It’s frustrating when something as simple as setting the default printer on Windows results in an error. Fortunately, tackling “Operation could not be completed (error 0x00000709)” is not that difficult. Here’s what you can do to resolve it and get back to printing.

1

Check for Interference From Other Printers

If multiple printers are connected, Windows may occasionally display the “Operation could not be completed” error when attempting to change the default printer. To avoid any interference, disconnect all other printers except the one you want to set as default. After that, you should not encounter any errors.

2

Run the Printer Troubleshooter

Running the built-in printer troubleshooter on Windows is an effective way of fixing all kinds of printer-related errors, including this one. This tool will scan your system for any common problems and attempt to fix issues that may be causing the “Operation could not be completed” error.

To run the printer troubleshooter, follow the steps below:

1. Right-click the Start button and select Settings.
2. Select the System tab from the left sidebar.
3. In the right pane, click Troubleshoot.
4. Click Other troubleshooters.
5. Locate the Printer troubleshooter, and click the Run button next to it.

   

Wait for the troubleshooter to run and then try to change the default printer again.

3

Change Printer Preferences

By default, Windows manages the default printer for you. While this feature is helpful, especially if you frequently connect to different printers, it can sometimes cause problems. Hence, it’s best to disable it.

To prevent Windows from managing the default printer, use these steps:

1. Press Win + I to open the Settings app.
2. Select the Bluetooth & devices tab from the left sidebar.
3. In the right pane, click Printers & scanners.
4. Under the Printer preferences section, turn off the toggle next to Allow Windows to manage my default printer.

4

Rename the Printer in the Registry Editor

The 0x00000709 error message advises you to set the printer’s name correctly. In this next step, you’ll rename it manually in Registry Editor.

Before proceeding, make sure you create a backup of the relevant registry files. Once done, follow these steps:

1. Press Win + S to open the search menu.
2. Type Registry Editor in the search box and click Run as administrator.
3. In the Registry Editor address bar, paste the following path and hit Enter to quickly navigate to the Windows key:

           Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
       

4. Double-click on the Device entry in the right pane to edit it.
5. In the Value data field, replace the first entry with the name of your printer.
6. Click OK to save changes.

Make sure you restart your computer after completing the above steps. If renaming the registry keys makes no difference, apply the remaining fixes.

5

Change RPC Connection Settings

Once you’ve changed the printer name, you should ensure your printer is connected to the network. If it’s connected but you’re still encountering the error, try modifying the RPC (Remote Procedure Call) connection settings in the Group Policy Editor. This policy manages the protocol settings for outgoing RPC connections to a remote print spooler.

To enable and change the policy settings, follow these steps:

1. Open the search menu, type Edit group policy and select the first result that appears.
2. Use the left pane to navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Printers.
3. Double-click the Configure RPC connection settings policy on your right.
4. Click the Enabled option to activate the policy.
5. Click the Protocol to use for outgoing RPC connections dropdown menu and select RPC over named pipes.
6. Hit Apply followed by OK.

Restart your computer for changes to take effect. If the error persists even after this, repeat the above steps and select RPC over TCP in the Protocol to use for outgoing RPC connections dropdown menu. If that doesn’t work either, you can enable or disable authentication from the Use authentication for outgoing RPC connections dropdown menu—try toggling this to whatever wasn’t already selected.

6

Uninstall the Problematic Update

Did you encounter the 0x00000709 error right after installing a Windows update? If so, the update might be causing the issue. In this case, uninstalling the problematic update should resolve the error and restore normalcy.

There are several ways to uninstall Windows updates, but the easiest is through the Settings app. Here are the steps to do so:

1. Press Win + I to open the Settings app.
2. In the left sidebar, click Windows Update.
3. In the right pane, click on Update history.
4. Under Related settings, click Uninstall updates.
5. Find the most recent update by checking its installation date.
6. Click the Uninstall option next to the update name and follow the on-screen prompts to finish the process.

Once the update is removed, you should be able to change the default printer without any problems.

Not being able to set a default printer is incredibly annoying. That said, unless there’s an issue with the printer itself, one of the steps listed above should help resolve the “Operation could not be completed (error 0x00000709)” issue on Windows and get you printing in no time.