If you are running Windows 11 and you recently updated your system with the KB5006746 cumulative update, then you may encounter printing issues. When trying to print documents after the update, you may come across the error message – Windows couldn’t connect to the printer. This is a common error reported by many users and this issue arises mainly after the KB5006746 update.
What’s interesting is, the cumulative update KB5006746 was released to fix the printing issues on Windows 11, and while most users benefitted out of the update, some users ended up having more problems with their printer. The reasons behind this issue could be anything, from a buggy update to disabled print to PDF feature, fortunately, there are a few solutions that may fix the KB5006746 update issue, “Windows couldn’t connect to the printer” error o your Windows 11 PC. Let’s see how:
Method 1: Restart Print Spooler
1 – Search Services in Windows search box and click on Gear shaped services icon which appears in search result.
2 – Now, Locate Print Spooler from the list.
3 – Double click on it.
4 -Choose startup type as disabled and click on stop to stop it.
5 -Now, click on Apply.
6 – Again , Choose startup type as Automatic and now, click on start to start the service.
7 – Again, Click on apply and OK.
Now, try again.
Method 2: Change computer name
1 – Press Windows key + R together to open run.
2 – Write sysdm.cpl in it and click OK.
3 -Now, Under Computer Name Tab, Just click on change button
4 – Now, Chnage your computer name to something else.
5 – After that, select Workgroup radio button and Type WWW in it.
6 – After that , select domain (If it is not greyed out) and Type PERFECT in it.
7 -Click OK and close the window .
8- Restart your computer
Now, try again
Method 3: Update Windows
Step 1: Press the Win + R keys simultaneously on your PC to open the Run command search bar.
Step 2: In the search field, type ms-settings:windowsupdate and hit Enter.
Step 3: This will open the Windows update page in the Settings window.
In the Settings app, on the right side, click on Check for updates.
Step 4: Windows will now start looking up for any available updates.
If it’s available, it will start downloading the update automatically.
Step 5: Once done, it will display the Install now button. Click on it to proceed with the installation.
Step 6: Next, you will be prompted to reboot your PC with immediate effect or you can choose a time and date as per your convenience.
Now, check if the “Windows couldn’t connect to the printer” error is fixed.
Method 4: Run the Printer Troubleshooter
Sometimes, simply running the Windows printer troubleshooter can help fix the printer issues on your Windows 11 PC. Here’s how to run the troubleshooter:
Step 1: Go to Start, right-click on it and select Run to launch the Run command window.
Step 2: In the search box, type ms-settings:troubleshoot and press OK to open the Troubleshoot settings.
Step 3: In the Troubleshoot settings window, go to the right side and under the Options section, click on other trouble-shooters.
Step 4: Next, on the right side, under the Most frequent section, go to Printer and click on Run.
The Troubleshooter will start running and will try to look up for any issues. If any found, will automatically fix the issue.
Now, close the troubleshooter and check if the printer is connecting normally.
Method 5: Re-Enable the Print to PDF feature
Sometimes, the printer issue could arise due to a glitch with the Print to PDF feature after the last Windows Update. It could be possible that the Print to PDF feature got disabled after the last update was installed. In this case, you can enable the feature by follow the instructions below:
Step 1: Press the Win + R keys simultaneously to open Run command.
Step 2: In the Run command search field, type appwiz.cpl and hit Enter.
Step 3: This will open the Programs and Features window in Control Panel.
Now, on the left side of the window, click on Turn Windows features on or off.
Step 4: In the Windows Features dialogue box, look for Microsoft Print to PDF and check the box next to it.
Step 5: Confirm the action in the prompt to enable the Microsoft Print to PDF feature.
Press OK to save the changes.
Restart your PC and check if you can connect to the Printer.
Method 6: Through Registry Editor
But, if you are unable to uninstall the KB5006746 update because it was installed more than two weeks ago, then the only way to remove the update would be through the Registry Editor. However, before you make any changes to the registry settings make sure you create a backup of the registry data, so that, in case you lose any data, it can be recovered easily.
Step 1: Press the Win + R shortcut keys on your keyboard to open the Run command search bar.
Step 2: In the search field, type regedit and press enter to open the Registry Editor window.
Step 3: In the Registry Editor window, navigate to the below path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print
Now, navigate to the right side of the window, right-click on an empty area, select New and then select DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Step 4: Now, rename the new DWORD value as RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled.
Double-click on it to open the Edit DWORD (32-bit) Value dialogue box.
Step 5: Next, in the Edit DWORD (32-bit) Value dialogue box, navigate to the Value data field and set it to 0.
Also, select the Base as Hexadecimal.
Press OK to save the changes and exit.
Now, close the Registry Editor window, restart your PC and check if the printer not connecting issue is resolved.
Method 7: Update the Printer Driver
Sometimes, the “Windows couldn’t connect to the printer” issue could be simply due to outdated printer drivers and hence, updating the driver to the latest version may help fix the issue. Follow the below instructions to update the printer driver:
Step 1: Go to Start, right-click on it and select Device Manager.
Step 2: This will open the Device Manager window.
Here, go to the Print queues section and click to expand it.
Now, look for Microsoft Print to PDF option, right-click on it and select Update driver.
Step 3: In the Update Driver window, click on Search automatically for drivers and Windows will start scanning the system for any latest versions of the driver available.
If available, it will update the driver automatically.
Once done, close the Device Manager window and restart your PC for the change to be effective. Now, check if the printer issue still persists.
Method 8: Uninstall the Printer Driver
However, if the Printer driver is broken and has stopped working completely, the smartest thing to do would be to uninstall the driver. let’s see how:
Step 1: Press the Win + R hotkeys to launch the Run command window.
Step 2: In the Run command search bar, type devmgmt.msc and press OK to open the Device Manager window.
Step 3: In the Device Manager window, navigate to Print queues and click to expand the section.
Here, right-click on Microsoft Print to PDF and select Uninstall device.
Step 4: Now, in the Uninstall Device prompt, click on Uninstall again to confirm the action.
Step 5: Once the driver is completely uninstalled, visit the manufacturer website and look for the latest version of the printer driver.
Now, download and install it manually.
This should help you to fix the printer could not connect issue on your Windows 11 PC.