Error Message when trying to add Printer

[sachin528]

Hello -

I upgraded our Windows XP machines to Win7 Professional 64 bit SP1 machine.

On one machine, I cannot add printers - local or network.

The computer has a printer attached to it, via USB 2.0. Epson WorkForce Professional 645. I have installed the drivers, uninstalled them, downloaded drivers, all to no avail.
When I plug the printer in to the USB port (first time), Win says device was successfully installed. Yet when I go to print, it (printer) does not show up. I go to control panel, and "add a device/add printer" When I click on "Add Printer" I get the message:

"Windows can't open Add Printer. Access is Denied."

Since it is a local, attached printer, it has nothing to do with spooling.

I am logged in as an administrator.

I have not had this on any other computer ((total of 5 computers - all running Win7 Professional 64 bit SP1) all computers have a local attached printer connected via USB, as well as share a common network printer)

Thanks

 

[A Guy]

Welcome to Seven Forums sachin528. Sounds like perhaps a permissions issue. Have a look at the suggestion on this thread:

Look at reply by nothingsknower 1st

First step, you have to be able to open up the print server properties. There's probably several ways to get there, but I opened an elevated command prompt (non-elevated didn't work) and ran

RUNDLL32 PRINTUI.DLL,PrintUIEntry /s

You should also be able to run this from the built-in administrators account. Note, there is a substantial difference between running this command as a built in administrator or a user-made administrator... UAC causes your user-made administrators to act as a standard user unless you specifically use their elevated token (like by creating an elevated command prompt)

Second, I went to the Security tab and added "Computername\Users" (substituting "Computername" with the name of my computer). Computername\Users were given the permission to "Print" and "View Server". No other permissions were granted to Computername\Users. Computername\Administrators had full permissions.

Pressed OK, logged out and back in. Printers were then visible again, and the Add Printer Wizard was again accessable.

The exact steps may not work for everyone, but it does appear the permissions here in the Print Server Properties is at the root at least one of the causes of the problem.

The one marked Answer by ErlyRisa may allow you to add a printer, but perhaps not fix the permission issue.

Windows can't open Add Printer. Access is denied. - Microsoft Community

A Guy

 

[hg2051]

Solved:Add a printer driver

Take Ownership of C:/Windows/system32/spool/