- Set the connected printer as default from Windows Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Set as default, and retry printing your file.
- Rollback the recently installed Windows Update from Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates.
Basic Fixes
- Reconnect printer : If you’re using a wired printer, its loose USB connection to your PC may result in ‘Printer not activated (Error Code 30)’. Replug the printer and replace its cable if it is worn out.
- Update the USB drivers : Obsolete USB drivers can create printer connectivity issues. Head to the Device Manager app, expand ‘Universal Serial Bus controllers’, right-click the buggy USB port, and select Update driver.
- Use the HP Smart app to connect the printer : If your Windows 11 PC doesn’t detect your HP printer , install the HP Smart app from the Microsoft Store, and use it to configure printer settings.
- Update Windows : Press the Windows + I shortcut to open Settings, select Windows Update from the left sidebar, and install available system updates.
Fix 1: Set the Connected Printer as Default
If your preferred printer isn’t set as default, you may run into the ‘Printer not activated, error code-30’ issue on Windows. Ensure your printer has adequate paper and ink and use the following steps to set it as a default printer:
Step 1: Open Windows Settings using the Windows + I shortcut, select Bluetooth & devices from the left sidebar, and click Printers & scanners .
Step 2: Select your preferred office or home printer.
Step 3: Ensure the Printer status isn’t Offline and click Set as default to assign it as a default printer for all printing operations.
Tip: If the Printer status is labeled ‘Offline’, check its power source and try reconnecting it to your PC.
Fix 2: Reinstall Printer Drivers
Corrupt printer drivers can cause unusual printing errors. To fix this, first remove the printer from Windows Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, and re-plug the printer. Then, reinstall the printer drivers using the Device Manager app to restore normalcy.
Step 1: Press the Windows + X shortcut to open the Power User Menu, and select Device Manager .
Step 2: Expand Software devices , right-click your printer, and select Uninstall device . Restart your PC and let Windows 11 automatically install compatible printer drivers.
Fix 3: Run the Printer Troubleshooter
Do you still face the ‘Printer not activated (Error Code 30)’ message while printing a PDF on Windows 11? Running the in-built printer troubleshooter should fix it in no time.
Step 1: Select Printers & scanners under Windows settings (check the above steps), and click your connected printer.
Step 2: Select Run the troubleshooter and wait a few seconds to let it resolve the issue.
Fix 4: Tweak Permission Settings on a Program
If you face the ‘Printer not activated, error code-30’ in a specific app, give it full control over your PC to print files and documents seamlessly.
Step 1: Right-click the app icon and select Show more options .
Step 2: Select Properties from the right-click context menu to open it.
Step 3: Open the Security tab and click Edit .
Step 4: Enable the Allow checkmark beside Full control and click Apply followed by OK to save changes.
Fix 5: Rollback the Recent Windows Update
Lastly, a buggy Windows Update can malfunction your connected printer showing the ‘Printer not activated (Error Code 30)’ message while initiating a new print. To fix it, rollback the recent Windows Update using these easy steps:
Step 1: Press the Windows key, search Uninstall updates , and click it to open the system settings.
Step 2: Locate the recently installed Windows Update using the ‘Installed on’ timestamp, and click Uninstall to remove it. Select Uninstall when prompted to confirm the action.
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- Set the connected printer as default from Windows Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Set as default, and retry printing your file.
- Rollback the recently installed Windows Update from Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates.
Basic Fixes
- Reconnect printer : If you’re using a wired printer, its loose USB connection to your PC may result in ‘Printer not activated (Error Code 30)’. Replug the printer and replace its cable if it is worn out.
- Update the USB drivers : Obsolete USB drivers can create printer connectivity issues. Head to the Device Manager app, expand ‘Universal Serial Bus controllers’, right-click the buggy USB port, and select Update driver.
- Use the HP Smart app to connect the printer : If your Windows 11 PC doesn’t detect your HP printer , install the HP Smart app from the Microsoft Store, and use it to configure printer settings.
- Update Windows : Press the Windows + I shortcut to open Settings, select Windows Update from the left sidebar, and install available system updates.
Fix 1: Set the Connected Printer as Default
If your preferred printer isn’t set as default, you may run into the ‘Printer not activated, error code-30’ issue on Windows. Ensure your printer has adequate paper and ink and use the following steps to set it as a default printer:
Step 1: Open Windows Settings using the Windows + I shortcut, select Bluetooth & devices from the left sidebar, and click Printers & scanners .
Step 2: Select your preferred office or home printer.
Step 3: Ensure the Printer status isn’t Offline and click Set as default to assign it as a default printer for all printing operations.
Tip: If the Printer status is labeled ‘Offline’, check its power source and try reconnecting it to your PC.
