Update Both the Print Host and the Client PC to Fix Error 0x0000011b
One PC took the September 2021 print hardening and the other did not. That single difference is behind most 0x0000011b cases — and updating both ends is the fix that removes the cause instead of hiding it.
✍️ Technical Anshu🪟 Windows 10 / 11⏱️ 7 minute read
🎥 The video shows the update routine on both machines — keep this page open as the checklist
When technicians say the mismatch is the cause, this is what they mean: the host demands a protected RPC conversation because its updates told it to, while the client still offers the old unprotected one — or the other way around. No driver reinstall will fix a disagreement about security levels. Bring both PCs to the current patch level, restart both, and test again. In practice this clears the large majority of 0x0000011b cases with no registry work at all.
View Installed Updates — Host vs Client (example)
HOST-PC (shares the printer)Last cumulative update: March 2021
CLIENT-PC (shows the error)Last cumulative update: this month
Result of connectingOperation failed with error 0x0000011b
👆 A typical mismatch found in the wild — one side current, one side months behind (example values, recreated panel)
1
Confirm the Mismatch Before You Start
On both PCs open Control Panel → Programs and Features → View installed updates
Compare the most recent Cumulative Update dates on the host and the client
If one side is missing the September 2021 updates (the KB5005565 family) or is simply months behind, you have found your prime suspect
This two-minute check matters because it tells you where to spend time: the lagging PC, not the printer.
2
Update the Client PC First
Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates
Install everything offered, including any cumulative update
Restart even if Windows does not insist — the print security behaviour loads at boot
Check for updates once more after the restart; a second wave often appears
3
Now Update the Host PC — the Step Everyone Skips
The sharing PC is usually an older desktop in a corner that nobody logs into, which is exactly why it misses updates. Give it the same treatment:
Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates, install all, restart
Confirm the printer is still shared afterwards (right-click the printer → Printer properties → Sharing tab)
Print a test page from the host itself to prove the printer side is healthy
4
Test the Connection Again — Before Touching the Registry
On the client, remove the old printer entry (Settings → Printers and scanners → Remove)
Add it again from the share path, for example \\HOST-PC\OfficePrinter
Print a test page
If it prints, you are done — and you are done without weakening anything. Only move to the registry bridge if both PCs are provably current, or the host provably cannot be updated yet.
🔴 Do not fix a mismatch by uninstalling updates from the patched PC. That makes the error vanish by making both PCs equally exposed. The direction of travel is always: the older PC comes up, never the newer PC goes down.
🎥 Watch the Full Fix Step by Step
The video demonstrates this update-both routine end to end, including the installed-updates comparison most people skip.
Windows Update says my PC is up to date, but the error remains. Why?
Check the host, not just your own PC — the mismatch lives between the two machines. Also compare View installed updates rather than trusting the up-to-date banner; paused updates and deferred feature updates can leave the print hardening half-applied.
Do I need the exact same update on both PCs?
No. Both sides simply need to be at or beyond the September 2021 print-hardening level, which any current cumulative update provides. Exact KB numbers can differ between Windows 10 and Windows 11.
The host PC has updates paused by our office policy. What now?
That is an admin decision, not a registry decision. Ask whoever manages updates to release the cumulative updates to the host, or use the scoped registry bridge on that host with an agreed expiry date while the policy is sorted out.
This guide is based on the Technical Anshu printer error 0x0000011b fix video • Stuck on a step? Ask in the video comments — you will get a reply 🙏