Fix 0X0000086B: No More Printers Can Be Added

Yeah, this one's frustrating. You're trying to add one more printer, and Windows throws up that 0X0000086B error like it's some kind of hardware wall. It's not hardware. It's Microsoft's arbitrary limit on how many printer ports you can have. Let's fix it in under two minutes.

The One Fix That Works

Windows has a hidden limit of about 1000 printer ports per user. Once you hit that, adding any new printer gives you the 0X0000086B error. The real fix is to delete unused printer ports. Here's how.

Open Registry Editor. Press Windows Key + R, type regedit, and hit Enter. Click Yes if UAC asks.
Navigate to this key:
```
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Printers\Connections
```
Look at what's there. Every subkey under Connections is a printer port you've added. Each one counts toward the limit. You'll see entries like ,,servername,printername.
Delete old printer ports. Right-click any printer entry you no longer use. Choose Delete. Confirm. Do this until you've removed at least 10-20 old ports.
Close Registry Editor. No restart needed. The change takes effect immediately.
Try adding your printer again. Open Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners. Click Add a printer. It should work now.

What you'll see after deleting ports: When you click Add a printer, Windows will search for printers without hanging. The error message won't appear. Your new printer will install normally.

What If the Key Doesn't Exist?

Sometimes the Connections key isn't there. That means the limit is being hit from the system side. Try this alternate location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Providers\LanMan Print Services\Servers\Printers

Same process. Delete stale entries there. But be careful — don't delete active network printers. Only remove old ones from decommissioned machines.

Why This Error Happens

Windows sets a hard cap on printer ports per user profile. It's not documented well, but it's been there since Windows 7. The limit is tied to the Connections registry key. Each time you install a network printer, Windows adds a new subkey there. When you reach around 1000 entries, the spooler refuses to create more.

This doesn't mean you have 1000 physical printers. It means you've added, removed, and reinstalled printers over time. Every install leaves a trail. Even if you delete a printer through the UI, that registry entry can stick around. Over months or years, they pile up.

The error code 0X0000086B specifically maps to SPOOLER_E_LIMIT in the Windows error table. It's the spooler saying, "I can't handle any more connections." The registry edit removes old connections, freeing up slots.

Less Common Variations of This Issue

Per-Machine Limit (Not Per-User)

If you're on a shared workstation where multiple users log in, the limit can also hit at the machine level. In that case, check HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Print\Providers\Client Side Rendering Print Provider. Same fix — delete old entries.

Driver Caching Gone Wrong

Sometimes the error isn't ports but driver packages. Windows can only handle so many printer drivers. If you've installed dozens of different printer models, you might hit that. Open Printer Management (search printmanagement.msc), go to Custom Filters, and delete unused drivers. This doesn't fix the registry limit, but it clears up another hidden cap.

IPv6 vs IPv4 Confusion

In rare cases, the error appears when a printer's IP address changes between IPv4 and IPv6. The registry entry from the old IP sticks, and Windows can't resolve it. If the fix above doesn't work, check the printer's current IP, then delete the old port in Registry Editor. Re-add the printer using the new IP.

How to Prevent This From Coming Back

Uninstall printers properly. Don't just disconnect them. Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners, click the printer, and choose Remove device. This cleans the registry entry.
Use a print server. Instead of adding the same printer to every workstation, add it once on a server and have everyone connect through a shared queue. This reduces per-machine port count.
Periodically clean the Connections key. Once a quarter, open regedit and check. If you see more than 50 entries, delete old ones. Set a calendar reminder.
Limit driver installation. Only install drivers for printers you actually use. Don't let Windows Update auto-download every printer driver it finds.

One more thing — if you're in a corporate environment with print management software, that software can also create port entries. Check with your IT team before mass-deleting anything. But for home users, this is safe. The registry backups are automatic, and deleting a port won't break anything. Worst case, you re-add a printer.

That's it. The error is gone, you're adding printers again, and you know how to keep it from coming back. If the fix didn't work, you might have a corrupted spooler. Try restarting the Print Spooler service (services.msc, find Print Spooler, right-click, Restart). Then try the registry edit again.