Fix 2: Reinstall Printer Drivers
Corrupt printer drivers can cause unusual printing errors. To fix this, first remove the printer from Windows Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, and re-plug the printer. Then, reinstall the printer drivers using the Device Manager app to restore normalcy.
Step 1: Press the Windows + X shortcut to open the Power User Menu, and select Device Manager .
Step 2: Expand Software devices , right-click your printer, and select Uninstall device . Restart your PC and let Windows 11 automatically install compatible printer drivers.
Fix 3: Run the Printer Troubleshooter
Do you still face the ‘Printer not activated (Error Code 30)’ message while printing a PDF on Windows 11? Running the in-built printer troubleshooter should fix it in no time.
Step 1: Select Printers & scanners under Windows settings (check the above steps), and click your connected printer.
Step 2: Select Run the troubleshooter and wait a few seconds to let it resolve the issue.
Fix 4: Tweak Permission Settings on a Program
If you face the ‘Printer not activated, error code-30’ in a specific app, give it full control over your PC to print files and documents seamlessly.
Step 1: Right-click the app icon and select Show more options .
Step 2: Select Properties from the right-click context menu to open it.
Step 3: Open the Security tab and click Edit .
Step 4: Enable the Allow checkmark beside Full control and click Apply followed by OK to save changes.
Fix 5: Rollback the Recent Windows Update
Lastly, a buggy Windows Update can malfunction your connected printer showing the ‘Printer not activated (Error Code 30)’ message while initiating a new print. To fix it, rollback the recent Windows Update using these easy steps:
Step 1: Press the Windows key, search Uninstall updates , and click it to open the system settings.
Step 2: Locate the recently installed Windows Update using the ‘Installed on’ timestamp, and click Uninstall to remove it. Select Uninstall when prompted to confirm the action.
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I tried all those suggestions they didn’t work.
- Use Task Manager to restart the Print Spooler service.
- Remove recent Windows updates if the error began after an update.
- Modify the Windows Registry to disable Print Spooler RPC Encryption.
1. Restart the Printer Spooler From the Task Manager
Step 1 : Press the Windows key, type Task Manager , and click Open .
Step 2 : Under Process Name, scroll down, find Spooler SubSytem App , and expand the process by clicking the chevron (arrow) icon .
Step 3 : Right-click on the Print Spooler , and choose Open Services .
After opening the Services, return to the Task Manager.
Step 4 : Right-click on the Print Spooler once more and select Stop to end the process.
Once it has been stopped, it will be removed from the Task Manager. Finally, go back to the Services tab .
Step 5 : In the Services tab, scroll down, find Print Spooler , and right-click on it.
Step 6 : From the context menu, choose Start .
After that, you should be able to connect your Windows machine to the Printer without problems. If this method didn’t fix the error, move on to the next one.
Also Read : How to fix printer driver is unavailable error on Windows 11
2. Update your Windows Machine
Step 1 : Press the Windows key, type Settings , and click Open .
Step 2 : In the Settings window, go to Windows Update .
Step 3 : On the right pane, click the Check for updates button.
You may receive a prompt to download the Windows update. After downloading, the update will install automatically, and you’ll receive a prompt to restart your Windows PC.
3. Uninstall Recent Windows Updates
Step 1 : Press the Windows key, type Control Panel , and click Open .
Step 2 : In the Control Panel window, click Programs and Features .
Step 3 : Under Uninstall or change a program, click on View installed updates .
You will be taken to Windows Settings, where you can uninstall the updates.
Step 4 : View and click on the Windows Update you want to uninstall.
Using the latest security updates should resolve any issues relating to errors on shared printers or any other problems associated with being unable to access the Printer. If this method doesn’t work, maybe the next one will.
Also Read : Ways to fix printer not showing up on Mac
4. Manually Add the Printer Using Its IP Address
Step 1 : Press the Windows key, type Settings , and click Open .
Step 2 : In the Settings window, navigate to Bluetooth & devices .
Step 3 : Under Bluetooth & devices, scroll down and click on Printer & scanners .
Step 4 : Click on the Printer that is causing the issue.
Step 5 : On the next screen, remove the Printer from your Windows machine.
With this, the issue causing your Printer will be removed from your PC, and you will be returned to the Printers & scanners page. Now, it’s time to add it back. Continue with the below steps.
Step 6 : Click Add device .
Step 7 : Windows searches for the Printer connected via the intranet or locally. If Windows is unable to find it, click Add manually .
Step 8 : In the Add Printer window, select any one of the options you prefer.
For demonstration, we go with Add a printer using an IP address or hostname and click Next .
Step 9 : Now, choose the device type, type the Printer’s hostname or IP address , and click Next .
That’s it. Windows will look for the Printer with the IP or hostname in your local network and add it to your machine. This should resolve the errors if it doesn’t check out the next and final method.
