After my Windows 10 1903 update, I faced the following 0x8007007e error when I was trying to print a document from my Edge browser. The same error may occur from your Mail app:
Your printer has experienced an unexpected configuration problem. 0x8007007e
This error is a common error for HP printers and Multifunctionals (MFP). Typically the error only occurs in Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Print to PDF but luckily easy to fix. I’ve written down the solutions below. Your best bet would be Method 1. If that doesn’t fix your problem, continue to Method 2. Etcetera. 🙂
Method 1 – Copy and replace printconfig.dll
- Open Windows Explorer and navigate to C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\
- At the right top, search for printconfig.dll . You will most likely get multiple results. Locate the x64 DLL file. In my case, result 2, 3, 4 and 5 are identical (date/time and size are the same).
- Right-click the Printconfig.dll and choose Copy
- Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\x64\3
- Right-click in the folder and choose Paste. Make sure you right-click on an empty spot, since you can’t paste on an existing file.
- Open a command prompt as an administrator.
- Type net stop spooler && net start spooler and press Enter.
If you’re having difficulties, you may also reboot your pc. The effect is similar 🙂 - Done!
If there’s no Printconfig.dll is located, you may want to download the printconfig.dll from my site, but only if you can’t find it on your own pc:
https://www.itexperience.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/PrintConfig.zip
Method 2:
If Method 1 didn’t work out well, you may want to reinstall the HP drivers. I’ve tested this method, and it worked for me.
- Move away all folders from C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\x64 . For instance, I moved them to my Documents folder. The folder x64 has to be empty so we have a clean start 🙂
- Download https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/HP-Universal-Print-Driver-Series-for-Windows/503548/model/3271552
- Install the drivers. In the setup, you may choose between Traditional Mode, Dynamic Mode and Plug and Play USB mode. If you have connected the printer right now, choose USB mode – Plug and Play . Otherwise, you may choose Tradition Mode and create a (dummy) printer. Here’s a a small visual guide how to add that dummy printer:
- Go to C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\x64\PCC
- Double-click (open) prnms003.inf_amd64_9542e8cf351e300e.cab . The PrintConfig.dll file is located in this CAB file.
- Right click Printconfig.dll and click Extract.
- Extract the Printconfig.dll file to C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\x64\3
You may get an Access Denied error. User Account Control (UAC) may nag you here. If that’s the case, first Extract the file to another folder (Desktop, or My Documents for instance). Then copy the file from there and paste it in the \x64\3 directory. - Open a command prompt as an administrator.
- Type net stop spooler && net start spooler and press Enter.
- Done!
As a reference: The print error may occur on all HP printers, but have especially been reported by HP Ency 4520, HP Laserjet 3050, HP 5200 series and HP Color Laserjet FlowMFP.
I really hope this guide helped you out. If not, please leave a comment with the error code, or where you got stuck, so I or any visitor may help you out!
There you have it folks. It worked for me restore: a dll that had been removed – presumably it had previously existed – by Windows Update in the not so distant past. Microsoft Windows is indeed a smouldering pile of poo.
method 1 worked! thanks!
Thank you John. Method #1 worked for me also!
Thanks for the help! Method #1 worked perfectly.
Worked (method 1) – many thanks!!
Thanks alot, Method 1 worked!
Method 1 worked! Thanks so much. You were at the top of my google search results, too (thought you might want to know this).
Thnx! My site as first result on Google is always a good sign. Good pages should appear on top 😉
Method 1 worked thanks!
OMG! Marry me?????
You are my hero, my rock star, my everything! Option one worked and I don’t have to copy to word and print anymore!!
Sorry. I’m already married to my computer. 😉
But thank you for letting me know this blog post helped you out. That’s the aim of my blog 🙂
Perfect , Thank You
that’s amazing. I feel like a computer whizz fixing that! thanks for the help.
Worked a treat, ya rekon MS & HP would have it worked out
Worked great. Wish I’d paid more attention to this fix than the others I tried over days of frustration.
