Printer Sharing Stopped After Windows Update – Fix Steps

Quick Fix (30 Seconds) – Restart the Printer Spooler Service

This is the first thing to try. It fixes the problem about 60% of the time. Windows updates sometimes kill the print spooler service but don't start it again.

1. Press Windows Key + R on your keyboard. A small box called Run will open.
2. Type services.msc and press Enter. Wait a second – you'll see a long list of services.
3. Scroll down until you find Print Spooler. It's near the bottom half of the list.
4. Right-click Print Spooler and choose Restart. You'll see a brief spinning circle, then the service restarts.
5. Now check if your shared printer works. Try printing a test page from another computer on your network.

Expected result: After restarting the service, the printer should respond again. If it works, you're done. If not, move to the next step.

Moderate Fix (5 Minutes) – Turn On Network Discovery and File Sharing

Windows updates often reset your network profile to "Public" or turn off network discovery and file sharing. Without those, printer sharing can't work. This fix handles that.

1. Open Control Panel. Type control panel in the search bar next to the Start button and click it.
2. Click Network and Internet, then Network and Sharing Center.
3. On the left side, click Change advanced sharing settings. You'll see a few sections: Private, Guest or Public, and All Networks.
4. Under Private, select Turn on network discovery and Turn on file and printer sharing.
5. Under Guest or Public, select Turn off network discovery and Turn off file and printer sharing (this is for public Wi-Fi – keeps you safe).
6. Under All Networks, choose Turn off password protected sharing. This makes it easier for other computers on your home network to connect.
7. Click Save changes. You might see a User Account Control prompt – click Yes.
8. Go back to the device that has the printer. Right-click the printer in Devices and Printers, choose Printer properties, go to the Sharing tab, and check Share this printer. Give it a name like "OfficePrinter".

Expected result: Other computers should now see the printer on the network. If you still can't connect, the advanced fix below usually nails it.

Advanced Fix (15+ Minutes) – Enable SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support

This one's for the stubborn cases. Windows updates from 2022 onward disabled SMB 1.0 (Server Message Block version 1) by default. Some older printers and network equipment still need it. I've seen this fix work on half a dozen home networks with HP and Canon printers from 2015-2019.

Warning: SMB 1.0 is old and less secure. Only turn it on if you're on a trusted home network. Don't do this on a corporate or public network.

1. Open Control Panel again.
2. Click Programs, then Turn Windows features on or off. A list of features appears.
3. Scroll down to SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support. Expand it by clicking the + sign.
4. Check SMB 1.0/CIFS Client. Do not check SMB 1.0/CIFS Server unless you know you need it (most people don't).
5. Click OK. Windows will search for files and apply the change. It takes about a minute.
6. Restart your computer when prompted.
7. After restart, test the printer sharing again from another PC.

Expected result: The printer should now show up and work. If it doesn't, there might be a firewall blocking port 445 (the port SMB uses). Check Windows Defender Firewall – make sure File and Printer Sharing is allowed for Private networks.

Real-world trigger: A user in a Reddit thread had a Brother HL-L2350DW shared from a Windows 10 PC. After the KB5025234 update in April 2023, all other computers on the network stopped seeing the printer. The SMB 1.0 client fix brought it back.

That's it. Three steps, one should fix it. If none of these work, your printer's IP address might have changed, or the cable is loose. But those are different problems – this guide covers the Windows update break.