Error code
Error 0x00000bc4: no printers were found
Error 0x00000bc4 means Windows searched for a printer to add and found none. Check the network, then add the printer by its IP address instead of searching.
Windows message
What it means
Error 0x00000bc4 comes from the add-printer process and means what its message says: Windows looked for printers and none answered. The full text usually reads something like Operation could not be completed (error 0x00000bc4). No printers were found. It tells you the search failed, not that the printer is faulty. The usual reason is that the PC and the printer can’t see each other on the network.
When you’ll see it
- Adding a Wi-Fi or Ethernet printer from Printers & scanners
- Typing a shared printer’s name into the add-printer wizard
- Setting up a printer after moving it to a new router
- On a PC connected to a VPN or a guest Wi-Fi network
Usually caused by
- Most commonThe printer and PC aren’t on the same network
- Most commonThe printer is asleep, off or still joining Wi-Fi
- SometimesWindows treats the network as Public, so discovery is off
- SometimesA VPN, guest network or client isolation blocks the search
- SometimesThe shared printer’s name or its sharing PC can’t be reached
- Less commonThe printer doesn’t answer the discovery method Windows uses
How to clear it
Work down the list in order. Tick off each step as you go: your progress is saved on this device.
Windows 11 and 10
0 of 7 tried
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Wake the printer and confirm its network
Turn the printer on, wait until it’s idle, and print a network configuration or Wi-Fi status page from its control panel (the menu name varies by model, so check the manual if you can’t find it). Note the IP address and the network name (SSID). Compare that name with the Wi-Fi your PC is using; a guest network or a second router will hide the printer from the search.
You should see: The report shows a connected status and an address such as
192.168.1.50; an address starting169.254or0.0.0.0means the printer never got one from the router. -
Check the PC can reach the printer
Open Command Prompt and ping the printer, replacing the example address below with the one from the report. Replies mean the two devices can talk and only the search is failing. Request timed out or Destination host unreachable means they genuinely can’t, so sort out the network first.
ping 192.168.1.50 -
Add the printer by IP address
In Printers & scanners, click Add device, wait for the search to finish, then click Add manually (Windows 10: Add a printer or scanner, then The printer that I want isn’t listed). Choose Add a printer using an IP address or hostname, set Device type to TCP/IP Device and type the address. This skips the search that produced 0x00000bc4.
You should see: Windows contacts the printer, finds or asks for a driver, and the printer appears in the list.
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Set your home network to Private
Only on your own home or office network, never on public Wi-Fi: open Settings > Network & internet, open your Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection’s properties and set Network profile type to Private network. Then go to Advanced network settings > Advanced sharing settings and make sure Network discovery is on for private networks. On a Public profile, Windows deliberately hides other devices, printers included.
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Disconnect the VPN and leave guest Wi-Fi
A VPN routes traffic away from your local network, and guest networks often stop devices from seeing each other. Disconnect the VPN, join the PC to the same main network as the printer, and run Add device again.
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Check the share name for a printer on another PC
If the printer is shared from another Windows PC, make sure that PC is on and awake, then choose Select a shared printer by name and type
\\PCNAME\ShareNameexactly as shown on the sharing PC’s Sharing tab. If the name isn’t found, try the sharing PC’s IP address in place of its name, such as\\192.168.1.20\ShareName.You should see: Windows finds the shared printer and starts installing it; if it then fails with 0x0000011b, the search problem is solved and the security check is next.
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Restart the print spooler and try again
A spooler left in a muddle by a failed install can keep returning the same result. Run the command below in an administrator Command Prompt, then repeat the add.
net stop spooler && net start spooler
Common questions
Why can my phone see the printer when Windows can’t?
Phones usually find printers through AirPrint or Mopria, which may rely on a different discovery method from the Windows search. It does prove the printer is on the network, so adding it in Windows by IP address should work.
Does 0x00000bc4 mean I need a new driver?
Not at this stage. The error appears before Windows gets as far as choosing a driver, so look at the network first. Driver problems show up later, once the printer has been found.
Is 0x00000bc4 the same as 0x0000011b?
No. 0x00000bc4 means nothing was found, while 0x0000011b means a shared printer was found but the sharing PC refused the connection. Both can appear on networks that share a printer from a PC.