Just as you are about to print an important document, an error message pops up on your screen. Your printer has experienced an unexpected configuration problem. Nothing can be more frustrating, especially when you are quite in a hurry to get your document printed. But you don’t have to panic because this is a common problem that has happened to hundreds of other Windows users before you.
What Is Causing the Error?
Data shows that the problem is not exclusive to a certain version of Windows because the error has been seen across multiple operating systems. Based on the surveys, there are four possible causes for the occurrence of the error.
Anomalous Printer Entry
This sometimes happens if you are using Windows 10 or Windows 8.1. If you check the Printers & Scanners section, you will see that the printer is supposedly working fine but you won’t be able to print anything. In this case, you can try removing and then adding the printer again to the Printers & Scanners.
Outdated Printer Driver
Some printer drivers need to be updated occasionally in order to keep working properly. There might be manufacturer updates or improvements to the device that needs to be added. Most of the time, you can update a printer driver by using Windows Update but this can also be done manually.
Unshared Printer
If you try to print on a printer that is not on the shared network, it is likely that you will receive the unexpected configuration problem error message since the printer is not connected to the network in the first place.
Interference from a 3rd party App or a Windows Update
The printing sequence can be messed up by either a Windows update or a third-party software or app. If this happens, the recommended solution is to do a System Restore.
Possible Solutions to Fix the Error
There are many possible solutions to fix the unexpected configuration problem, all of which have delivered positive results. Choosing the right solution, however, often relies on knowing what is causing the problem in the first place.
Run the Troubleshooter
This is actually the first remedy you should use especially if you have no idea what is causing the problem. The printer troubleshooter has the ability to analyze the situation and recommend the corresponding solution. The troubleshooter tool actually comes with a lot of repair strategies that it can deploy as soon as the underlying cause of the problem has been determined.
Re-Add the Printer to Your Computer’s Printers & Scanners
For many instances that the error message shows up, all that’s required is to re-add the printer to your computer’s list, even if it is already there. By adding it again, it will have two entries in the list, which is redundant but completely harmless. What’s important is that the error will not show up anymore.
Update Your Printer Driver
Some printer drivers don’t need to be updated once they have been installed the first time. But there are those that require updates to the printer driver so that they can continue working properly.
There are two ways by which you can update your printer driver. The first is to let Windows Update do it. You simply need to run Windows Update and it will automatically locate updates to your printer driver on the internet, which it can do without any problems.
The second method is to manually update your printer driver by using the original software that came with the printer when you bought it, which might actually be auto-updating. Otherwise, you can go to the printer manufacturer’s website and download an updated version of the driver.
Make the Printer Accessible on a Shared Network
If you are printing on a shared network, the printer needs to be properly connected and configured to that network for you to be able to use it.
In order to do this, you need to go to the Control Panel and search for the printers. You will see all printers installed on your computer. Right-click on the name of the printer you want to put on the shared network, select Properties, then Sharing. Tick the box that says Share this printer and you will be able to print with it.
Manually Install the DLL
Printers need a DLL file in order to run properly. If the necessary DLL file for your printer is not saved in the computer or is not saved in the right folder, then this will definitely return that configuration error message.
You will have to find the DLL file named printconfig.dll inside your computer by checking the likely folders, such as the DriverStore or FileRepository folders.
Perform a System Restore
If you have not had any prior problems with printing and then all of a sudden, a screen popup tells you that your printer’s configuration is not in perfect order, then this might be due to a third-party app or a recent Windows update. In this case, the best solution would be to do a system restore.
This is a very quick and non-detrimental manner of getting rid of the printer problem. As a matter of fact, a System Restore can get rid of many other configuration problems in your computer, some of which you might not have even known about.
All the solutions mentioned above have already been used by hundreds of people all over the world and have also been proven to work, given the right circumstances. If none of them seem to do the trick, you might have to get in touch with the manufacturer of the printer. They should be able to help you figure out the problems with printing and also recommend the correct solution.
The next time you see the error message, “Your printer has experienced an unexpected configuration problem,” you no longer have to go into a blind panic. You simply have to figure out which of the mentioned reasons above might be the cause of the problem, and then perform the corresponding solution.