What to do if windows cannot connect to printers

If the problem associated with the fact that windows cannot connect to the printer does not allow you to work normally, then do not despair and run to the nearest service center, because with a competent and responsible approach, you can eliminate it absolutely independently. One of the reasons a network printer is not connecting is due to a problem with the Print Manager service. Another reason that the computer does not see the connected device is the clogging of the Spool folder and registry, which is responsible for the print queue. Such a source of the problem is a consequence of a large number of installations of various programs in the form of drivers for completely different models and brands of printing devices.

The first way

• So, if windows cannot connect to the device due to the fact that the local printing system is not running, then to solve this problem, you will need to enable this service. The reason that this service is not running may be due to the fact that it is simply disabled by the user or by some third-party software or even a virus application.
• To fix this problem, open the “Start” menu of your operating system windows 10 or some other version, then go to “Control Panel”.
• Find the administration section in the list that opens, and then click on the “Services” item. It should be noted that it is necessary to open just the usual Windows services, and not local ones – for some reason, many users make a choice in favor of the second option.
• The drop-down list you should scroll to the very bottom until you find the “Print Manager” windows 10 (in XP, this item is called the print spooler).
• Double-click on it with the left mouse button so that you can go to its parameters.
• In the new window, find the line “Startup type”, where the value “Automatic” should be. If this is not the case, then open the list and change it to the appropriate value.
• Look a little below – there you should see the “Disable” button in the active state. But if this is not the case and there is a “Run” button instead, click on it. Apply all the changes made and click on “OK” to close the print manager settings window.

If the source of the problem was precisely the print service, which somehow turned out to be disabled, then the above actions will be enough for the computer, which does not see the printer, again start showing it and connecting to it. But if the problem “windows cannot connect to the printer” is still not resolved and the device is still disconnected, then carefully read the next way to fix it.

Second way

An alternative to starting the print service is to connect the equipment via the local port (“Local Port”). In it, you have to register the current path to the network device. In general, this simple action will be enough for the windows 10/8/7 / XP system installed on the PC to start seeing this printing office equipment on the network again.

• To solve the problem that it is not possible to connect the printer over the network, you need to click on the control panel.
• Among all the displayed list of sections, select the section with printing devices, and then click on “Install”.
• In the new window of the installation wizard, click on the “Add a local printer” button – they are usually used if there is no USB printer, which, when connected, will be installed in Windows in automatic mode.
• In the next window, you will be asked to select a port. Click on the second item, namely “Create a new port”. For the port type, select “Local Port” from the list.
• Now, so that the network printer is not displayed as “disabled” and your PC can find it, write the path to it – be sure to take into account all symbols and capital letters. Here’s an example: ” vitaliy HP LaserJet 1020″. Having solved this small “quest”, click on “OK”.
• At the next stage, the Add Printer Wizard will ask you to decide on the driver of the connected equipment. Determine the option you want and click on “Next”. In the next few buttons, also click on the “Next” button.

Usually, when you use this method to solve the question of why the network printer is not installed, everything starts to work normally. Those. the printing office equipment comes out of the “disabled” state, due to which the found device is again prepared by the OS for further work.

Third way

But an error related to the fact that the system fails to communicate with the printing device pops up not only when a network device is connected, but even a local one. What to do in this case if the MFP is not visible to the personal computer?

• Most often, after the local equipment has been configured, the print manager functions in a normal state, but after a certain period of time it suddenly turns off. It should be noted that it is not so difficult to establish the source of the problem in this situation. Most likely, it lies in the “Spool”, which after a while is simply clogged. The solution to the problem is definitely to clean it up.
• First, you need to boot your computer in Safe Mode. in the standard, this folder cannot be cleaned.
• Open the “Spool” folder located in this path: “C” => “Windows” => “System32”.
• Go there to the folder ” prtprocs w32x86″ and delete all its contents.
• Also clear the folder under this path “Spool Drivers w32x86” from the files.
• Restart your computer, and then reinstall the drivers and printing device.

As you have probably seen, the problem of the computer not finding the device or windows cannot connect to the printer is not as difficult to solve as it seems at first glance. In general, even beginners managed to eliminate this malfunction, so first of all rely on your own strength and on this manual!