Printer Authentication Rejected by Print Server Fixes

Wrong Credentials Stored on the Printer or Computer

Here's what's actually happening: your printer or computer saved an old username/password combo for the print server. When the server checks these credentials, they don't match what the server expects. This happens a lot after you change your network password or when IT rotates domain credentials.

The fix is to clear those stored credentials and enter the correct ones.

1. Open Control Panel > Credential Manager on Windows (any version from 7 to 11).
2. Click Windows Credentials (not Web Credentials).
3. Look for entries that mention your printer's IP address or print server name (e.g., print-server-01 or 192.168.1.50).
4. Click the arrow to expand, then click Remove. Confirm yes.
5. Now restart the print spooler service: press Win + R, type services.msc, find Print Spooler, right-click, select Restart.
6. Try printing again. The printer will ask for credentials — type the correct ones for your network or domain.

If you're on a workgroup (no domain), use the local admin username and password that the printer uses to connect. I've seen people use their own Windows login by mistake — the printer needs a dedicated account or a generic one IT set up.

Real-world trigger: You changed your domain password last week. Now the printer queue shows "authentication rejected" every time you try to print. Credential Manager still has your old password stored.

Outdated or Corrupt Printer Driver

The driver talks to the print server. If the driver is old or corrupted, it sends authentication requests wrong — like using an old protocol version the server doesn't accept anymore. This happens especially after server updates (e.g., Windows Server 2022 vs 2016).

The reason step 3 works: removing and reinstalling the driver forces a fresh handshake with the server, using current protocol support.

1. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Click your printer, then click Remove device. Confirm.
3. Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers. Right-click anywhere in the white space, select Print server properties (requires admin rights).
4. Click the Drivers tab. Find your printer's driver, select it, click Remove. Choose Remove driver and driver package.
5. Restart the computer.
6. Reinstall the printer using the manufacturer's latest driver (not the old disc, download from their site).

Skip Windows Update for drivers here — they often push generic PCL6 drivers that miss the custom authentication code from the maker. Get the exact driver from HP, Brother, Canon, or whoever made your printer.

Secure Print or PIN Printing Feature Blocking the Job

Some printers have a "secure print" feature: you send a job, then enter a PIN on the printer to release it. The print server sees this as an authentication request, and if the printer's firmware isn't configured right, it rejects the job. It's not a credential problem — it's a feature conflict.

This is common on HP LaserJets and Canon imageRUNNERS with secure print enabled by default on the server side.

1. On the printer's control panel, go to Settings > Security > Secure Print or Print Release.
2. Disable secure print or set it to "PIN required" only. If you don't need it, just turn it off.
3. On the server (or your computer), go to printer properties, find the Advanced tab. Look for a checkbox that says Enable secure print or Require authentication to print. Uncheck it.
4. Restart the printer and try again.

I've also seen this happen when the printer's firmware is too old to handle the authentication method the server sends. Update the printer's firmware from the manufacturer's support page — it's a bigger step but sometimes the only fix.

Quick-Reference Summary