5 Ways to Overcome Operation Failed With Error 0x0000011B in Windows 11

 A new security patch released by Microsoft may have caused printers shared over a network to malfunction, resulting in printer error 0x0000011. The error can affect the Windows 10 21H1 build running on the computer. However, you may also experience it on a Windows 11 system. In this post, we will share how to solve Operation Failed with error 0x0000011B on Windows.

How to Overcome Operation Failed With Error 0x0000011B

You can solve this 0x0000011b error by installing the latest patch for the bug in the Windows update section. If not, here are other troubleshooting steps to fix the Windows cannot connect to the printer error 0x0000011b and get your printer working again. Note that all fixes must be applied to the host system the printer is connected to.

1. Restart Print Spooler Service

A common troubleshooting step to fix problems with the printer is to restart the print spooler service. This is an essential service that handles print jobs between your computer and printer. If the print spooler service is not running, you can start it manually from the Services snap-in. Here's how to do it.

Restart Print Spooler Service

1. Press Win + R to open Run.

2. Type services.msc and click OK.

3. In the Services snap-in, locate the Print Spooler service.

4. Next, right-click on the service and select Properties.

5. In the Properties dialog, open the General tab.

6. Click the Startup type drop-down and set it to Automatic.

7. Click Apply and OK to save changes.

8. Right-click on Print Spooler again and click Restart.

9. After the Print Spooler service is up and running, create a new print job and check for changes.

2. Install All Pending Windows Updates

If this is a widespread issue, you will most likely receive bug fixes via Windows update. So, start by checking if a new Windows update is available. These are often small hotfixes released to fix widespread problems. To check for and install Windows updates:

Install All Pending Windows Updates

1. Press Win + I to open the Settings app.

2. On the left pane, open the Windows Update tab. Go to Update & Security in Windows 10.

3. Click Check for updates. Windows will look for pending updates and list them here.

4. Click Download & install to install the update.

5. Once installed, restart PC and check for any improvements.

3. Manually Install the Printer Through the Local Port

It's a little complicated, but the solution that works to fix operation failed with error 0x0000011B is to manually add your printer to Windows for the local port. Here's how to do it.

Install Printer Manually Via Local Port

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.

2. Next, click Devices and then open the Printers & scanners tab.

3. Next, click Add a printer or scanner. Windows will scan for available printers.

4. Click on the option The printer that I want isn't listed. If you don't see the option, wait a few seconds after clicking the Add a printer or scanner option.

5. In the Add Printer dialog, select Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings.

6. Under Choose a printer port, select Create a new port.

7. Click the drop-down for Type of port and select Local Port.

8. Click Next.

9. Type your network printer file path and network printer name in the Enter a port name field. You can use the username or IP address for the computer name, then the printer name you want to share.

10. Click OK to save the printer.

11. Next, select your printer manufacturer from the list to install the printer driver.

12. Next, select the correct printer driver under the Printers column.

13. Click Next.

14. Choose a name for your printer driver and click Install.

15. Click Next and wait for the installation to finish.

Your newly added printer will now appear under Device and Printer in the Control Panel and Settings app. Give a new print job to see if printer error 0x0000011b is resolved.

4. Disable CVE-2021-1678 Registry Repair

The buggy security updates include a security fix for the Printer Spooler Spoofing vulnerability patch dubbed CVE-2021-1678. However, the new change seems to have triggered operation failed with error 0x0000011b. To fix the error without removing the security update, you must create a new registry entry to disable the feature. Here's how to do it.

Note that modifying the Windows Registry may involve risks. We recommend that you backup Windows Registry and perform a system restore before proceeding with the steps below. Next, follow these steps to disable the CVE-2021-1678 mitigation:

Disable CVE-2021-1678 Registry Repair

1. Press Win + R to open Run.

2. Type regedit and click OK to open Registry Editor.

3. In the Registry Editor, navigate to the location “Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print“.

4. Next, right-click on Print > New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.

5. Rename the DWORD value to RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled.

6. Right-click on the RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled value and select Modify.

7. Type 0 in the Value data column and click OK to save changes.

8. Close Registry Editor and restart your PC to apply the changes.

9. After restarting, try using the printer you shared and check if the error has been resolved.

5. Uninstall Recently Installed Updates

Assuming the problem was triggered after you installed a Windows security update, uninstalling the update will undo the changes and fix the error. You can remove individual updates from the Windowsupdate section. This feature is available specifically to undo problems that may occur after installing updates.

Note that a related update (KB5005565) was released to fix the print spooler vulnerability in Windows OS. Uninstalling updates can make your computer vulnerable again. Use this as a last resort if none of the methods above help resolve the error.

Uninstall Recently Installed Updates

1. Press Win + R to open Run.

2. Type control and click OK to open Control Panel.

3. Next, click Program.

4. Click View installed updates under Programs and Features. This will open the Uninstall updates section in the Settings app. Alternatively, go to Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates to access the same.

5. Find the problematic update ( KB5005565 ) and click Uninstall.

6. Click Uninstall again to confirm action. Wait for the updates to be removed and restart the PC for the changes to take effect.

Conclusion

So that's how to deal with Operation Failed with error 0x0000011B. This error mostly affects Windows 10 computers. To fix this issue, try installing any pending Windows updates that may include a hotfix. You can also manually add the printer to the local port or edit the registry entry to disable problematic settings. If nothing else works, removing the security updates may be a last resort. However, doing so can put your computer at risk for the print spooler spoofing vulnerability.