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Fix Default Printer Error Code 0x00000709: If you get the message “Operation could not be completed” with the error code 0x00000709, you can’t set the default printer on Windows 11/10. Did you get the message “Operation could not be completed” along with the Printer Error 0x00000709 when you tried to set your default device? There are many things that could cause this error to show up in the first place, such as broken drivers, broken registry entries, and so on. Having the same problems can also happen when Windows 11/10 is set as the default printer manager.
The main problem is just an entry in the registry that makes the previous printer the default printer. Error code 0x00000709 is the latest error that is making a lot of Windows 11/10 users mad. The computer can’t set the default printer when this error happens. If you have only connected and used one printer with your computer, you may not see this error. This problem affects people who use Windows 10 and have more than one printer on their computer. Here are the many ways to Fix Default Printer Error Code 0x00000709. If you want to know more information about this Visit Official Microsoft Support site.
Clear the printer’s folder
If you are facing an issue in a network where a deleted printer keeps reappearing, you can solve the problem by clearing the printer’s folder residing on your computer. These are called ghost printers, and there are a few ways to remove them. One method is to empty the printer’s folder, as mentioned earlier. To accomplish this, you will first need to stop the Print Spooler service. Follow the instructions below to do this:
- Open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows key + R on your keyboard.
- Type “services.msc” in the Run box and hit the Enter key.
- When the Services window opens, it will show a list of all the services on your system.
- Look for the Print Spooler service in the list of services. To make this task easier, press the “P” key on your keyboard. This will take you to all the services that start with the given letter.
- Once you’ve found the service, right-click on it and choose “Stop” from the drop-down menu.
- Open Windows Explorer when you’re done.
- Copy and paste the following path into the address bar:
- C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS
- Now, get rid of all the files and folders. Make sure that hidden files are turned on so that you can also delete them.
- After that, go back to the Services window and start the Print Spooler service. Now, the problem should be fixed.
Change the Default Printer via the Windows Registry
When you try to change the default printer on your computer and get the 0x00000709 error code, don’t worry. There are other ways to change the default printer. As we’ve talked about before, you can change the default printer on your computer by using the Windows Registry. The Windows Registry controls how your computer’s operating system works, so it stores the default printer in a key. If you have the problem in question, you can change the default printer on your computer by editing this key.
Most of the time, you shouldn’t make changes to the Windows Registry, especially if you don’t know what you are doing. This is because any changes you don’t want can hurt the operating system badly. So, before you follow the steps we’re about to give you, we suggest making a backup of the Windows Registry in case something goes wrong.
- First, press the Windows key and R on your keyboard to bring up the Run box on your computer.
- In the Run box, type “regedit” and then press the Enter key on your keyboard.
- Click the Yes button in the next box, which says “User Access Control.”
- The Windows Registry will come up when you do this. Copy and paste the following path into the address bar, then hit Enter to automatically go to the right place.
- Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
- When you get there, double-click the device key on the right.
- You will need to change the Value data in the box that pops up.
- There are three parts to the value data, each separated by a comma. You will only change the first part, which is the name of your printer.
- So, change the first part to the name of the printer you want to be the default.
- Once you are done, click “OK.” This is about how it should look:
- PrinterNAME,winspool,Ne01:
- Make sure to change ‘PrinterNAME‘ to the name of your printer. Also, the last two parts could be different for you, so you should leave them as they are.
- If you don’t know the name of the printer you want to make the default, open the Control Panel by looking for it in the Start Menu.
- Then, click on the Hardware and Sound option in the Control Panel window.
- There, click on the “Devices and Printers” option.
- Here, you can see everything that is connected to your computer, like your printer. Put this name in the box above that says “Value.”
- When you’re done, restart your computer for the changes to take effect. The problem should be fixed when your computer starts up again.
Use the Print Management
As it turns out, another way to get rid of the ghost printer is to use the Print Management utility, which lets you manage and handle all the printers connected to your computer, including any print servers and more. Here are the steps you need to take to use the Print Management utility:
- First, go to the Start menu and type “Print Management” into the search bar. Open it.
- On the left, open up the list of Custom Filters.
- Then, click ‘All Printers.’
- After that, look on the right side for the ghost printer.
- Right-click on it and choose “Delete” from the drop-down menu.
- After you do that, the ghost printer won’t show up anymore.
What Causes the 0x00000709?
You may get the error code 0x00000709 when you try to make a new or different printer the default one. You also get the message “Operation could not be finished.” (0x00000709). Check the name of the printer and make sure it’s connected to the network. This error could be caused by a problem with the registry settings that makes the last printer the default. Do you know how to fix the error code 0x00000709 in the mean time? If not, keep reading and we’ll show you how to solve the problem in the next section.