FIX: 0x0000007c in Network Printing – Windows Cannot Connect to the Printer on Windows 10 (Solved)

If you cannot add a network or a shared printer with error 0x0000007c “Windows Cannot Connect to the Printer”, or if the installed printer is not responding when you try to print in Windows 10, continue reading below to fix the problem.

In the last few months, September and October 2021, Microsoft has been continuously releasing security updates that cause problems installing or printing to shared printers. Microsoft says it is working to resolve these issues, but once again many users are experiencing a lot of network printing problems after installing the Windows 10 Cumulative Update 2021-10 (KB5006670). & the November 9, 2021—KB5007186 updates.

This tutorial contains instructions to resolve the following network printing errors on Windows 10:

• “Windows Cannot Connect to the Printer: Operation failed with error 0x0000007c”, when trying to add a shared network printer.
• “Printer Not Responding” when you try to print on a network printer.
• 0x000006e4 (RPC_S_CANNOT_SUPPORT)
• 0x0000007c (ERROR_INVALID_LEVEL)
• 0x00000709 (ERROR_INVALID_PRINTER_NAME)

FIX: Error 0x0000007c – Cannot Add a Network or a Shared Printer.

Method 1. FIX 0x0000007c error in Network Printing by Modifying Registry (FIX No1).

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. In command prompt give the corresponding command below according your Windows 10 version:

Windows 10 versions 2004, 20H2, 21H1 and 21H2:

• reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetPoliciesMicrosoftFeatureManagementOverrides /v 713073804 /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Windows 10 version 1909:

• reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetPoliciesMicrosoftFeatureManagementOverrides /v 1921033356 /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Windows version 1809 and Windows Server 2019:

• reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetPoliciesMicrosoftFeatureManagementOverrides /v 3598754956 /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

3. Restart your computer and check if the printing problem has been resolved.

Method 2. FIX Network Printing Error 0x0000007c by Modifying Registry (FIX No2).

Since after applying the latest Windows 10 updates, administrative credentials are required to install or print to shared printers, go ahead and add the following registry entries to your system: *

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
2. Give the following command in order (press Enter after each command):

• reg add “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindows NTPrintersPointAndPrint” /v RestrictDriverInstallationToAdministrators /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
• reg add “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindows NTPrintersPointAndPrint” /v UpdatePromptSettings /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
• reg add “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindows NTPrintersPointAndPrint” /v NoWarningNoElevationOnInstall /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

3. Restart your PC and try to print.

* Note: For Domain Computers (workstations), you have to modify the Domain Group Policy to allow the installation of shared printers without administrative credentials needed. To do that:

1. Open the Group Policy Management.
2. Right click on the Default Domain Policy and select Edit.
3. Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Printers > Point and Print Restrictions.

4. Set the Point and Print Restrictions policy to Disabled and click OK.

5. Close the Group Policy Editor and give this command to apply the change.

• gpupdate /force

6. Now proceed and install the shared printer(s) on workstations.

7. After installation to keep your network secure, configure the Point and Print Restrictions policy as follows:

a. Set the Point and Print Restrictions Group Policy setting to Enabled.
b. Select Users can only point and print to these servers and type below the names of the print servers.
c. At When installing drivers for a new connection, select Show warning and elevation prompt.
d. At When updating drivers for an existing connection, select Show warning and elevation prompt.

e. Click OK and close the Group Policy Editor.
f. Run the “gpupdate /force” command to update the Domain Policy.

Method 3. FIX 0x0000007c Network Printing error by Removing KB5006670 & KB5007186 Updates.

If your shared printer is not responding when printing on it, or you cannot install a network printer with error 0000007c after installing KB5006670 or KB5007186, proceed and apply the following simple steps:

1. Uninstall the KB5007186 and/or KB5006670 updates.
2. Prevent KB5007186 & KB5006670 update to be installed again until Microsoft fixes the problem on a future update.

Step 1. Uninstall KB5006670 & KB5007186 from Windows 10:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. In command prompt give the following commands and press Enter:

• wusa /uninstall /kb:55007186
• wusa /uninstall /kb:5006670

3. Click Yes to remove the update.

4. When the uninstall process is complete, restart your PC.
5. After restart proceed to install your printer.

Step 2. Prevent KB5006670 Update Installation.

1. Download the Show or Hide updates tool “wushowhide.diagcab” tool from: https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/wushowhide.html
2. Run the tool,  click Next and then select Hide updates.

3. Let the tool to find the available update and when this done, select the 2021-10 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 (KB5006670) or/and the KB5007186 and click Next.

4. When the troubleshooting is complete close the troubleshooter and restart your PC.

That’s all folks! Which method worked for you?
Please leave a comment in the comment section below or even better: like and share this blog post in the social networks to help spread the word about this.

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