The causes of connection errors between two devices are many, and each cause will have different solutions. The following article will summarize the causes of the error connecting the computer to the printer and how to fix it.
How to fix Windows not connecting to printer error
Restart the printer
1. Turn off your printer by pressing the Power button.
2. When the printer’s screen turns off, you must remove the power cable from your printer.
3. Wait at least 20 seconds before reconnecting the power cable.
4. You can now test print from your Windows PC and check for connection problems.
In most cases, a simple reboot will fix any printer connectivity issues. However, if this doesn’t work in your case, there are plenty of other ways as well.
Check all connected cables
Turn off your printer and disconnect it from the power source. Now, make sure to check all the connected cables of the printer. If any cables are loose, you must reconnect them properly to avoid connection problems. Also, if any of the cables are damaged or broken, the only way out is to replace them.
Review Group Policy Editor
1. Open the Run menu by pressing Win + R on your keyboard.
2. Now type gpedit.msc and click OK.
3. In Computer Configuration, click Administrative Templates > Printers.
4. Double-click the Limits print driver installation to Administrators option and select Disabled.
5. To save the changes, click Apply > OK.
6. Now you have to restart your PC.
Also, make sure that the Allow Print Spooler to accept client connections option is set to Not Configured or Enabled.
Update printer driver
If you have not installed your printer driver, visit the printer manufacturer’s website and download the necessary drivers from there. If you have installed the driver and still have problems, you need to update the driver.
Run Printer Troubleshooter
1. Press Win + I to open the Settings application.
2. Click System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters and click Run next to the Printer option. Once done, the troubleshooter will automatically show you suggested fixes on the screen.
3. When all the fixes are applied, click Close the troubleshooter.
4. Finally, restart the PC and check the connection again.
Restart the Print Spooler service
1. Open the Run menu by pressing the Win + R key combination.
2. When the menu appears, type services.msc and click OK.
3. Scroll down and find Print Spooler in the list.
4. Click the Print Spooler option and on the left side of the screen, click Restart.
5. Try connecting the printer to the computer again.
Done. Hopefully all the above methods can help you fix the “Can’t connect to printer” error on your Windows computer.
