PC An Update Broke My Printer: Errors 0x00000709 and 0x0000011b
If Windows shows error 0x00000709 or 0x0000011b after an update, your printer has probably not failed. The update changed printer sharing security and how Windows handles the default printer, so a printer that worked before can now be blocked, misnamed, or refused as the default.
This page covers generic Windows spooler and sharing fixes only. The steps apply to local printers and printers shared by another home computer, on both Windows 10 and Windows 11, and they start with safe checks before any settings change.
If your message names a printer brand or model, shows a model error, or comes from the printer maker's software, use our separate printer site instead. Those fixes depend on the exact printer, while the fixes here stay with Windows itself.
Part of the Windows Update Problems: Stuck, Failed and Slow Updates Fixed Safely series, the pillar guide for this cluster.
Which code do you have, and what does it mean
Look at the code on your screen before you try anything else. The last digits matter, and the wording under the code matters too. The two codes on this page look alike, but they point to different problems and need different fixes. Write the code down exactly as it appears, including any zeros.
Error 0x00000709 is about your default printer and the printer name Windows is trying to reach. You may see 'Operation could not be completed' and a note to double-check the printer name and make sure the printer is connected. In plain terms, Windows cannot set or use that printer as the default.
Error 0x0000011b is about a shared printer. You may see 'Windows cannot connect to the printer' when you try to use a printer that is plugged into, or shared from, another computer. After an update, Windows tightened the security for that type of connection and is now refusing it.
If you have 0x00000709, use the section on setting your default printer again. If you have 0x0000011b, use the section on printers shared by another computer. Windows 10 and Windows 11 are both covered on this page, so you do not need a separate page for your version. Start with the safe checks in the next section, which apply to both codes.
Safe checks to try first for both codes
Safe checks to try first for both codes
Restart the printer, your computer, and, if the printer is shared, the computer it is attached to. Turn the printer off, wait 30 seconds, and turn it on again. Restart both computers too, then wait until each one has fully started and the printer shows it is ready before you try to print again. A restart also clears a print job that is stuck in the queue.
Next, print a test page from the host computer, the one the printer is attached to or shared from. If that page prints, the printer itself and its cable or Wi-Fi connection are working, and the fault is more likely in Windows on the computer showing the error. If it does not print, sort out that local problem first.
Then check the Print Spooler, the Windows service that sends jobs to the printer. Press the Windows key, type 'services', and open Services. Find Print Spooler in the list. If it does not say Running, select it and select Restart once. If it already says Running, leave it alone and move on. Check it on both computers if the printer is shared.
Last, check that all the computers are on the same home network. Compare the Wi-Fi name or the wired connection on each one, and reconnect any computer that is on a guest network or a different router. Try printing once more. If the error is still there, go to the fix for your code below. A guest network is a common cause of this mix up.
How to fix 0x00000709 and set your default printer again
How to fix 0x00000709 and set your default printer again
This code often appears after Windows changes your default printer. On Windows 11, open Settings, go to Bluetooth & devices, then Printers & scanners. Under Printer preferences, turn off Let Windows manage my default printer. Open your printer in the list, then select Set as default. That stops Windows from switching the default to the last printer you used. Work on the computer that shows the error.
On Windows 10, open Settings, go to Devices, then Printers & scanners, and turn off Let Windows manage my default printer. Select your printer, select Manage, then select Set as default. If the printer is shared from another computer, check the connection name against the host computer. It must match the host computer name and shared printer name exactly, with no wrong letter or extra space. Read each name in full.
If your choice will not stick, open Printers & scanners and look for an old printer you no longer own or use. Old listings can look much like the current one, so read the full name. A stale listing can keep pulling the choice back. Select only that stale listing, select Remove or Remove device, and leave your current printer alone. Then set your current printer as the default again.
Finish by printing from a normal app, such as the app you use for letters or forms. Open a short document, select File, then Print, and check that the printer shown is the one you just set. Print one page. If it prints, close and reopen the app and check the printer name again. The name you set should still be shown there. That final check uses the same route as your daily printing.
