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Error 0x000006e4 is Windows’ RPC_S_CANNOT_SUPPORT error. It is especially relevant when a Windows PC tries to connect to a printer shared by another PC or a Windows print server; it does not, by itself, mean the printer is physically broken. First identify how the printer is connected, then check the host, Print Spooler, driver, permissions and RPC network path in that order. Microsoft documents the code in remote print-server connection problems.
What error 0x000006e4 means
The code maps to RPC_S_CANNOT_SUPPORT. RPC (Remote Procedure Call) is one of the mechanisms Windows uses for a client PC to communicate with a remote print server or a PC sharing a printer. If that communication cannot be completed, Windows may show “Can’t connect to the printer.” The failure can involve the network path, server, spooler, driver or policy—not just the printer hardware.
Microsoft has documented this error, along with 0x0000007c and 0x00000709, in some Windows print-server connection scenarios, primarily in organizational environments. That history makes a shared printer the first thing to investigate, but it does not establish one cause for every occurrence.
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Identify how the printer is connected
- Shared from a Windows PC or server: the printer is added with a path such as
\PRINTSERVERPrinterShare. RPC and print-server troubleshooting below applies most directly. - Direct network printer: the PC connects to the printer itself over Wi-Fi or Ethernet, rather than to a Windows share. Start with connectivity, driver and spooler checks.
- USB printer: the printer is physically connected to this PC. Check the cable, device and local driver before investigating RPC.
- Remote Desktop, Citrix or virtual desktop printer: redirection or a virtual print driver may be involved. The platform administrator may need to diagnose it; do not assume it is an ordinary LAN share.
Try low-risk checks first
Check the printer and basic connection
For a directly connected printer, verify its power, cable or wireless connection, and that the PC and printer are on the expected network. Microsoft recommends turning the printer off, unplugging it for 30 seconds, reconnecting it and turning it back on. Windows’ Get Help printer troubleshooter and current manufacturer drivers are also reasonable first checks. See Microsoft’s printer connection and printing guidance.
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Restart Print Spooler
- Press
Win + R, enterservices.msc, and press Enter. - Find Print Spooler, right-click it and choose Restart.
- Try adding the printer again.
Restart the service on the client and, for a shared printer, on the server or host as well if you administer it. Microsoft’s Print Spooler troubleshooting guidance covers service and queue problems.
Clear a stuck queue if needed
Use this only when jobs are stuck or the spooler repeatedly fails. In an elevated Command Prompt, run:
net stop spooler
del /q /f %WINDIR%System32spoolPRINTERS*
net start spoolerIf files are reported as in use, stop the spooler again and check whether print-management software is holding the queue. Delete only files inside the PRINTERS spool directory; do not delete the entire spool directory or unrelated Windows files.
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Check the host, share and queue
- Confirm the server or host PC is powered on and connected to the network. In a small office, the “server” may simply be another Windows PC.
- In File Explorer’s address bar, enter
\PRINTSERVERusing the actual host name. Confirm the printer share is present. - Try the full printer path, such as
\PRINTSERVERPrinterShare, in the Add Printer flow. Check that the share name has not changed. - Ask whether another client can connect to the same share and whether the server can print a test page. If all clients fail, investigate the server, share and network before reinstalling printers on individual PCs.
- Verify that the user has permission to use the printer and that Group Policy or other organization policies have not changed.
Microsoft recommends checking communication, the logical printer and driver, permissions, policy and Print Spooler status when diagnosing print-server issues: Windows Server printing troubleshooting guidance.
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Use the result to narrow the fault
- Only one client fails: focus on that PC’s printer entry, driver package, firewall, credentials and local policy. Remove and recreate its printer entry before making server-wide changes.
- Every client fails: check the server spooler, share name, server driver, server firewall or RPC configuration, network segmentation and whether the physical printer or queue is offline.
- The server itself cannot print: resolve the queue, driver or printer connection on the server before troubleshooting client RPC.
Check RPC and firewall communication
On Windows 11 version 22H2 and later, print-related RPC uses RPC over TCP by default. Microsoft identifies TCP port 135 for the RPC Endpoint Mapper and the dynamic RPC range 49152–65535 for the relevant scenario. A firewall or network ACL that blocks the required traffic between client and server can prevent printer connections. Details are in Microsoft’s Windows 11 RPC connection updates for printing.
A basic reachability check is:
ping PRINTSERVERA successful ping tests ICMP only; it does not prove that RPC, SMB, the spooler or the printer share is reachable. A failed ping may point to a network or firewall issue, but some networks intentionally block ping.
For an administrator diagnosing a shared-printer failure:
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →- Use the built-in File and Printer Sharing firewall rules where appropriate.