Just to add, this isn’t effecting just hp printers. I have savin mfp’s and brother printers in my domain as well and have the same issue flaring up.
Awesome! Works perfectly. Wish I didnt waste all that time on the phone to usless tech support now hahah
Method 1 worked for my Brother MFC-9340CDW printer as well. Your instruction did not specify which of the multiple Printconfig.dll files to copy and paste so I chose the most recent one and that worked. I had to allow it to paste into the C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\x64\3 folder as Administrator. As you had suggested, I did not bother with the 6 and 7 but merely restarted my PC.
Thank you so much for posting this.
Thank you very much! Finally solved my problem, after a lot of hassle to try otherwise!
🙂
Lily
Thanks! This worked perfectly.
Thank you. Worked perfectly on Windows Home 10 1903 with an Epson XP-342 printer. Great!!
Thank you so much! It helped with my Canon multifunctional printer! Much appreciate your help!
Thank you so much!
Thanks, it’s working
Thank you so much!! I can submit my exams online again
I’ve literally done a hundred of the self help computer bug fixes and maybe have had 25% success rate. This is one that actually worked! In my case, I couldn’t print from Microsoft Photo. Thank you!
Method 1 worked for me. I was trying to print photos to my Epson ET 3600 and I kept getting the error message as shown when trying to print. It has been since April 2020 since I lasted printed photos. I originally downloaded the printer driver from another recommended site but that did not work. Thanks so much for the excellent guidance!!!! Now I can send photos to my dad of his great grand daughter
You’re wonderful! Method 1 worked! Tip: Use search and type “cmd” and then make sure to select “Run as an Administrator” to bring the CMD dialog up. Else you won’t be in Administrator mode and will get “System 5 error” and it won’t do anything. Comment: The PrintConfig.dll files shown all had different long ending qualifying character strings so I just picked the most recently dated one to copy. Background: On Windows 10 version 1903 with trusty old Canon MX970 multi-function printer on hardwired USB that never fails. Suddenly just got this error when clicking on a .jpg to print… Read more »
Thank You. I’m not the best at fixing computer issues. These directions were easy to follow!
Method 1 worked for me too. Many thanks. Also, as others have said, it’s not just certain printers. My Microsoft Photo produced the same error message for Canon, Brother and HP printers.
Method 1 worked – thanks so much. New printer, I thought I had bought a dud – lol!
In my case the error first showed up when I was using the Photos app — default was the HP printer, actually wanted to just print to PDF, but the app hung.
I’ve found two different versions of PrintConfig.dll, several copies date-stamped 8/29/19 and one other 5/13/20. File size is identical.
Any recommendation as to which to use, or it shouldn’t matter?
Thanks very much.
Hey Gary,
I used the most recent one with success.
Scott
Thank you so very much. Method 1 worked for me too on an old Canon printer.
Great ! Method 1 worked for me 🙂
Thanks
Thanks Man. I mean literally I know a tiny bit about PCs because I started in the DOS era, so I could work through this, but for God’s sake how many old people or youngsters are going to understand this madness. By now MIcrosoft APPs should be so refined that for example the file views should automatically scale, print previews should automatically find ideal margins etc, but still this kind of gobbledygook comes up, normally when an ‘update’ is performed. Is there anyone at Microsoft who monitors these issues? I mean Photos is installed on everyones PC. Anyway, thanks again!
Method 1 worked great for me. Thank you for posting this solution!
After searching the net for printer problem 0x8007007e I finally found your solution.
I had to down load printconfig.dll file from your site and it worked great.
Thank you so much
Method 1 worked to fix my Canon MG 3520 when I was getting the 0x8007007e error. Thanks!
Thank you very much I did a bunch of research and go nowhere until I used you first Method thank you.
You’re very welcome, Vix. Happy it helped you fix your issue!
Thank you so much. Your solution fix my issue perfectly.
not computer savvy, so get it…is my computer old to get connected to new printer???