How to Fix Printers Error Code 0x0000011B in Windows

Read on to discover how you can fix printers' error code 0x0000011B in Windows, since here is what you need to know.

Operation could not be completed" is the message which normally pops up when printing on a network printer fails with error number 0x0000011B. It would seem this has re-appeared recently following Windows security patches. Security enhancement updates often change Remote Procedure Call RPC authentication. These changes then cause network printing to fail.

There is no printer error.

The most common cause related to the KB5005565 update fixed some vulnerabilities, like PrintNightmare, by enforcing stricter RPC encryption. It could also be caused by outdated or incorrect client or print server drivers.

In general, problems with connecting to network printers shared by the central computer are experienced more frequently when stricter security settings are applied to the main computer. For most customers, registry editing changes-such as deleting RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled-serve better for restoring the changes made in RPC communication than update uninstalls do. 

Now that we have discussed what the root cause of this problem is, let us proceed with the solution.

1. Install all available updates

As the KB5005565 update brought new security that resulted in printer issues, later updates also fix the network printing issue and remove workarounds including registry setting changes. 

Press Windows key + R to open Run dialog. In the text box, type "ms-settings:windowsupdate" and press Enter to open the Windows Update page of the Settings menu. Open Windows Update interface

Any new updates can be reached via the Windows Update screen by selecting the Download Now button on the right-hand menu bar. Find and Install Windows Update

Important: In case of no pending updates, click Check for updates to initiate the scan.

Restart your PC and let it install if there are any updates pending.

2. Reinstall the printer's Local printer driver on a local port

If the 0x0000011B error message appears, reinstall the printer as if it were a local device and connected to a local port. This method bypasses issues within the network by tricking your computer into believing the network printer is connected directly to it. In many instances, you can work your way around the security enhancements that brought about the issue by directly hooking the printer to the computer, adding it as a "local printer" in your control panel. This fixes the problem without requiring you to change your security settings for your network configuration. Press the Windows key plus R to open the Run dialog box. Opening Classic Control Panel In this text box, simply type "control" and press Enter to open classic Control Panel. Open classic Control Panel. Once the Control Panel opens notice that you can access the classic version of it using the search box on the upper right-hand corner of the Control Panel interface. You can search for "devices and printers".

Find Devices and Printers from the list of results and click on it Devices and Printers screen

Click Add a printer, in the ribbon bar at the top of the Devices and Printers screen. Using Windows built in printer driver install wizard

Click inside the box that says "The printer I want isn't listed" once the opening page scan is complete. Then select a printer that is listed below. Thereafter, select Next; now, you can do an addition either from local or network and then manual configuration is possible.

After creating a new port, click on the drop down menu and select Local Port. How to Select an additional local port

To add the network printer, click Next, then fill in the path to the file as well as the name of the printer in question, in this case, kevincannon 244.

For your changes to be saved, please click OK. Inserting the correct port for the local printer

To get started, find your printer's manufacturer in the left-hand column, select the correct driver in the right-hand column and click the Next button. Ensuring that the correct printer drivers are loaded

Note that if the driver for your printer does not already appear, you can load a driver from a local folder by clicking Have Disk. You can also use Windows Update to get all the drivers right here in this interface.

Next, name the local printer driver and click Next, as shown on the following page, to continue with the installation. Selecting the correct driver for the local port printer

When you click Finish, you will find the printer listed under Devices & Printers. Now print a test page to make sure everything is okay .

3. Disable CVE-2021-1675 mitigation

If you want to fix printer problem 0x0000011B, which came after the KB5005565 update, you have to disable CVE-2021-1678. Stronger RPC encryption, introduced with this update, prohibited users from connecting to printers on the network. The registry value RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled should be set to 0 to disable such security measures and make network printers work again. 

Use rollback with caution because this will open the security risk again.

Press the Windows key plus R to open the Run dialog box. Type "regedit" and then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open the Registry Editor as an administrator. Open a new window in the Registry Editor 

If you are prompted for an administrator account, select Yes when User Account Control appears.

This path in the Registry Editor's left-hand menu will get you to the place you want to be: "ControlPrint" is a key under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE system registry. 

Note: You can either navigate through this path step-by-step or reach there directly by pasting the above path in the top navigation bar and pressing Enter.

Make certain the Print is highlighted, then click in an empty space on the right side of the window and choose New > 32-bit DWORD Value from the context menu.Creating a new DWORD attribute 

After you have created a new value in the registry you will want to give it a name like RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled and hit Enter to save the change. 

To activate the RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled attribute double-click it.

In the Edit menu, replace the Value data with 0 and change the Base to Hexadecimal. Then select OK to save the changes made.Modifying the RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled encryption key 

Restart your system.

4. Uninstall the culprit update - KB5005565

The problem with the printer 0x0000011B can be fixed by uninstalling the update KB5005565. This release had more strict security for RPC communication, and it can be used to deny access to network printers. You will manage to return the system to its previous state and remove additional constraints on printer connections.

Press the Windows key plus R to open the Run dialog box. In the text box, type the following: "appwiz.cpl" then press Enter. Opening the Windows Programs and Features window

Note: If User Account Control popup appears, click Yes to run as an administrator.

In the Programs and Features section click View Installed Updates on the left-hand menu. View Installed Updates

Every prompt that will pop up asking for administrative privileges answers in the affirmative. 

Step 3: In the Installed Updates tab, find the update KB5005565 in the list of installed updates. 

You can right click on it and choose uninstall from the context menu: Go into Remove updates to remove the problematic update. 

Click Yes to confirm removing the update from the following window.

When that removal is complete, reboot your computer in order to check whether it fixed the issue or not.

That is all there is to know about How to Fix Printers Error Code 0x0000011B in Windows, so we hope we have been of the greatest help to you.