How to fix "Windows can't open Add Printer" error?

"Windows can't open Add Printer" means the Add Printer wizard could not reach the Print Spooler service, so Windows stops before it lists any printer. Most often the spooler is stopped or keeps crashing on a stuck job or an old driver. Start Print Spooler and set it to Automatic first.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What "Windows can't open Add Printer" means

The Add Printer wizard does not install anything itself. It asks the Print Spooler service, the Windows service that holds printers, drivers and print jobs, to list ports and drivers. When the spooler does not answer, Windows shows "Windows can't open Add Printer" and the wizard never opens.

The first line is always the same. The second line says why, and it decides where you start. The most common full text, quoted on Microsoft Q&A since Windows 7, is: "Windows can't open Add Printer. The local print spooler service is not running. Please restart the spooler or restart the machine."

Why Windows can't open Add Printer: causes, ranked

The message names the spooler, but the spooler is rarely broken on its own. Something stops it or makes it crash at start. These are the causes from the most common to the rare, each with the fix that removes it.

• Why drivers rank so high. In the Microsoft Q&A thread on this message, the answer from Microsoft Support starts with removing previous printer software and drivers, then resetting the spooler. A user in the same thread had moved the PC and installed a new printer driver just before the error.
• Why a stuck job matters. The spooler reads every waiting job when it starts. One damaged job can stop it before the wizard asks for anything, so restarting the PC alone does not help.

How to fix "Windows can't open Add Printer": eight fixes in order

Fix 1 starts the spooler and solves the plain case. Fix 2 to Fix 4 remove what keeps crashing it. Fix 5 covers the RPC and access messages, Fix 6 the company error 283, and Fix 7 and Fix 8 are the general repairs.

Fix 1. Start the Print Spooler service and set it to Automatic

2 minutesLow riskFor everyone, first. Especially when the message says the local print spooler service is not running.

The Add Printer wizard is only a front end for the Print Spooler service. If the service is stopped, disabled or set to Manual and never started, the wizard has nothing to talk to and Windows shows the message.

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
2. Find Print Spooler in the list and double-click it.
3. On the General tab, set Startup type to Automatic and select Apply.
4. Under Service status, select Start. If it already says Running, select Stop and then Start.
5. Select OK and open Add a printer or Add device again.

Prefer the command line? Run these three lines in Terminal (Admin). sc qc spooler shows the startup type and the services the spooler depends on. Step by step with pictures: Check and restart Windows services.

Show, set to Automatic and start Print Spooler. The space after start= is required.

sc qc spooler
sc config spooler start= auto
net start spooler

Fix 2. Clear stuck print jobs from the spool folder

5 minutesLow riskPrint Spooler starts and then stops again, or the error came after a print job that never finished.

The spooler loads every waiting job from C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS when it starts. A damaged job file can crash it at once, and then the wizard finds no running spooler. Deleting the job files gives it a clean start.

1. In services.msc, right-click Print Spooler and select Stop.
2. Press Win + R, type %WINDIR%\System32\spool\PRINTERS and press Enter. Select Continue if Windows asks for permission.
3. Select all files with Ctrl + A and delete them.
4. Go back to Services, right-click Print Spooler and select Start.
5. Restart the PC and try Add a printer again.

The same in an administrator Command Prompt. The old version of this page missed the backslash before *.*

net stop spooler
del /q %SystemRoot%\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*.*
net start spooler

Fix 3. Remove old printer drivers and printer software

15 minutesLow riskThe error began after you installed, moved or replaced a printer, or the message shows error 0x0000007e.

The spooler loads every installed printer driver when it starts. A driver left by an old printer, or one built for an older Windows, can stop it or miss a file it needs. Microsoft Support's answer for this message starts here.

1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps and uninstall printer suites and scanner tools of printers you no longer use. On Windows 10 the path is Settings > Apps > Apps & features.
2. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, select each old or duplicate printer and select Remove. On Windows 10 it is Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
3. Press Win + R, type printui /s /t2 and press Enter. The Print Server Properties window opens on the Drivers tab.
4. Select a driver of a printer you removed, select Remove, choose Remove driver and driver package and confirm.
5. Restart the PC.
6. Download the current driver for your printer and your Windows version from the printer maker's website, then add the printer again.

Fix 4. Remove third-party print processors from the registry

10 minutesRead the warningFix 3 did not help, the message shows error 0x0000007e, or the spooler crashes even with no printer installed. Needs an administrator.