How to fix 0x0000011b on a printer shared by another computer
Error 0x0000011b often appears after an update when the host computer, the one the printer is attached to, and the other computer are following different sharing security rules. The safest fix is to bring both computers up to date first, before you change any sharing or registry settings.
On each computer, open Settings and check for Windows updates. In Windows 11 go to Windows Update. In Windows 10 go to Update and Security, then Windows Update. Install any pending updates, then restart both computers, even if Windows does not ask you to restart.
Next, work on the host computer. Make sure its network is set to Private, not Public, and that printer sharing is turned on. Then open Printers and scanners, select the printer, and check that it is listed as shared.
On the computer that cannot connect, remove the failed shared printer. Open Settings, then Printers and scanners, select that printer, and choose Remove. Restart the computer, add the printer again from the host computer's shared listing, and print a test page.
If Windows asks for sign-in details during setup, enter the user name and password for an account on the host computer, not the details for the computer you are sitting at. Leave the printer in place if it connects, and try one normal print before you try anything else.
Only if the steps above fail, consider one last option on the host computer. Back up the registry first, and stop if you are not sure. A registry value called RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled controls the stricter check behind this error. Setting it to 0 can let older connections through, but it lowers security, so matching updates on both computers remain the safer fix.
To try it, open Registry Editor on the host, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print, and create or edit the 32-bit DWORD value RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled with a value of 0. Restart the host, then connect again. If it works, note the change and restore it to 1 after later updates are installed.
How to clear the print spooler and add the printer again
How to clear the print spooler and add the printer again
If you still cannot print, this reset clears a stuck queue and rebuilds the printer connection. Work in this order, and do not skip the test page at the end. Close documents that are waiting to print. First, open Settings, open Printers & scanners, select your printer, and select Remove. This removes the listing only. It does not remove the printer itself.
Next, open the Services app, find Print Spooler, and select Stop. Wait until its status no longer says Running. Then open File Explorer and go to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS. Delete only the files inside that folder, but leave the PRINTERS folder in place. Do this only while Print Spooler is stopped. Return to Services and select Start for Print Spooler.
Now add the printer again. In Settings, open Printers & scanners and select Add device in Windows 11, or Add a printer or scanner in Windows 10. Select your printer when it appears and follow the prompts. Then print a test page from that printer's settings. If the test page prints, try one page from a document.
Do not delete printer drivers at random while you do this reset. A working driver can be hard to put back, and removing the wrong one can stop other printers from working. Do not use driver updater or cleaner tools either. This reset uses only the tools already in Windows, and no download is needed.
What to do if the printer still will not connect
If the printer still will not connect, write down the date the problem started and the name or number of the update installed just before it. Keep that note. You will need it for the linked guides and for anyone who helps you.
Use those guides instead of guessing. One covers checking your update history, and the other covers removing a bad update. Follow only the one that fits what you find.
Stop and get help in three cases. If this is a work or school computer, ask the team that manages it. If the Print Spooler keeps stopping or crashing, or a message names your exact printer model, generic fixes are no longer the right path.
Do not leave security updates removed or updates paused for good to keep an old sharing setup working. That leaves the computer open to risks that the updates were made to fix. Treat any such workaround as short term only.
Frequently asked questions
What if one computer can still print and another cannot?
That points to the failing computer's default printer setting or its shared connection, not to the printer itself. Follow the fix path for the exact code shown on the computer that cannot print.
Can I just uninstall the update that caused this?
It may help for a short time, but it is not a lasting fix. Updates also carry security changes, so do not leave an update removed or updates paused to keep an old setup working.
Conclusion
Most printers that stop working after an update with 0x00000709 or 0x0000011b have not broken. Windows changed a rule on one computer, and the printer, the queue, or the shared connection no longer lines up with it. Matching the code on screen to the right fix is what matters.
Once it prints again, leave the working setup alone and let future updates install on the computers involved, including the host. A printer that worked the day before an update rarely needs replacing because of these two codes alone, and buying one will not fix a sharing rule.