How to fix
Error code 41: printer not activated
on Windows

Hello. My printer suddenly stopped working - every time I press "Print," I receive an error "Printer not activated - error code -41." It is weird because it was working just fine a few days ago. Please advise.

Printers are devices that are used to produce hard copies of digital documents, photos, and other types of media. They come in various types, such as inkjet, laser, and thermal, and can be used for both personal and commercial purposes. Some printers also have the ability to scan and fax documents in addition to printing. They can be connected to a computer or other device through a USB cable, Wi-Fi, or other methods.

Unfortunately, some users reported receiving a printing error code 41 with the title "Printer not activated" whenever they attempt to print something. While the most common issues with these peripherals occur whenever they jam or have low ink levels, error codes related to technical issues on Windows are also prevalent.

Error code 41 usually occurs whenever users attempt to print a document or picture and usually occurs when certain changes are made to Windows. For example, users might have installed the wrong drivers, or the responsible service is not running. All of these can be easily addressed as long as you follow our guide.

Even the most common fixes, such as driver reinstall, might not sometimes help to fix error -41 when printing. Therefore, we recommend running a quick scan with [d1] automatic PC repair software, which can quickly and easily find and repair corrupted system files and repair them at once. It is also useful when dealing with serious issues such as BSODs, DLL errors, and much more.

Fix 1. Run printer troubleshooter

Windows has a built-in feature that can help users whenever they are having issues or usage difficulties with some of the features or components - they are called troubleshooters and are easy to use. Follow these steps:

• Type in Troubleshoot in Windows search and hit Enter
• Select Additional Troubleshooters
• Pick Printer and click Run the troubleshooter
• Wait till the scan is finished, and then apply the suggested resolutions
• Restart your computer.

Fix 2. (Re)start Print Spooler

• Type Services in Windows search and hit Enter
• Scroll down to find the Print Spooler service
• If it's already running, right-click and select Restart
• If the service is not running, double-click it to open Properties
• Under Startup type, click the drop-down menu and select Automatic
• Click Apply and OK.

Fix 3. Clear and reset Print Spooler via Command Prompt

If the previous solution did not work, using an elevated Command prompt could do the trick:

• Type cmd in Windows search
• Right-click on the Command Prompt result and pick Run as administrator
• At this point, User Account Control will show up - click Yes
• Type in the following command, and press Enter each time:
  net stop spooler
  del %systemroot%\System32\spool\printers* /Q”
  net start spooler
• Once done, restart your system.

Fix 4. Reinstall network drivers

Another reason why users could get the "Printer not activated: error code -41" error is due to Windows trying to load in a network driver that does not work properly anymore. Therefore reinstalling it could help. Before proceeding, take note that uninstalling your network drivers would result in no internet connection after the fact. Thus, it is important to download the driver from the manufacturer's website beforehand.

• Right-click on Start and pick Device manager
• Expand the Network adapters section
• Right-click on your network adapter and select Uninstall device
• Mark the Delete driver software for this device checkbox and click Uninstall
• Reboot your system
• Now install the newest network adapter drivers.

In a similar manner, you could update and reinstall printer drivers as well, although if you want a quicker method of updating all drivers on your system, we recommend using [rev id="DriverFix"] automatic software.

Other relevant articles you might find useful:

• How to fix 0x00000bc4 (No printers were found) error in Windows?
• Cannot print faxes to printer on Windows
• How to fix printing error 0x000003e3?