Fix 0X0000090E: Spooled vs Nonspooled Printer Share Conflict

Quick answer: Delete the printer port causing the conflict (usually a TCP/IP or network port) and add it back. That resets the spooled/nonspooled flag.

What's Actually Happening Here

Windows has two ways to handle a printer port. A spooled port sends data to the print spooler first, then to the device. A nonspooled port sends data directly to the printer, skipping the spooler. Normally each port is one or the other. But when you share a printer over the network, Windows sometimes gets confused and marks the same port as both spooled and nonspooled. That's when you get error 0X0000090E with the message "This device cannot be shared as NERR_DeviceShareConflict both a spooled and a nonspooled resource."

I see this most often on Windows 10 Pro and Windows 11 Pro machines after a network printer gets moved to a different IP or after a Windows update resets some printer driver settings. Also happens when you try to share a printer that's already shared via another method (like a print server or a direct IP connection). The kernel just can't decide how to route the data.

The Fix: Delete and Recreate the Conflicting Port

This is the clean fix. No registry edits, no driver reinstalls.

1. Open Devices and Printers (search "printers" in Start).
2. Right-click the printer showing the error and choose Printer properties.
3. Go to the Ports tab. You'll see the port with a checkmark. Usually it's a WSD port, a TCP/IP port, or a LPT: port that's been shared.
4. Write down the port name and its settings. For TCP/IP ports, note the IP address and port number (usually 9100).
5. Click Add Port, choose Standard TCP/IP Port, then click New Port. But wait – don't add a new port yet. First we need to delete the old one.
6. Close that wizard. Back in Ports tab, select the conflicting port and click Delete Port. Confirm.
7. Now click Add Port again, choose Standard TCP/IP Port, then New Port. Follow the wizard and enter the same IP address and port settings you noted.
8. After the port is created, select it in the list and click Apply.
9. On the Sharing tab, make sure the printer is shared with a name (like "HP-LaserJet-P2035").
10. Click OK and test printing.

The reason this works: deleting the port removes the corrupted spooled/nonspooled flag in the registry entry for that port. Creating it fresh forces Windows to assign a clean flag based on how you set up the port connection.

Alternative Fixes When the Main One Fails

Reset the Print Spooler

Sometimes the spooler itself is holding onto a bad state. Go to Services (run services.msc), find Print Spooler, right-click, choose Stop. Then open File Explorer and delete everything inside C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS. Go back to Services and start the spooler again. Then repeat the port delete/add steps above.

Unshare and Reshare the Printer

If you can't delete the port (maybe it's in use), try this: unshare the printer (Sharing tab, select "Do not share this printer"), apply, then re-share it. This sometimes clears the conflict flag without touching the port. Works about 30% of the time.

Use a Different Port Type

If the problem keeps coming back, switch from a WSD port (Web Services for Devices) to a Standard TCP/IP port. WSD ports are flaky with sharing. To do that, delete the WSD port and add a TCP/IP port with the printer's IP address. You'll lose some features like automatic bidirectional communication, but sharing will work.

Prevention Tip

Don't share a printer that's connected via WSD port if you plan to share it on a network with multiple users. Use a static IP on the printer and create a TCP/IP port from the start. That avoids the whole spooled/nonspooled confusion because TCP/IP ports have a stricter flag assignment in the registry. Also, never share a printer directly from the host if you're also using a print server – pick one method and stick with it.

One more thing: if you recently changed the printer's IP address, the old port still points to the old IP. Windows might create a second port at the new IP and then get confused. Always delete the old port manually before adding a new one.