How to troubleshoot printer connectivity issues in Windows 11?

Windows 11 is the newest operating system from Microsoft, and it offers many benefits and features for users. However, some users may face difficulties when trying to connect and use their printers on Windows 11. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the common reasons why printer connectivity issues may occur in Windows 11 and how to solve them.

HTTP connection errors

One of the problems that Microsoft has acknowledged is that printer installation may not work when devices try to connect to printers through HTTP connections. This may happen if you are using a web-based printer management service or if your printer supports web services. To fix this problem, you can follow these steps:

1. Make sure your printer is on and connected to the same network as your device.

2. Open Settings and go to Devices > Printers & scanners.

3. Click Add a printer or scanner and wait for Windows to find your printer.

4. If your printer is not shown, click The printer that I want isn't listed.

5. Select Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname and click Next.

6. Enter the IP address or hostname of your printer and click Next.

7. Follow the instructions on the screen to finish the installation.

IPP connection errors

Another problem that Microsoft has acknowledged is that printer installation may not work when trying to install printers through Internet Printing Protocol (IPP). This may happen if you are using a network printer that supports IPP or if you are trying to print from a remote location. To fix this problem, you can follow these steps:

1. Make sure your printer is on and connected to the same network as your device.

2. Open Settings and go to Devices > Printers & scanners.

3. Click Add a printer or scanner and wait for Windows to find your printer.

4. If your printer is not shown, click The printer that I want isn't listed.

5. Select Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings and click Next.

6. Select Create a new port and choose Standard TCP/IP Port from the menu. Click Next.

7. Enter the IP address or hostname of your printer and click Next.

8. Follow the instructions on the screen to finish the installation.

RPC over named pipes connection errors

Some users have reported that their network printers stop working after updating to Windows 11 22H2 because of a change in default network transport protocol. The new protocol, called RPC over TCP/IP, may not be compatible with some older printers or network settings. To solve this problem, you can change the protocol back to RPC over named pipes by editing the Windows Registry file. However, this may cause network performance issues in some cases. Here are the steps to do this:

1. Disclaimer: Editing the Windows Registry file is a serious task. A corrupted Windows Registry file could make your computer unusable, requiring a reinstallation of the Windows operating system and possible loss of data. Back up the Windows Registry file and create a valid restore point before you proceed.

2. Type “regedit” into the Windows 11 search tool and select Registry Editor from the results.

3. Go to this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers

4. Right-click on Printers and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it RpcConnectionType and press Enter.

5. Double-click on RpcConnectionType and set its value data to 1. Click OK.

6. Close Registry Editor and restart your computer.

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