Fix Driver Missing for a Shared Printer on a Workgroup PC

Quick fix: On the client PC, download the printer driver from the manufacturer’s site, install locally first (then disconnect), then add the shared printer via Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → Add device → The printer that I want isn’t listed → Select a shared printer by name and point to \\HostPC\PrinterShareName. The local driver handles the print job; the share only forwards metadata.

You set up a printer share on one PC. Other PCs on the workgroup can see the share but can’t install it: error 0x0000007e, 0x00000709, or “Cannot connect to printer. No drivers found.” Microsoft removed automatic driver downloads from print shares as a security measure (PrintNightmare hardening) in 2021 — so client PCs must have the driver locally before connecting to the share.

What causes this

Before 2021, when a Windows client connected to a network printer share, Windows automatically downloaded the printer driver from the host PC’s driver store. This was called “Point and Print.” The PrintNightmare vulnerability (CVE-2021-34527) abused this mechanism to install malicious drivers across the network, so Microsoft disabled auto-download and now requires admin elevation or a local driver.

The result: shared printer install fails for non-admin users, and even admin users see errors if the host’s driver doesn’t match the client’s architecture (e.g., x64 host, ARM64 client).

Method 1: Install driver locally, then connect to share

The reliable route. Works on any Windows 11 client regardless of policy.

1. On the client PC: go to the printer manufacturer’s site (HP, Canon, Brother, Epson, etc.) and download the full driver package for your printer model and Windows 11 64-bit.
2. Run the driver installer. When it asks how the printer is connected: choose USB or Network as appropriate, even though you don’t actually have it connected. The installer just needs to register the driver.
3. If you don’t have the printer connected locally, the installer may fail. In that case, use the INF-based install: extract the driver ZIP, then open Print Management (search Start → Print Management or run printmanagement.msc).
4. Print Management → right-click Print Servers → [local computer] → Drivers → Add Driver. The wizard lets you browse to the INF file and install the driver to the local driver store without an actual printer.
5. Once the driver is installed locally, open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → Add device.
6. Click Add manually at the bottom (or “The printer that I want isn’t listed”).
7. Choose Select a shared printer by name. Enter \\HostPCName\PrinterShareName. (Replace with the actual UNC path.)
8. Click Next. Windows finds the locally-installed driver matching the share and registers the connection.

This is the canonical Microsoft-recommended path post-PrintNightmare.

Method 2: Use the printer as a network device, not a share

For printers that have their own network interface (Ethernet or Wi-Fi). Bypasses the share entirely.

1. Determine the printer’s IP address. Often available from the printer’s LCD menu under Network or Status. Or check the host PC’s “Printer properties → Ports” tab.
2. On the client: Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → Add device → Add manually.
3. Choose Add a printer using an IP address or hostname.
4. Device type: TCP/IP Device. IP address: enter the printer’s IP. Untick Query the printer and automatically select the driver.
5. Click Next. Windows scans the port. Choose Standard → Generic Network Card if asked.
6. Pick the driver: select Windows Update if the printer manufacturer ships drivers via WU, or Have Disk and browse to your downloaded INF.
7. Choose a printer name (e.g., HP Office Printer) and click Finish.

This route doesn’t require the host PC to be online for the printer to work — the client talks to the printer directly over the network.

Method 3: Roll back the PrintNightmare mitigations (last resort)

For when you must use the Point and Print auto-download because no driver download is available. Carries security risk.

1. Open Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) on the client PC. Windows 11 Pro only. For Home, use registry method below.
2. Navigate to Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Printers → Point and Print Restrictions.
3. Open the policy. Set to Enabled.
4. Under Security Prompts, set both When installing drivers for a new connection and When updating drivers for an existing connection to Do not show warning or elevation prompt.
5. For Home edition: open Registry Editor → HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\PointAndPrint. Create DWORD values RestrictDriverInstallationToAdministrators = 0, NoWarningNoElevationOnInstall = 1, UpdatePromptSettings = 0.
6. Run gpupdate /force in elevated Command Prompt.
7. Reboot.
8. Try adding the shared printer again. The driver should auto-install from the host.

The trade-off: re-enables the PrintNightmare attack vector. Use only on trusted networks where you control all PCs. Re-disable after the install if possible.

How to verify the fix worked

• Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners. The shared printer appears with status Ready.
• Right-click → Printer properties → Print Test Page. The page should print to the actual printer.
• Check the print queue (Settings → the printer → Open print queue). The test page should show Spooling → Sending → Done in sequence.

If none of these work

If the shared printer still won’t install after Method 1, the host PC’s share configuration is the issue. On the host: Printer properties → Sharing tab → click Additional Drivers. Tick x64 if not already, and provide the driver INF when prompted. This stores both x64 and x86 versions on the share so clients of either architecture can connect. Also check that the firewall on the host allows File and Printer Sharing: Get-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "File and Printer Sharing" in PowerShell — all entries should be Enabled. For workgroups where name resolution fails (host PC name doesn’t resolve to its IP), enter the host’s IP address directly in the share path: \\192.168.1.42\PrinterShare instead of \\HostPC\PrinterShare.

Bottom line: Install the printer driver locally on the client first, then connect to the share. PrintNightmare mitigations broke auto-download, but this two-step path works on every Windows 11 client.