Cannot Connect to my Printer - Operation Failed with Error 0x00000002

Anonymous
2010-10-31T04:19:24+00:00

My printer was working with my laptop through a wireless network. Now I cannot print or connect to my printer. I am still connected to the network, but I can't connect to the printer. When I try to add it, I can see the printer name and I select it, but I get the error "Windows cannot connect to the printer" [Operation Failed with error 0x00000002]. I changed from Windows Vista to Windows 7 several months ago, but I don't know if that makes a difference (I think I've used the printer at least once since I've change). Please help.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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Anonymous
2011-03-25T15:40:09+00:00

Ive had the same issue.  win7-64bit trying to connect to printer on another win7-64bit pc.

'windows cannot connect to printer'

'error code 0x00000002'

what worked for me:

right click computer, select manage

click 'services and applications', then click 'services'

scroll down to 'print spooler', right click and select 'properties'

click 'STOP' the service, then click 'START' service.

start the 'add printer' wizard and it was working, yay!

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Anonymous
2010-11-01T02:56:00+00:00

Hi,

  1. Are you able to share the files on the Windows 7 computer with the other computers on the network?
  2. How have you connected all the computers on the network?

If computers running on different versions of Windows are part of your network, it’s important to use the same workgroup name for all of the computers on your network. This makes it possible for computers running different versions of Windows to detect and access each other. Remember that the default workgroup name is not the same in all versions of Windows.

To change the workgroup name on a computer running Windows Vista or Windows 7

   a. Open System by clicking the Start button, right-clicking Computer, and then clicking Properties.

   b. Under Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings, click Change settings.

   c. In System Properties, on the Computer Name tab, click Change.

   d. In Computer Name/Domain Changes, in Workgroup, type the name of the workgroup you want to use, and then click OK. You will be prompted to restart your computer.

Make sure your firewall allows file and printer sharing; follow the link given to check the settings for the printer to be shared on the network.

Networking home computers running different versions of Windows

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Networking-home-computers-running-different-versions-of-Windows

Share a printer

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Share-a-printer

Azeez Nadeem - Microsoft Support


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  1. Anonymous
    2011-09-12T04:36:56+00:00

    This is awesome. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-09-08T18:57:07+00:00

    Well, I FINALLY got it to work. Trouble is I spent so much time fiddling with it, trying things and then having to undo them when they didn't work that I may have a little trouble explaining, but I'll try.

    Okay, so it appears the problem was that having already installed the printer software on 2 other computers and activating the printer, Windows decided it would install a driver via Windows Update as soon as it found the printer on computer number 3. So every time I tried to install the printer, it would stop at the point where it was supposed to be installing the driver and give me error 0x00000002. I uninstalled the Windows  driver, set Windows Update to Never Update, and tried again. Still no good.

    With Windows Update set to Never Update, I uninstalled and reinstalled the printer software, but it stopped installation and said it couldn't find a valid driver. ????

    I found this http://support.en.kodak.com/app/answers/detail/a\_id/7597/selected/true which indicated the router might be the problem, which is weird, because the other computers I have are hooked up to the same network and there was no indication that there was a conflict with the router. It suggests hooking up the computer and printer with a USB cable and creating a new port and manually installing the driver to work around the problem. I'd already tried creating a new port via some advice I found on CNET http://forums.cnet.com/7723-7589_102-232132.html (which didn't work for me, but I include it in case you want to read the thread). I tried creating a port with the name of the computer/printer, but it still wouldn't see the printer. Then I created a port with the IP number as indicated on the Kodak webpage. That still wasn't working. So with the printer plugged into the computer with the USB cord, I uninstalled the software AGAIN and reinstalled it as a USB printer  with Windows Update still set for Never Update.

    I do not know if creating the port with the IP number is what did the trick, but this time it finally saw the printer, installed the correct driver, and promptly downloaded updates for the software. (The updates must have just become available, because my laptop also downloaded them after I logged on with it). So now I had a functioning USB printer hookup.

    Once I got the software with correct driver(s) installed, I unhooked the printer from the computer and went to Devices and Printers and clicked Add Printer. This time I chose Add a Network or Wireless Printer, and it worked! The computer saw the printer, and added to the Devices page, so now it looked like I had two printers, a USB and a Wireless. I designated the Wireless printer as my default and printed a test page. Ta Da! I decided to leave the USB designation alone, rather than remove it from the devices page. It works now, so why mess with it?

    I hope this makes some sense, or at least you can tease enough relevant information to untangle your problem . Good luck!

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-09-05T05:01:18+00:00

    Tried Vasco DeGama's remedy, no dice. Uninstalled and reinstalled the software, applied remedy again, no dice.

    Guess I'll have to figure out what is different about the HP. In the meantime, if the kids want to  print something out, we'll have to route it through the network to one of the other computers.

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