Printer Configuration Error 0x80004005 [Fix]

In this article, we will see how to fix the printer configuration error 0x80004005. This error makes the printer completely unusable as users cannot print their documents from any software like Word, Excel, etc. Most of the affected users encountered this error on HP printers. However, it can occur on printers of any brand.

The complete error message is:

Your printer has experienced an unexpected configuration problem. 0x8004005

Fix Printer Configuration Error 0x80004005

To fix the Printer configuration error 0x80004005, try the following solutions. Before you proceed, we suggest you check your printer connection. If you have a USB printer, connect it to another USB port and see if that helps.

Run Printer Troubleshooter
Uninstall and reinstall your printer driver
Remove and add your printer
Clear Print Spooler
Convert USB printer into a wireless printer
Reset your printer

Let’s see all these solutions in detail.

1] Run Printer Troubleshooter

The first thing that you should do is to run Printer Troubleshooter. Printer Troubleshooter is an automated tool that helps users resolve printing problems on a Windows computer. Run it and see if it helps.

2] Uninstall and reinstall your printer driver

If the issue persists, the problem may be related to your printer driver. If this is the case, uninstalling and reinstalling the printer driver will help. The following instructions will guide you on this.

Open the Device Manager.
Expand the Print queues node. You will see all your printer drivers there.
Right-click on the problematic printer driver and select Uninstall device.
Now, visit the official website of your printer manufacturer and download the latest version of your printer driver by entering your printer model name or number.
Run the installer file and install the printer driver manually.
Restart your computer.

This should help. If not, try the next potential fix.

2] Remove and add your printer

Sometimes, removing and adding the printer fixes the printing problems. Completely remove your printer, then add it again. You can delete a printer on Windows 11/10 via:

Settings
The Control Panel
Print Server Properties
The Command Prompt
The Registry Editor

After deleting or removing the printer completely, restart your system and add your printer again. Now, see if the issue persists.

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4] Clear Print Spooler

Print Spooler is a Microsoft Service that manages printing jobs sent from a computer to a printer or a print server. In some cases, clearing the Print Spooler helps fix printing problems on a Windows computer. The steps to clear Print Spooler are listed below:

Open the Run command box (Win + R) and type services.msc. Click OK. This command will open the Services Manager app.
Look for the Print Spooler service.
Right-click on it and select Stop.
After stopping the Print Spooler service, open the File Explorer, then open the C drive.
Now, go to “Windows > System32 > spool.”
Open the PRINTERS folder. You may receive a prompt “You don’t currently have permission to access this folder.” Click Continue.
Delete all the files inside the PRINTERS folder.
Now, go back to the Services Manager app.
Right-click on the Print Spooler service and select Start.

5] Convert USB printer into a wireless printer (solution for HP printer users)

This solution is for HP printer users. If you have a wireless-capable HP printer and are unable to print due to the “Printer configuration error 0x80004005,” you can convert it to a wireless printer if it is installed on your system using a USB cable. Before you begin, make sure that you have the following:

A wireless network.
The wireless network name and password.

When you install the full-featured printer software on your Windows system, HP Printer Assistant gets installed on your system automatically. You can launch the HP Printer Assistant by typing your printer model name in Windows Search.

Follow the steps written below:

Connect your wireless-capable printer to your computer via the USB cable.
Click on Windows Search and type your printer name or model number.
Select your printer from the search results. This will open the HP Printer Assistant.
Go to “Tools > Devices Setup & Software.” Click Yes in the UAC prompt.
Click “Convert a USB connected device to wireless.”
Click Yes to let HP Printer Assistant automatically detect your wireless network. Click No to enter your wireless network details manually.
Click Next.
Verify your network name and password. If correct, click Yes. If incorrect, click No and enter the wireless network details manually.
Click Next.
After that, HP Printer Assistant will install the network driver and then connect your printer to the wireless network.
When the process gets completed, do not close HP Printer Assistant. First, disconnect the USB cable from your HP printer, then disconnect it from your computer.
Now, click Next on the HP Printer Assistant. After that, temporary files will be removed.
Now click Finish.

6] Reset your printer

If none of the above solutions helped you fix the issue, reset your printer. Printers from different brands have different reset processes. Read your user manual or visit your printer manufacturer’s official website to learn the correct method for resetting your printer.

We have covered the step-by-step method to reset some popular printers in the linked post.

I hope this helps.

How do I fix the printer configuration error?

The printer configuration error can occur for several reasons. When this error code appears on your system, you will see the following message along with the corresponding error code: “Your Printer has experienced an unexpected configuration problem.”

Fix: Printer configuration errors 0x800700c1, 0x80070002, 0x80040154, 0x8000ffff, 0x8007007e, 0x800706b5, 0x80040003, 0x80070077

Different printer configuration errors have different ways to troubleshoot. However, there are some common fixes that you can try, like running the Printer Troubleshooter, updating your printer driver, disconnecting and reconnecting your printer, removing and adding your printer, etc.

How do I configure printer settings?

In Windows 11/10, you can open and change the printer settings by opening the Printers & Scanners page in Windows Settings. When you open the Printers & Scanners page, you will see all your connected printers there. Now, you can click on the Printer properties and Printing preferences tabs to configure your printer settings.