Error 0x0000011b: How to Fix “Windows Cannot Connect to the Printer”

Applies to: Windows 11 and Windows 10 PCs connecting to a printer shared from another Windows PC or a Windows print server, when “Windows cannot connect to the printer” shows error 0x0000011b.

What error 0x0000011b means

In 2021 Microsoft fixed a printing vulnerability (CVE-2021-1678) by raising the authentication level that Windows uses when one PC talks to another PC’s print spooler. From the September 2021 updates onward this stricter check is on by default on the PC that shares the printer.

The setting is controlled on the sharing PC (the “print server”) by a registry value called RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled. When the PC trying to connect can’t meet the stricter level, for example because it’s missing updates or uses an older connection method, Windows refuses the connection with 0x0000011b.

Printers connected by USB to your own PC, or network printers added by their own IP address, don’t use this connection type, which is why the fixes below work.

Fix 1: Update both PCs

Many 0x0000011b failures happen because only one side has the newer printing updates. On both the PC that shares the printer and the PC that connects to it:

1. Go to Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates.
2. Install everything offered, including optional driver updates for the printer.
3. Restart both PCs, then try adding the printer again.

If updates won’t install, our guide to running Windows Update from the command line covers resetting the update components.

Fix 2: Connect to the printer directly by IP address

If the printer itself is on the network (Wi-Fi or Ethernet), skip the sharing PC entirely. This is also the most reliable setup, because the printer no longer depends on another PC being switched on.

1. Find the printer’s IP address, usually on its screen under network settings or on a printed network configuration page.
2. On your PC, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners and select Add device.
3. Select Add manually (Windows 10: The printer that I want isn’t listed).
4. Choose Add a printer using an IP address or hostname, select Next, type the IP address and follow the prompts to install the driver.

For best results, install the printer maker’s full driver package from their support site.

Fix 3: Add the shared printer through a local port

If the printer is connected by USB to another PC and shared from there, you can add it on your PC as a “local” printer that sends jobs to the share. This avoids the connection method that triggers 0x0000011b. You need the sharing PC’s name and the printer’s share name (on the sharing PC, open the printer’s Printer properties and check the Sharing tab).

1. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Add device and select Add manually.
2. Choose Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings and select Next.
3. Select Create a new port, choose Local Port as the type and select Next.
4. Enter the share path, for example \\OFFICE-PC\HPLaserJet (the sharing PC’s name, then the printer’s share name), and select OK.
5. Pick the printer’s driver from the list, or select Have Disk or Windows Update to get it, then finish the wizard.

If Windows says the network path can’t be found, check that the sharing PC is on and visible on the network; see error 0x80070035: the network path was not found.

Fix 4: Turn off the stricter RPC check on the sharing PC (last resort)

Security warning: this reverses part of Microsoft’s protection against CVE-2021-1678, and Microsoft lists it as not recommended. Only consider it on a small, trusted home or office network, and prefer Fix 2 or Fix 3. In a company, leave this decision to IT.

On the PC that shares the printer (not the one that shows the error), open Command Prompt as administrator and run:

reg add "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print" /v RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
net stop spooler
net start spooler

Then try connecting from the other PC again. To undo it later, run the same reg add command with /d 1 (or delete the value) and restart the spooler. Microsoft can change how this value is honoured in future updates, so treat it as a temporary workaround, not a permanent fix.

Windows 11 clients and RPC over TCP

Since Windows 11 version 22H2, Windows connects to shared printers using RPC over TCP by default instead of named pipes. Microsoft’s guidance for mixed setups is to configure both sides with Group Policy under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Printers:

• Configure RPC connection settings on the connecting PC, set to RpcOverNamedPipes if the sharing PC only accepts named pipes.
• Configure RPC listener settings on the sharing PC, set to RpcOverNamedPipesAndTcp so it accepts both.

These policies need Windows Pro, Enterprise or Education (Group Policy Editor, gpedit.msc). Microsoft notes that when you use RPC over named pipes, the sharing PC’s RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled value has to be 0, which carries the same security trade-off as Fix 4. These settings more often fix errors 0x00000709 or 0x00000bc4, so try them only if Fixes 1 to 3 didn’t help.

If you see a different printer error, error 0x000003e3 has its own guide.

Related guides

• Printer error 0x000003e3: “Operation could not be completed”
• Error 0x80070035: the network path was not found
• “The local device name is already in use”: how to fix it
• Windows Update from the command line
• “The Active Directory Domain Services is currently unavailable” when printing

Official sources: for more detail, see Microsoft’s own documentation:

• Microsoft Support: Managing deployment of Printer RPC binding changes for CVE-2021-1678 (KB4599464)
• Microsoft Learn: RPC connection updates for print in Windows 11

Frequently asked questions

Should I uninstall the Windows update that caused it?

No. Uninstalling security updates leaves the PC exposed, and later cumulative updates bring the same change back. Use Fix 2 or Fix 3 instead.

Which PC do I change, mine or the one with the printer?

Fixes 2 and 3 are done on the PC that shows the error. Fix 4 is done on the PC that shares the printer.

Does 0x0000011b mean the printer is broken?

No. It’s a Windows connection and security check between two PCs. The printer usually prints fine from the PC it’s plugged into.

Is Fix 4 safe at home?

It lowers protection against a known attack on the print spooler. On a home network with only your own devices the risk is lower, but a direct IP connection (Fix 2) or a local port (Fix 3) avoids the trade-off completely.