Fix: Printer Errors After Upgrading to Windows 11

A manufacturing business contacted us because one of their staff could not print after their PC was upgraded to Windows 11. Every time they tried to print from Excel, an application error appeared. PDFs were also failing to open correctly when sent to the printer. Other users in the office on older Windows versions were unaffected, confirming the issue was related to the upgrade. Here is what caused it and how to fix it.

Symptoms

After upgrading a PC from Windows 10 to Windows 11, printing stops working or produces errors. You may see one of the following:

Your file could not be printed due to an error on [printer name]. There are several possible reasons:
– There may not be enough memory available. Try closing files and programs you aren’t using.
– If you use a network for printing, there may be a problem with the network connection or the printer driver.

You may also experience:

• Print jobs sit in the queue but never print, or the queue shows “Error” status
• An application error dialog appears when trying to print from Excel, Word, or other Office apps
• PDFs fail to open or display errors when sent to the printer
• The printer was working before the Windows 11 upgrade and no hardware changes were made
• Other computers on the same network can print to the same printer without issues
• The issue affects network printers connected via a print server or direct IP
• Printing a test page from Windows settings may work, but printing from applications fails

Affected Software

• Operating System: Windows 11 (after upgrade from Windows 10)
• Printers: Canon, Epson, HP, Brother, Kyocera, Ricoh, and other network printers
• Applications: Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat, and other desktop applications

Cause

Windows 11 introduces changes to the print subsystem that can break existing printer configurations. The most common causes are:

• Incompatible printer drivers: Windows 11 may replace your working printer driver with a generic or incorrect one during the upgrade. Many manufacturer-specific drivers from Windows 10 are not fully compatible with Windows 11
• Corrupted print spooler data: The upgrade process can leave behind corrupted spooler files or registry entries from the previous Windows installation
• Changed printer port configuration: Network printer port settings (IP addresses, share paths) can be reset or corrupted during the upgrade
• Windows Protected Print Mode: Windows 11 24H2 introduced “Windows Protected Print Mode” which restricts printing to Mopria-certified drivers only. This can block older third-party drivers

Resolution

Method 1: Remove and Reinstall the Printer Driver (Recommended)

This is the most reliable fix. Completely removing the old driver and installing a fresh Windows 11-compatible version resolves the majority of post-upgrade printing issues.

1. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners
2. Click on the affected printer and select Remove
3. Open Services (press Win + R, type services.msc, press Enter)
4. Find Print Spooler, right-click it, and select Stop
5. Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS. Delete all files in this folder
6. Go back to Services and Start the Print Spooler service
7. Download the latest Windows 11-compatible driver from the printer manufacturer’s website:
   • Canon drivers
   • Epson drivers
   • HP drivers
   • Brother drivers
8. Install the downloaded driver and re-add the printer
9. Print a test page from an application (not just the Windows test page) to confirm it works

Method 2: Restart the Print Spooler and Clear the Queue

If print jobs are stuck or showing errors in the queue:

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter
2. Find Print Spooler, right-click it, and select Stop
3. Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS
4. Delete all files in this folder (these are stuck print jobs)
5. Go back to Services and Start the Print Spooler
6. Try printing again

Method 3: Disable Windows Protected Print Mode (Windows 11 24H2)

If you recently updated to Windows 11 version 24H2, a new feature called Windows Protected Print Mode may be blocking your printer driver.

1. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners
2. Scroll down and look for Windows Protected Print Mode
3. Toggle it Off
4. Restart your computer and try printing again

Alternatively, disable it via the Registry:

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\WPP
3. If the WPP key does not exist, create it
4. Create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named WindowsProtectedPrintMode
5. Set the value to 0 to disable it
6. Restart the computer

Method 4: Reconnect Network Printers

If the printer connects via a network share (e.g. \\server\printer):

1. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners
2. Remove the affected printer
3. Click Add device and wait for the printer to appear
4. If it does not appear, click Add manually and enter the network path or IP address
5. Select the correct driver when prompted (choose the manufacturer’s driver, not “Microsoft IPP Class Driver” if you need full functionality)
6. Print a test page to confirm

Method 5: Run the Windows Printer Troubleshooter

1. Open Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters
2. Find Printer and click Run
3. Follow the prompts to detect and fix common printer issues

Important Notes

• Always download drivers from the manufacturer’s website, not from third-party driver sites. Use the specific Windows 11 version if available
• If the printer is shared from a print server, the server itself may also need updated drivers. Windows 11 clients may reject drivers from a server running older Windows versions
• The “Microsoft IPP Class Driver” that Windows 11 often auto-selects provides basic printing but may not support advanced features like duplex printing, stapling, or colour management. Install the manufacturer’s driver for full functionality
• If you manage printers through Group Policy or Intune, check that your printer deployment policies reference Windows 11-compatible driver packages
• USB-connected printers are less commonly affected than network printers, but may still need driver updates after the upgrade
• If printing works from Notepad but not from Office applications, the issue is likely driver-related rather than a connectivity problem

Related Resources

• Microsoft Support: Fix printer connection and printing problems in Windows
• Microsoft Learn: Windows Protected Print Mode

If you need help resolving printer issues after a Windows upgrade, get in touch with our team.