cannot print from desktop after windows 11 updates Jan 2026 RPC error

[NancyDee]

I can print from my phone but not the desktop after these updates. I removed the printer and re-added. Ran print & scan doctor, ran windows troubleshooting, updated the latest windows fixes, cleared out the print spooler, restarted the RPC procedures in settings (in the past this seemed to fix the error), restarted the print spooler.  My guess is that this is some type of authority issue.  The new Windows update in Jan 2026 beefed up security. 

[Pallipurath]

Hi @NancyDee,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query.

I am sorry to hear that you're experiencing printing issues on your desktop after a recent Windows 11 update, where the RPC error is preventing you from printing, I would request you to please follow the steps:

Ensure RPC Services are Running:

• Open Services by searching it in the Start menu.
• Find Remote Procedure Call (RPC) and ensure it is running and set to Automatic.
• Also, check RPC Endpoint Mapper and DCOM Server Process Launcher to ensure they are running.

Check Permissions:

• Sometimes, Windows updates can affect user permissions.
• Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners.
• Right-click your printer and choose Manage > Printer properties.
• Within the Security tab, ensure your user account has permission to Print.

Update or Reinstall Printer Drivers:

• Go to the HP Support website and download the latest printer drivers for your device.
• Uninstall the current printer driver through Device Manager.
• Install the newly downloaded driver.

Firewall and Security Software Check:

• Ensure that your firewall or security software is not blocking the printer.
• Temporarily disable any third-party firewall or antivirus software to diagnose if it’s causing the issue.

Rollback the Update:

• If the problem persists, consider rolling back the specific update that caused the issue:
• Go to Settings > Windows Update > Update history.
• Click on Uninstall updates and find the update that was installed most recently and uninstall it.

Take care and have an amazing day!

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Regards

Pallipurath.

[NancyDee]

Thank you for the suggestions. 

I did the following, removed the printer via device manager, check security on printer, disabled Windows firewalls. 

I've restarted all RPC & DCOM & spooler. Cleared out the spooler and still same message. 

Data type: RAW. Size of the spool file in bytes: 219129. Number of bytes printed: 219129. Total number of pages in the document: 1. Number of pages printed: 0. Client computer: \\DESKTOP-UBULPRV. Win32 error code returned by the print processor: 1726. The remote procedure call failed.

Unfortunately I cannot roll back the update. You only have X amount of days to do that.  I applied the windows updates that were suppose to fix most of the bugs. 

Wondering if that windows update did something with the registry keys?

[Pallipurath]

Hi,

Thank you for responding.

I’m sorry to hear that the issue is still not resolved. Please be informed that rolling back the update is not possible. However, you will need to completely uninstall the HP software and then reinstall  along with the HP APP again in order to proceed.

Take care and have an amazing day!

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Regards

Pallipurath.

[NancyDee]

Thanks

I removed everything Hp: programs, drivers & printer.  Restarted computer. Reinstalled HP Smart, added printer.  Restarted print spooler and rpc settings. Same error. I'm wondering if  other people are having similar issues.

Windows 11. Home edition

[Pallipurath · Accepted solution]

Hi @NancyDee,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!  

  

We're here to help you tackle that hardware failure/malfunction! Don't worry, we've got your back!  

  

To get you the best assistance, we need to take this conversation to a private chat. We're inviting you to a private message to protect your privacy and ensure that any sensitive information remains confidential.  

  

To access your private message, just click the little blue envelope icon on the upper right corner of your HP Community profile, next to your profile name. Alternatively, you can click on this link.  

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We're looking forward to helping you resolve this issue!  

  

Stay tuned, and thanks for your patience!  

  

Best regards, 

Pallipurath

[NancyDee]

thank you for the step by step instructions to HP phone support. we were finally able to get the printer printing again. I think the trick was to reset the printer defaults & readd the printer to the network.  

I think I'm going to pause all Windows updates forever or go out and buy an apple computer.!

[Hawks_Eye]

You are very welcome!

I’m glad to hear the printer is back up and running again—it sounds like you worked through the steps very carefully, and resetting the defaults with a fresh network setup really did the trick. That’s a great catch on your part.

I completely understand the frustration with updates causing unexpected issues. While pausing updates might feel tempting, they do deliver important security and stability improvements. A smoother approach can be to let updates install but, if printing breaks again, simply re‑add the printer or reset defaults as you did this time—it’s often the quickest way to restore functionality.

You’ve already shown that you can troubleshoot effectively, so you’re well prepared if it happens again. If you’d like, I can walk you through setting up a quick routine to check printer connectivity after updates so you can catch problems early and fix them before they interrupt your work. 

We'll be archiving this case, but feel free to respond to this thread anytime to continue the conversation. 😊

Take care, and stay fantastic! 

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye

[NancyDee]

👍

[alking1]

Sounds update-related, especially since you can still print from your phone. That tells us the printer itself is fine, the issue is on the Windows 11  side.

After recent updates, Windows sometimes tightens RPC and DCOM security, which can trigger RPC errors with certain printer drivers.

First, make sure the Print Spooler and Remote Procedure Call (RPC) services are both running and set to Automatic (Services app).

Second, reinstall the printer using the latest driver directly from the manufacturer’s website, not the generic Windows driver. Updates often break older drivers.

If it’s a network printer, try adding it by IP address manually instead of letting Windows auto-detect it:
Settings → Printers & Scanners → Add device → Add manually → Add by TCP/IP address.

If this started immediately after the January update, you could also test by uninstalling that specific update to confirm it’s the cause. Since mobile printing works, this is almost certainly a Windows permission/driver issue rather than a hardware failure.