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0x000003eb Windows cannot connect to the printer.
Hello fellow Windows administrators,
I have installed Windows 2025 as a print server. I share Xerox network printers from there using the Xerox Gobal PostScript driver (requirement).
When installing the shared printer from that server (\\2025server\ double-click the printer), file C:\Windows\system32\spool\DRIVERS\x64\3\PS5UI.DLL gets overwritten by the version from the server (a newer version 2026-02-11 that was pushed by monthly windows updates) which comes from "\\2025server\print$\x64\PCC\ntprint.inf_amd64_c9d56d0edd975df6.cab". It overwrites the version actually in the local server before the printer installation completes. This is normal behavior.
On windows 2016 and 2019 the printer installation then fails with error "0x000003eb Windows cannot connect to the printer" and 2 eventlogs :
"The print spooler failed to import the printer driver that was downloaded from "\\2025server\print$\x64\PCC\ntprint.inf_amd64_c9d56d0edd975df6.cab" into the driver store for driver Xerox Global Print Driver PS. Error code = 800702e4. This can occur if there is a problem with the driver or the digital signature of the driver."
And :
"The print spooler failed to load a plug-in module C:\Windows\system32\spool\DRIVERS\x64\3\PS5UI.DLL, error code 0x8007007F. See the event user data for context information."
If I install the the exact same shared printer on any other OS than 2016/2019 servers , local Ps5ui.dll gets overwritten with the server 2025 (2026-02-11) version and printer installs and fine.
I figured that if I go to my old print server (2022) and retrieve ps5ui.dll from there, put it in local folder on the 2016-2019 servers (overwriting the 2026-01-14 | 2026-02-11 version) and install the shared printer again, now it installs fine. (It does not retreive ps5ui.dll from the 2025 again and so it does not overwrite the local onel).
I even re-installed 2025 in a vm without network (so no windows update) and extracted ps5ui.dll from there, and this one works too.
This issue seems to be caused by recent windows update, the first culprit I'm aware of is dated 2026-01-14. The february update installed today also modifies ps5ui.dll on the 2025 server, but does not resolve the issue either.
So, either there's something I have to change on the 2016/2019 servers, or there is a bug in that file… I'm thinking the later as the original file form the 2025 iso works fine.
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1 Reply
Hello,
This is not a generic Point and Print issue. It is a binary compatibility problem.
PS5UI.DLL from Windows Server 2025 January and February 2026 cumulative updates is compiled against a newer print stack and runtime than what exists on Server 2016 and 2019. When the client pulls the driver package from \server\print$, the newer PS5UI.DLL replaces the local copy and then fails to load with 0x8007007F, which is ERROR_PROC_NOT_FOUND. That indicates a missing exported function in the older spooler or dependent DLLs.
Error 800702e4 during driver import is secondary. The driver fails signature and load validation because the UI module cannot be initialised.
Why it works with the RTM ISO version:
The original 2025 PS5UI.DLL matches the older print subsystem ABI. The post January cumulative update version introduces a dependency that 2016 and 2019 do not provide.
This is expected behaviour across major OS generations. Print drivers are not guaranteed to be backward compatible at the binary level when shared from a newer OS.
Correct approach:
Do not share Type 3 drivers from Server 2025 to 2016 or 2019.
Instead:
Install the Xerox Global Print Driver PS locally on 2016 and 2019 using the vendor package.
Or
Host the print queue on Server 2022 and use that as the common print server for down level systems.
Or
Use Type 4 drivers where supported, which are designed for cross version isolation.
Replacing PS5UI.DLL manually is not supported and will be reverted by servicing.
Conclusion:
This is not a configuration issue on 2016 or 2019. It is a print driver and cumulative update compatibility boundary between Server 2025 and older print stacks.
