Connecting to a shared printer - error 0x000000cb

Why

Since Sept 2021, Windows requires:

• Admin privileges to install any shared driver.  

• And the driver package must be properly signed and match OS architecture.
  If the package doesn’t pass, Windows just errors with 0x000000cb.

Fixes to try:

1. Clear cached printer drivers

On the client:

1. Run printui /s /t2 → opens Print Server Properties.

2. Remove all drivers for that printer.

3. Reboot.

Then try reconnecting.

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2. Registry tweak (Point and Print relax)

This is probably what you used before.

On the client PC, set:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\PointAndPrint]
"RestrictDriverInstallationToAdministrators"=dword:00000000
"NoWarningNoElevationOnInstall"=dword:00000001
"UpdatePromptSettings"=dword:00000001

Or if the PointAndPrint key doesn’t exist, create it.

3. Manually install the driver first

• Download the exact printer driver from the manufacturer.

• Install it locally on the client.

• Then connect to the shared printer again — Windows will reuse the existing driver instead of pulling from the server.

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4. Use Group Policy (if in domain)

Path:

Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Printers → Point and Print Restrictions

• Set Enabled

• Configure:

  • Users can point and print to: "All servers" (or specify your print server)

  • Security prompts: Do not show warning or elevation prompt

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5. If nothing works: Connect via TCP/IP port

Instead of SMB share, add the printer as a local printer:

• Add Printer → "Add a local printer" → "Create a new port" → Standard TCP/IP Port.

• Enter the printer’s IP directly.

• Install the driver manually.

This bypasses the SMB Point and Print mechanism entirely.

My case:

Why 0x000000cb appears only on one PC, other pc's were connecting to that same printer just fine.

That error means “The driver being installed is not valid” (basically, Windows can’t load the print driver package).

On the problematic PC, Windows sees a different version of the driver already present locally (newer or incompatible). When it tries to reconcile that with the one offered by the server, the mismatch causes the installation to fail → hence 0x000000cb.

The fix that worked for me after i tried all the listed fixes:

Pre-install the exact driver locally

Since the other PCs accept the server’s older driver, you can pre-stage it on the broken PC:

1. Copy the working .inf driver package from another PC:

   • Run pnputil /enum-drivers | findstr /i citizen on a working PC → note the oemXX.inf.

   • Copy that driver folder from C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\...

2. On the broken PC:

   pnputil /add-driver <path-to-inf> /install
   

3. Then connect to the printer again → it won’t need to pull the package from the server, it’ll just match it.