Error 0x0000052e: Operation failed when connecting to a shared printer
Error 0x0000052e means the PC sharing the printer rejected your user name or password. Fix the saved credentials, accounts and sharing settings.
What this error means
0x0000052e is Windows error 1326, "The user name or password is incorrect". You see it as "Windows cannot connect to the printer. Operation failed with error 0x0000052e" when your PC asks the computer sharing the printer to let you in and that computer turns the sign-in down. Windows may be sending an old saved password, an account that doesn't exist on the host, or an account the host won't accept over the network. Recent Windows 11 versions are stricter about network sign-ins than older ones, so a connection that used to work can start failing after an update.
Common causes
- An out-of-date password saved in Credential Manager
- Signing in with an account that doesn't exist on the host PC
- The host account has no password, which Windows doesn't accept over the network by default
- Typing a Windows Hello PIN instead of the account's password
- Newer Windows security settings that refuse guest (no-password) connections
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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Use an account that exists on the host PC
The user name and password Windows asks for belong to the computer sharing the printer, not to yours. Find the host's device name in Settings > System > About on that PC. For a local account on the host, enter the user name as
HOSTPC\username. If the host signs in with a Microsoft account, use the full email address and that account's password. A Windows Hello PIN won't work here, because a PIN only unlocks the device it was set up on. -
Replace saved credentials in Credential Manager
On your PC, search for Credential Manager in the Start menu, open it and choose Windows Credentials. Expand any entry with the host PC's name or IP address and choose Remove. Then click Add a Windows credential, type the host's name exactly as you use it in the printer path, and enter the correct user name and password. If you connect by IP address, add a second entry for the IP. Restart before reconnecting so Windows doesn't reuse the old sign-in. The command below lists what is saved.
cmdkey /list -
Give the host account a password
By default, Windows refuses network sign-ins from local accounts with a blank password. If the account on the host PC has no password, add one on that PC in Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > Password, then use it when you connect. Leave the blank-password restriction in place; it stops anyone on your network signing in without a password.
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Create a matching account on the host
On a home network, a tidy option is a standard local account on the host PC used only for printing. On Windows 11, go to Settings > Accounts > Other users > Add account, choose that you don't have the person's sign-in information, then add a user without a Microsoft account and give it a password (Windows 10: Family & other users > Add someone else to this PC). If your own PC uses a local account, giving the new account the same user name and password lets Windows pass your sign-in automatically. Otherwise, save the new account in Credential Manager as described above.
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Update both PCs and reconnect
Install all updates on both computers in Settings > Windows Update and restart them. On your PC, remove the printer in Printers & scanners, then press Win + R, type two backslashes and the host's name (for example
\\OFFICE-PC) and press Enter. Sign in when asked, tick Remember my credentials, then right-click the printer and choose Connect. -
Connect to the printer directly instead
If the printer has Wi-Fi or Ethernet, add it to each PC by IP address rather than through the host PC. In Printers & scanners, choose Add device, then Add manually and Add a printer using an IP address or hostname. No PC-to-PC sign-in is involved, so this error can't occur.
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? 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
Should I turn off password protected sharing to stop the error?
It's best not to. It lets anyone on your network open the host's shared items without signing in, and recent Windows 11 versions often refuse these guest connections anyway, so it may not even help. Saving a proper account and password is the reliable fix.
Why did it work before and stop after an update?
Windows updates have gradually tightened how PCs sign in to each other, for example by blocking guest connections on more editions. A connection that quietly relied on guest access now needs a real account with a password.
Is 0x0000052e a fault with the printer?
No. It's purely a sign-in problem between two computers. The printer keeps working from the PC it's attached to.