Print processors are plug-ins the spooler loads at every start, whether a printer uses them or not. A processor left by a removed printer suite points to a file that is no longer there, and the spooler fails before the wizard can open.

1. In services.msc, stop Print Spooler.
2. Press Win + R, type regedit and press Enter. Export the Print key named above.
3. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Environments\Windows x64\Print Processors.
4. Look at the subkeys. winprint stays. Any other key is usually named after a printer maker.
5. Right-click a key that belongs to a maker whose printers you removed and select Delete.
6. Close Registry Editor, start Print Spooler and try Add a printer again.

On 32-bit Windows 10 the key is under Environments\Windows NT x86 instead. Windows 11 has no 32-bit edition. The old version of this page said to delete everything except winprint; delete only the keys of makers you removed, because a printer you still use may need its own processor.

Fix 5. "The remote procedure call failed" or "Access is denied": check the spooler's services and your account

5 minutesLow riskThe second line reads "The remote procedure call failed" or "Access is denied", or starting Print Spooler gives error 1068.

The wizard talks to the spooler over a remote procedure call, even on your own PC. If the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) service the spooler depends on does not answer, the call fails. Adding a printer also needs administrator rights.

1. In services.msc, double-click Print Spooler and open the Dependencies tab. Note the services in the upper list.
2. Check that Remote Procedure Call (RPC) and every other service in that list shows Running. Start any that is stopped.
3. In Terminal (Admin), run sc qc spooler and read the DEPENDENCIES lines. Compare them with a working PC on the same Windows version.
4. Sign out and sign in with an account that is an administrator on this PC, or ask its owner to add the printer.
5. On a work PC, ask the IT department: a policy can block adding printers for standard users.

Fix 6. Error 283 when you add a printer from a company print server

15 minutes for the administratorLow riskYou add a printer from a Windows print server at work or school and get "Error #283". It is for the administrator of the server.

In the Microsoft Q&A thread on error 283, the accepted answer says the print server's spooler cannot reach a domain controller to authenticate your PC. Your PC is fine; the server cannot finish the check.

The thread began after the June 2023 updates KB5027222 and KB5026362, and removing them made the error go away. The answer links it to Microsoft's printer RPC binding changes for CVE-2021-1678, article KB4599464. On your own PC there is little to change; send the steps below to the IT department.

1. Write down the exact text, the print server name and the time of the error.
2. On the print server, the administrator checks that TCP port 135 is open from the print server to the domain controllers, so the authentication can complete.
3. The administrator restarts Print Spooler on the server.
4. On your PC, add the printer again by its path \\ServerName\PrinterName.

If you see "We can't install this printer right now" with error 283 on a home PC with no print server, we could not confirm the cause in a Microsoft source. Start with Fix 1 to Fix 3.

Fix 7. Run the printer troubleshooter

5 minutesLow riskThe spooler runs and the wizard still will not open, and you want Windows to check the printer setup for you.

The troubleshooter checks the spooler, its startup type and the print queue in one pass and fixes what it can. Microsoft Support suggests it for this message, but it does not remove drivers or print processors.

1. On Windows 11, open Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
2. Next to Printer, select Run. On current Windows 11 builds this opens the Get Help app.
3. Follow the questions and let it apply the changes it suggests.
4. On Windows 10, open Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Printer.

Fix 8. Repair Windows system files

20 minutesLow riskNothing above helped, or other Windows services fail as well.

The spooler and the wizard are Windows files. If one of them or the RPC components they use is damaged, DISM restores the component store and SFC then replaces the damaged files.

1. Open an elevated command window. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin), or type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.

   

2. Run DISM first. Type the command below and press Enter. DISM downloads clean copies of damaged components from Windows Update, so it can take several minutes. Wait until it says The operation completed successfully.

   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

   

3. Run System File Checker. In the same window, type the command below and press Enter. Do not close the window until the verification reaches 100%.

   sfc /scannow

   

4. Read the result and restart. Compare the last message with the table below this guide, then restart the PC so that repaired files are loaded.

   

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files

Still can't add a printer? Where Windows writes the real cause

The message only says the wizard could not reach the spooler. Windows writes why in its logs. Collect these facts before you reset anything, and send them to the printer maker, your IT department or Microsoft support.