5. Disable Print Spooler RPC Encryption Using Windows Registry
Step 1 : Open the Start menu, type Registry Editor , and click Run as administrator .
In the prompt, select Yes .
Step 2 : In the top address bar, enter the mentioned address and hit Enter .
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print
Step 3 : Under the Print folder, right-click, select New , and choose DWORD (32-bit) Value .
Step 4 : Type RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled in the name field.
Step 5 : Double-click the new value, type 0 in the Value Data field, and press OK .
Finally, reboot the system to implement the changes. And that’s it! Any issues relating to the printer error should be resolved upon booting up your PC again.
Yes, corrupted or outdated printer drivers are a common cause of this error. It’s recommended to update or reinstall the printer drivers to resolve the issue.
If the error continues to occur, you may need to seek help from the printer manufacturer’s support or a professional technician who can diagnose and resolve the issue.
Now that you know how to fix printer error 0x0000011b on Windows, you can easily tackle printer errors related to a problematic printer driver, printer spooler service, or connectivity problems.
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- Access the print queue on your computer and manually clear any stuck print jobs that might be causing the issue.
- Ensure you have the latest printer drivers installed. If not, update them or reinstall the drivers to resolve compatibility issues.
- Use your computer’s built-in printer troubleshooter tool to detect and fix common printer problems.
Preliminary Fixes
- Check Printer Connection : You should first try power cycling both your computer and printer. Refreshing the connection between your devices may solve this problem much quicker than you had anticipated.
- Check Pages and Ink : If your printer has run out of pages or ink, you may receive the ‘documents are waiting’ error. You should refill the ink or add more pages to your printer for a smooth operation.
- Check your Printer Status : Ensure your printer’s status is not set to offline. This will make the printer undetectable for your computer. As a result, your PC won’t be able to communicate with the printer.
Fix 1: Run the Printer Troubleshooter
Step 1: Navigate to Settings . Then, open the System and select Troubleshooters .
Step 2: Select Other troubleshooter . Now, Run the printer troubleshooter from the following menu and follow the on-screen instructions.
If the troubleshooter cannot solve your problem, try restarting the Print Spooler service.
Fix 2: Restart the Print Spooler
Step 1: Press Windows + R to open a new Run window.
Step 2: Then, type services.msc and press Enter .
It opens the services menu.
Step 3: Scroll down to Print Spooler .
Step 4: Right-click on the service and select Stop .
The service should no longer be running now.
Step 5: Now, launch File Explorer and go to the following path.
C:\Windows\System32\spool\printers
Step 6: Delete the content of the folder. By doing that, you’ll delete the printing queue.
Note : Don’t delete the folder itself.
Step 7: Restart your computer.
Step 8: Go back to Print Spooler and restart the service.
Step 9: Set the Startup Type to Automatic .
If the steps above are too complicated, complete the same task from the Command Prompt menu.
Step 1: Launch the Command Prompt as admin.
Step 2: Run these commands and press Enter after each one.
net stop spooler
del /Q %systemroot%\system32\spool\printers\*.*
net start spooler
Check if the error is gone. If this doesn’t resolve, check out the next fix.
Fix 3: Reinstall the Printer Drivers
If your print drivers got corrupted, are missing, or are running outdated drivers, you may not print your documents. That’s why you need to update your drivers. Or reinstall them if they get corrupted.
Step 1: Launch the Device Manager . Then, go to Print Queues and expand the list.
Step 2: Select Update driver and check if the problem is gone.
If it persists, select Uninstall device to remove your current print drivers. Restart your computer. Your device will automatically install the latest print drivers.
Check if your printer still says documents are waiting to be printed.
Fix 4: Remove and Add Your Printer
If nothing worked, maybe re-adding your printer to your computer will do the trick. It’s a handy way to fix the printer ‘documents waiting’ error.
Step 1: Head to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners menu.
Step 2: Select your preferred printer.
You can check the printer’s details. You can run the troubleshooter from the same menu too.
Step 3: Click Remove .
Now, go back and select Add device . Once Windows detects your printer, click Add device .
You may need to cancel documents waiting to print and try again.
If the printing error only appears while using Google Chrome , check our dedicated guide to troubleshoot it. Before you rush to the nearest store to print your documents and files, use the tricks above to fix the problem.
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- The “printer isn’t available” error could be due to a faulty connection or a defective printer service. So, check the proper connection.
- You can restart the default printer spooler service or connect using a USB cable.
- If nothing works, use a third-party service for better results.
Basic Fixes
- Restart everything : The first thing you must do is quickly restart all the connected devices. This includes your network router, the printer you’re trying to connect to, and the Android phone you’re using.
