Fix error 0x00000bc4, printer not found error on Windows 11

In this article, WebTech360 will provide some solutions to fix error 0x00000bc4, No printers were found. It is an error that users often encounter when printing on Windows 11/10 computers. Luckily, you can fix it in some simple ways below.

The full error message is:

Operation could not be completed (error 0x00000bc4). No printers were found.

Table of Contents

• What causes printer error 0x00000bc4?
• How to fix error 0x00000bc4, No printers were found
  • 1. Change Group Policy settings
  • 2. Tweak the Registry
  • 3. Clear and reset the printer spooler
  • 4. Run Printer troubleshooter
• How to fix printer error 0x0000011b?
• Why isn't my printer showing up in Devices and Printers?
• What is Error 740 when adding network printer?
• Why does my computer suddenly not recognize the printer?

What causes printer error 0x00000bc4?

By default, Windows 11 22H2 and newer are prevented from finding your network printer. If you try to add the printer manually, you may receive error 0x00000bc4. To resolve this issue, you need to change a Group Policy setting or edit the Registry.

In addition, error 0x00000bc4 can also appear due to the following reasons:

• User is trying to add a wireless printer
• Wireless connection between computer and printer is having problems
• Printer spooler error

How to fix error 0x00000bc4, No printers were found

You can apply the solutions below to fix error 0x00000bc4, No printers were found on Windows 11 computer:

1. Change Group Policy settings
2. Registry Tweaks
3. Clear and reset the printer spooler
4. Run Printer Troubleshooter

Below are detailed instructions for each solution:

1. Change Group Policy settings

First, press Win+R to open Run then type gpedit.msc and press Enter to open Group Policy Editor. In Group Policy Editor and find the following setting in the Computer Configuration section:

• Administrative Templates > Printers > Configure RPC connection settings.

Double-click Configure RPC connection settings to open the settings menu, then select Enabled. In the box below, find the Protocol to use for outoging RPC connections setting , click the drop-down arrow, then select RPC over named pipes .

After selecting, click OK to save the settings. Restart your computer and see if the error has been fixed.

2. Tweak the Registry

If your computer does not have Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc), you can fix error 0x00000bc4 by changing some values ​​in Registry Editor. Note, you should back up your data before making changes in Registry.

• Press Win+R to open Run then type regedit and press Enter to open Registry Editor.
• Access the following link:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\RPC

• Right-click the RpcOverNamesPipes key and select Modify.
• Enter 1 in the Value box and click OK to save the changes.
• Apply the same method to change the value of the RpcOverTcp (default) key to 0 .
• Close Registry Editor and restart your computer.

3. Clear and reset the printer spooler

If the above solutions do not work, you can try clearing and resetting the printer spooler. This will clear the stuck print jobs and may therefore fix the problem.

• Press Win+R to open Run then type services.msc and press Enter to open the Services window .
• Scroll down and right-click on Print Spooler and select Stop.
• Next, go to the following folder and delete all the contents inside the folder:

C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS

• Now right click on Print Spooler and restart it.

4. Run Printer troubleshooter

You can also try Microsoft's default troubleshooter to see if it helps. Here's how to run the Printer troubleshooter:

• Press Win+I to open Settings.
• Scroll down and click Troubleshoot > Other Troubleshooters.
• Select Run next to Printer.
• Once the process is complete, restart your computer to see if the printer error has been fixed.

How to fix printer error 0x0000011b?

Error 0x0000011b comes from Microsoft's problematic updates. To fix it, please refer to WebTech360's article dedicated to this error:

• How to fix error 0x0000011b when printing over the network on Windows 10

Why isn't my printer showing up in Devices and Printers?

You can fix the printer not showing up in Devices and Printers by downloading and installing the latest driver for your printer. However, you can also try clearing and resetting the printer cache (step 2) to resolve this issue.

What is Error 740 when adding network printer?

Most of the time, the cause of Error 740 is lack of administrator rights. You can fix it by installing the printer software with admin rights.

Why does my computer suddenly not recognize the printer?

Try checking the ports of your printer and computer if suddenly the two devices no longer recognize each other. Additionally, updating the driver is also a solution you can try.