- Confirm TCP 135 and the configured dynamic RPC range are allowed between the intended clients and print server.
- Test from the affected client’s network segment and under its actual firewall policy.
- Scope firewall rules to trusted client/server networks. Do not expose RPC ports broadly to untrusted networks or disable Windows Firewall as a troubleshooting shortcut.
Repair driver and Point and Print problems
A shared connection can fail when a client lacks the required driver, the package is outdated or damaged, the server offers an incompatible version or architecture, or driver installation requires elevation. Point and Print security restrictions may prompt for administrator credentials, particularly when client and server driver files differ.
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- In Windows 11, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners; in Windows 10, open Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners. Select the failed printer and remove it.
- Open Device Manager and inspect Print queues or Printers. Remove obsolete or duplicate entries only when you can identify them safely.
- Install the current model-specific driver from the printer manufacturer, ensuring it supports the Windows edition and CPU architecture in use.
- For a shared printer, have the administrator verify compatible client and server driver versions. Preinstalling an approved driver on the client may avoid a driver-download failure; matching versions may also prevent repeated elevation prompts.
- Add the printer again using its full share path.
In a managed environment, use approved Group Policy or software deployment for driver installation. Avoid broad Point and Print exceptions or registry changes that allow unrestricted nonadministrator driver installation: they can weaken protection against a malicious or compromised print server.
Consider adding the printer another way
If discovery fails, use Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Add device and choose the manual-add option if shown. You can enter the shared path directly, for example \PRINTSERVERPrinterShare. If the printer supports direct network printing, adding it by hostname or IP address may bypass a broken Windows share.
Direct IP installation changes how printing is managed: it may bypass the server’s centralized queue, accounting, permissions and driver control. It is not necessarily suitable for a managed office. Microsoft’s server troubleshooting guidance also recommends testing another logical printer or port when isolating a queue or port problem.
Use named-pipe RPC only as a controlled fallback
Windows 11 version 22H2 and later prefer RPC over TCP. RPC over named pipes remains available, but Microsoft does not recommend switching to it when TCP is viable. Consider it only when an administrator has evidence of a compatibility or network constraint that cannot be resolved through the preferred TCP configuration.
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Configure the client and listener deliberately
In Group Policy, the client setting is at Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Printers > Configure RPC connection settings. Enable it and select RpcOverNamedPipes. On the server or host, the listener setting is at Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Printers > Configure RPC listener settings; enable it and allow RpcOverNamedPipesAndTcp.
Microsoft documents these equivalent registry settings. Run the client command on the client PC:
reg add "HKLMSOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows NTPrintersRPC" ^
/v RpcUseNamedPipeProtocol /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /fRun the listener command on the server or host:
reg add "HKLMSOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows NTPrintersRPC" ^
/v RpcProtocols /t REG_DWORD /d 0x7 /fAfter an approved change, restart Print Spooler or restart the computers if policy or the service does not apply the setting immediately. In a domain, Group Policy may override a local registry edit. Record any temporary change and revert it if testing shows no benefit or it is not part of the approved design.
Do not casually change RpcAuthnLevelPrivacyEnabled, enable insecure SMB guest access, or weaken other authentication controls to make a connection work. Microsoft notes that some environments may need additional configuration, but those changes require a security review rather than blind trial and error.
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If the printer is directly connected
For USB or direct Wi-Fi/Ethernet printing, the print-server RPC remedies are usually not the right starting point. Check the physical or wireless connection, run the Get Help printer troubleshooter, install the manufacturer’s current driver, clear any stuck queue, restart Print Spooler, then remove and re-add the printer. If the device supports it, adding it directly by IP can distinguish printer connectivity from Windows share problems.
Microsoft warns that some ARM PCs may not be able to install printers with manufacturer-provided installers; use Windows’ built-in printer-add process in that case. Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025, so Windows 10 PCs no longer receive ordinary free Microsoft software updates, technical assistance or security fixes. Menu labels also differ between Windows 10 and 11; see Microsoft’s current Windows printer guidance.
What to collect before escalating
- Windows edition and version on the client and server.
- The full printer share path and whether the host is a server or another PC.
- Whether another client can connect and whether the server can print.
- Print Spooler status on both machines.
- Printer model, driver name and version, and whether client/server versions differ.
- Firewall and Group Policy details relevant to the connection.
- Whether the error began after a Windows, driver or policy change.
- Relevant print-related Event Viewer entries and the exact error text.
Escalate to the administrator when all clients fail, the server spooler repeatedly crashes, network firewall changes are required, or the setup uses a domain, Citrix, Remote Desktop or managed-print platform. Contact the printer manufacturer if the device itself cannot be reached or its supported driver is unclear.
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