- Install relevant apps : Most wireless printers require a plugin or companion app on Android to work as expected. If you have a modern HP printer, download the HP Printer Service app from the Play Store. Alternatively, try the Canon Printer Service for Canon printers. Once you’ve installed it, enable Location and nearby device permissions for it.
- Troubleshoot the wireless printer connection : To ensure proper connectivity, keep your Android phone and printer near the router. Also, some printers go into sleep mode after being inactive for some time. Ensure that your printer is awake and ready for printing. Finally, ensure that your printer has enough ink and paper. While at it, remove any stuck paper from your printer as well.
Fix 1: Use a USB Cable
If a wireless connection isn’t working and you are in a hurry, try using a cable to print documents. Grab a data cable and connect your Android phone to a printer. Before printing a document, check the cable connection and ensure there isn’t any major damage to either of the sides.
Fix 2: Force Stop Printer Spooler Service
To fix the ‘printer not available’ issue, you must force-stop the printer spooler service on your Android.
Step 1: On your Android smartphone, navigate to Settings > Apps > See all apps .
Step 2: Now, tap on the three-dot icon at the top-right corner and select Show System .
Step 3: Now, search for Printer Spooler and tap on it. Inside its settings, tap on Force Stop . Once done, print your document again.
Fix 3: Clear Data for App Plugin
You’ll need to clear data on your printer app plugin to fix the ‘this printer isn’t available now’ error. To do that:
Step 1: Find your printer’s companion app from the app drawer menu.
Step 2: Long-press on the app and open the i app info menu. Now, select Storage and cache .
Step 3: Finally, tap Clear cache from the following menu.
Fix 4: Enable Print Service
If you have disabled the print service on your Android phone, it won’t find the printer. Here’s how to fix that.
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your Android phone, and navigate to Connected devices > Connection preferences > Printing .
Step 2: Tap on your printer service . Enable the toggle from the following menu.
Fix 5: Try Third-Party Printing Services
If HP, Canon, or Brother printing services aren’t working properly, try installing a third-party one. The Google Play Store is packed with third-party printing services to choose from. You can download the NokoPrint mobile printing service from the Play Store. The app lets you print PDFs, photos, docs, and web pages on most Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB printers.
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- Running the printer troubleshooter in Windows is an effective method for fixing such issues.
- Temporarily stopping the Print Spooler service can help you remove printers without encountering errors.
- If the printer still won’t remove, try uninstalling the printer driver and software.
Fix 1: Run the Printer Troubleshooter
Start by running Windows’ built-in printer troubleshooter to see if it can detect and resolve any pending printing errors.
Step 1: Click the search icon on the taskbar, type printers & scanners , and press Enter .
Step 2: Select your printer.
Step 3: Click on Run the troubleshooter .
Windows should automatically detect any issues with the printer and fix them. Following that, you should be able to get rid of the printer.
Fix 2: Remove the Printer From the Print Server Properties
There are several ways to remove a printer in Windows 11. So, if you can’t remove the printer from the Settings app or Control Panel, remove it from the Print Server Properties in Windows.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + S to open the search menu. Type printers & scanners and press Enter .
Step 2: Under Related settings, click on Print server properties .
Step 3: Go to the Drivers tab, select your printer, and click Remove .
Step 4: Select Remove driver and driver package and hit OK to confirm.
Fix 3: Stop Print Spooler Service
Print Spooler is a critical service that handles printer interactions on Windows. If that service interferes with the removal process, disable it temporarily to see if it helps.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog. Type services.msc in the box next to the Open field and press Enter .
Step 2: In the Services window, scroll down to locate Print Spooler . Right-click on it and select Stop .
After stopping the Print Spooler service, remove the printer again.
Fix 4: Uninstall Printer Driver
Device Manager is a useful tool that lets you manage and troubleshoot all your hardware devices from one place. You can also use it to delete an old printer from your PC. Here’s how.
Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Device Manager from the menu.
Step 2: Open the View menu at the top and select Show hidden devices .
Step 3: Double-click on Print queues to expand it. Right-click on your printer and select Uninstall device .
Fix 5: Remove Printer Software
If you’ve installed a dedicated app or software for your printer, it could also obstruct the removal process. To avoid this, first uninstall that app or software before trying again.
Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Installed apps from the list.
Step 2: Locate the printer app on the list. Click the three-dot menu next to it and select Uninstall .
After removing the app, you can remove the printer from the Settings app or Device Manager.
Fix 6: Use the Registry Editor
Windows may not remove the printer due to corrupt registry keys associated with it. To fix it, remove those corrupted registry keys by following the steps below.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to launch the Run dialog. Type regedit and press Enter .
Step 2: Paste the following path in the address bar at the top and press Enter .
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers
Step 3: Locate the printer you wish to remove and click on Delete . Then, select Yes to confirm.
Restart your PC after this, and you should be able to remove your printer without a problem.
