Fix 0x0000011b Printer Error on Windows 10/11

I know this error is infuriating — you just want to print, not troubleshoot. Let's fix it.

The error 0x0000011b usually pops up when you try to connect to a shared network printer from a Windows 10 or 11 machine after a security update. The fix is a quick registry tweak on the print server (the computer sharing the printer), not the client. Here's what to do:

On the computer sharing the printer, press Win + R, type regedit, and hit Enter.

Go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print

Right-click the Print key, choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled.
Double-click the new value and set it to 0.
Restart the Print Spooler service: open an elevated Command Prompt and run:
```
net stop spooler && net start spooler
```

Now try connecting to the shared printer again from the client machine. It should go through without the error.

Why this works

This error started appearing after Microsoft patched the PrintNightmare vulnerability (CVE-2021-34527) in 2021. The update changed how RPC authentication is enforced for Point and Print. By default, it now requires a higher authentication level (privacy), which breaks compatibility with many older or third-party print drivers. Setting RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled to 0 lowers that requirement back to the previous level, letting the connection succeed.

It's not a perfect security trade-off, but for most home and small office networks, it's the only thing that gets your printer working again without replacing hardware or waiting for vendor driver updates.

Less common variations

If the registry fix doesn't solve it, check these scenarios:

Client-side policy: On the client machine, open gpedit.msc and go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Printers. Disable Point and Print Restrictions and Limits print driver installation to Administrators. Reboot.
Driver mismatch: The server might be using a v4 driver while the client expects v3. On the server, go to Printer Properties > Advanced > New Driver, and install a v3 driver (e.g., HP Universal Print Driver v3).
Credential issues: If the server requires credentials, try connecting with \\server\printer in File Explorer instead of Add Printer wizard. Sometimes the wizard caches bad credentials.
Windows 11 24H2: Some builds have a bug where the registry key gets reset after a cumulative update. Check if it's still 0 after updates.

Prevention

To avoid this error coming back, consider these steps:

Keep printer drivers up to date on both server and client. Vendor sites often have post-PrintNightmare fixes.
If you control Group Policy, deploy the registry key via GPO so it doesn't get reverted.
For larger networks, migrate to a print server that supports modern authentication (e.g., Windows Server 2022 with updated drivers).
Avoid using Windows 10 as a print server if you can — it's not designed for that role. A cheap Raspberry Pi with CUPS often works better and won't break with Windows updates.

That's it. The registry fix works in 90% of cases. If you're still stuck, check the Event Viewer under Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > PrintService for more clues.