• Is it hardware? No. The wizard fails before it talks to any printer, so the printer, its cable and Wi-Fi are not the cause.
• Same spooler, other messages. If printing itself fails with error 0x000006BA, see our guide to print spooler error 0x000006BA.
• What to send to support: your Windows version, the full text of the message, the faulting module from the Application log and the printers you removed or added recently.

How to keep "Windows can't open Add Printer" from coming back

The error returns when an old driver or a printer suite stays behind, or when a tool sets Print Spooler to Disabled. A few habits keep the wizard working on Windows 11 and Windows 10. Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025, so drivers for it get fewer updates.

Frequently asked questions

Why does Windows say it can't open Add Printer?

Because the Add Printer wizard could not reach the Print Spooler service. The wizard only shows what the spooler gives it, so when the spooler is stopped, disabled or crashes, Windows shows the message before any printer is listed. The second line of the message says which case you have. "The local print spooler service is not running" is the most common one, and Fix 1 starts the service. If it stops again, a stuck job or an old driver crashes it (Fix 2 and Fix 3).

How do I fix "The local print spooler service is not running" when adding a printer?

Press Win + R, type services.msc, double-click Print Spooler, set Startup type to Automatic and select Start. Then open Add a printer again. If the service stops again within seconds, stop it, delete the files in C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS and start it (Fix 2). If it still stops, remove the drivers and software of printers you no longer use (Fix 3). Restarting the PC alone rarely helps, because the same job or driver loads again at start.

What is error 283 when adding a printer?

Error 283, also shown as "Error #283", appears when you add a printer from a company print server. An accepted answer on Microsoft Q&A says it is seen when the server's spooler cannot reach a domain controller to authenticate your PC. The fix is on the server: the administrator opens TCP port 135 from the print server to the domain controller. The thread started after the June 2023 updates. Turning off the RPC security check also works there, but it weakens a security fix, so we do not recommend it.

How do I fix error 283 on Windows 10 or Windows 11?

On a work or school PC, send the error, the server name and the time to your IT department, because the cause sits on the print server (Fix 6). Uninstalling Windows security updates on your PC is not a fix. On a home PC with no print server, we could not confirm a Microsoft explanation for error 283 or for "We can't install this printer right now" with that code. Start with Fix 1 to Fix 3 there: start Print Spooler, clear stuck jobs and remove old drivers.

Why can't I add a printer in Windows 11?

If you see "Windows can't open Add Printer", the Print Spooler service is not answering, and Fix 1 to Fix 4 apply. If the wizard opens but your printer is not found, the problem is the connection: the printer must be on the same network, switched on and not asleep. In that case select Add manually and add it by its IP address. If the printer is found but the install fails with a code, look up that code, for example 0x00000c1 or 0x000003eb, which are separate errors.

What does "Windows can't open Add Printer. The remote procedure call failed" mean?

The wizard talks to the Print Spooler through a remote procedure call, even on your own PC. This text means the call did not get an answer: the spooler or a service it depends on, such as Remote Procedure Call (RPC), is not running. Open Print Spooler in services.msc, check the Dependencies tab and start every service listed there (Fix 5). If they all run, damaged system files are the next suspect, so run DISM and SFC (Fix 8).

What does error 0x0000007e mean in the Add Printer message?

Code 0x7E is Windows error 126, "The specified module could not be found". In this message it means the spooler tried to load a printer plug-in, such as a driver file or a print processor, whose file is missing. That usually happens after a printer suite was removed only partly. Remove the old drivers in Print Server Properties (Fix 3), then the extra print processors in the registry (Fix 4). A Microsoft hotfix for 64-bit Windows 7 also covered this text, but it does not apply to Windows 10 or 11.

Does the printer troubleshooter fix "Windows can't open Add Printer"?

Sometimes. The troubleshooter checks whether Print Spooler runs and is set to start automatically, and it clears the print queue. That solves the simple case, and Microsoft Support suggests it for this message. It does not remove old drivers or third-party print processors, so if the spooler keeps crashing it will not help for long. On current Windows 11 builds the Printer troubleshooter opens in the Get Help app (Fix 7).

Is it safe to delete the files in the spool PRINTERS folder?

Yes, with the spooler stopped. The files in C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS are print jobs waiting to print, not your documents. Deleting them cancels those jobs, and you print the documents again afterwards. Do not delete the PRINTERS folder itself, and do not touch the drivers or prtprocs folders next to it: they hold the installed printer drivers and print processors. Start Print Spooler again when you are done (Fix 2).