again and see if the issue is at present stock-still.