Solved Computer now unable to connect to network printer

A Windows 11 computer in our house, that used to be able to print on the household's one printer, no longer can.

The computer is an all-in-one, that suffered a damaged display. So we had the shop take everything - drive, CPU, wireless card, etc. - out of that unit, and swap into a new unit that had a good display.

Everything was fast and seamless; the browser's history and cookies and passwords are the same, no reconfiguration needed to connect to home wifi.

But a day after picking the computer up from the shop, I noticed there were no connected printers.

Went to add the printer - I've done it dozens of times with computers in the house - and it failed.

The printer - and, again, it worked with this computer before, and works with other Windows 11 computers we have - is USB connected to a Windows 10 computer.

From the Windows 11 computer, I go to the add a printer dialog and select a shared printer by name as shown in this image from the web:



Even when I select "Browse," it fails. Picking Browse, I can "see" the Windows 10 computer on the network. Clicking on that computer, I can "see" the printer, properly named. Clicking on that, it populates the correct name into the dialog.

But when I click "Next," I immediately get an error that "Windows couldn't connect to the printer."

From the Windows 11 computer, I have done all the "usual suspect" fix attempts:

• Run the printer troubleshooter
• Stopped and restarted the print spooler (which was running and on "automatic" start anyway)
• Tried something with the registry, although the registry path I was supposed to look at didn't exist
• The printer driver on the host Windows 10 computer is up to date (and, again, same printer and network and everything, worked with these computer components before)
• Most - not all yet - of what's on https://thegeekpage.com/windows-couldnt-connect-to-the-printer/

Thoughts please?

In 11 Make sure network discovery and file & printer sharing is ON. Settings>network & internet>advanced network settings>Under More Settings>advanced sharing settings.

Are you certain you typed the printer name correctly in the path? It must be typed exactly as it appears on the connected machine I went to HP site. I do not find a HPDeskjet5679. I do find an HPOfficejet5679. It is not on HP's list of approved printers for Windows 11. I know you said it worked before, but there's always a chance a recent update could have affected it.

glasskuter said:

In 11 Make sure network discovery and file & printer sharing is ON. Settings>network & internet>advanced network settings>Under More Settings>advanced sharing settings.

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glasskuter said:

Network discovery and file/printer sharing have been turned on all along.

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glasskuter said:

Are you certain you typed the printer name correctly in the path? It must be typed exactly as it appears on the connected machine I went to HP site. I do not find a HPDeskjet5679. I do find an HPOfficejet5679. It is not on HP's list of approved printers for Windows 11. I know you said it worked before, but there's always a chance a recent update could have affected it.

Click to expand...

I was using a dialog box image I pulled off the web. Printer name is correct, and anyway, I try connecting to it graphically - browse to it from the network from the add printer dialogs, or find it in File Explorer, right-click, and pick "connect."

The correct printer is graphically visible; I just can't complete the connection to it.

Perhaps it matters and perhaps not, but my printer - old but gets the job done - is a Canon ip4800.

I have a new HP AIO computer that wouldn't connect to an HP 6200 series printer/scanner. I found the solution was to download the full software for the printer and install it. I know installing should be an automatic process but further steps were needed.

mart44 said:

I have a new HP AIO computer that wouldn't connect to an HP 6200 series printer/scanner. I found the solution was to download the full software for the printer and install it. I know installing should be an automatic process but further steps were needed.

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Thanks! Can you say more? I presume you mean installing the driver(s) onto the computer on which the printer is to be added (in my case, the Windows 11) computer?

I went to the HP support site, typed in the printer/scanner model and downloaded the most inclusive option as shown. Installed it and all worked well once done...

Thanks. No go. Downloaded the correct package from the Canon site, and still can't connect. "Running" the printer doesn't seem to be the issue. Issue is I can see it from the Windows 11 computer on the network, but I cannot connect to it.

112022 said:

Thanks. No go. Downloaded the correct package from the Canon site, and still can't connect. "Running" the printer doesn't seem to be the issue. Issue is I can see it from the Windows 11 computer on the network, but I cannot connect to it.

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Hi,

1-What happens when you try to map from the problem machine a network drive to the machine hosting the printer?

2-When you log in to the system on which the printer is physically connected,
are you able to see the system that is unable to connect to the printer in explorer?

3-On the Win 11 system, the problem child- On the Security panel, Firewall and Network Protection pane,
Check under 'Allow an app through Firewall' and try to add the printer there.

How to fix network printer connection issues in Windows 11 22H2 was the solution.

Computer in question is Home edition, so I had to use Regedit. The RPC registry key did not exist. So I had to create the key, then add the RpcOverTCP and RpcOverNamedPipes Dword keys, with values as shown below.



Doing this, then restarting the computer, I was able to connect to the USB printer on the Windows 10 machine, and print.

112022 said:

How to fix network printer connection issues in Windows 11 22H2 was the solution.

Computer in question is Home edition, so I had to use Regedit. The RPC registry key did not exist. So I had to create the key, then add the RpcOverTCP and RpcOverNamedPipes Dword keys, with values as shown below.

Doing this, then restarting the computer, I was able to connect to the USB printer on the Windows 10 machine, and print.

Click to expand...

I'm facing the same problem (my printer is HP LaserJet 2300L). Could you describe exactly where in the home edition registry you put the RPC key? The home edition registry is different from the picture above. I tried inserting the RPC key in several places, but none of it worked. Thanks in advance!