Error 0x00000002 when installing or adding a printer
Error 0x00000002 means Windows couldn't find a file it expected while adding a printer, usually remnants of an old driver. Remove them and reinstall.
What this error means
The code 0x00000002 is the standard Windows "file not found" error. With printers it usually appears when you add a printer or install a driver and Windows tries to reuse an older driver whose files have been partly removed. Windows still has a record of that driver but can't find all of its files, so the install stops.
Common causes
- Partial remnants of a previously uninstalled printer driver
- A driver package that refers to files missing from the driver store
- An interrupted driver installation or update
- Security software quarantining a driver file during installation
How to fix it
Start with the first fix. They’re ordered from safest and quickest to most involved.
Fixes for Windows
0 of 6 steps tried
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Restart the Print Spooler
Open Command Prompt as administrator and run the command below, then try adding the printer again. This clears any half-loaded driver the spooler is holding on to.
net stop spooler && net start spooler -
Remove the printer and its driver package
Remove the printer in Printers & scanners. Run the command below to open Print Server Properties on the Drivers tab, select every driver entry for that printer and choose Remove > Remove driver and driver package. If Windows says a driver is in use, restart the PC and try again.
printui /s /t2 -
Restart, then install the latest full driver
After the cleanup, restart the PC so no old files stay loaded. Download the current full driver for your model and Windows version from the manufacturer's official support site and run the installer as administrator. For USB printers, connect the cable only when the installer asks.
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Check your security software
If the install stalls or your antivirus shows a blocked or quarantined file at the same moment, open the antivirus history or quarantine list. Restore the file only if it came from the manufacturer's official download, then run the installer again. Don't switch your protection off to get around it.
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Clear stubborn driver packages (Advanced)
If the old driver keeps coming back, open an administrator Command Prompt and run the command below. Find the printer entries by Provider Name and note each Published Name, such as
oem12.inf, then remove it withpnputil /delete-driver oem12.inf /uninstall. Only remove packages that are clearly for the printer; removing others can affect unrelated hardware.pnputil /enum-drivers -
Repair Windows system files
If installs still fail for several different printers, run the command below in an administrator Command Prompt and restart afterwards. It checks and repairs protected Windows files that the print system relies on.
sfc /scannow
Did this fix it?
Good. To confirm everything is healthy, print a test page. It takes a minute and shows any quality problems early.
Still stuck? Our printer assistant can walk you through it by live chat, free. . Or the The troubleshooter asks a few questions and narrows it down. If your printer is under warranty, the manufacturer can repair or replace it at no cost. Find their official support site on our brand pages.
Common questions
Is 0x00000002 the same as "Driver is unavailable"?
They're different messages with a similar root cause: a damaged driver installation. The fix is the same, removing the old driver completely and installing a fresh copy.
Will removing the driver delete my documents or settings?
No. Only the printer's driver software is removed. You may need to set paper size or other printing preferences again after reinstalling.