Printer Driver Setup Error: Operation Could Not Be Completed

Sunday, 06 March 2011 17:27

This problem is usually caused by permission problems on a Windows XP machine, but there are other causes.

One thing we've found, are certain Windows Updates can also cause the "Printer Driver Setup Error: Operation Could Not Be Completed" message when installing new Printers on a machine.  Usually caused by security update KB979683.

Provided you've checked that the current user has Printer modification permissions (or is simply an Administrator), if you continue to get this error, we've found that the below usually solves the issue:

1. First go to Start -> Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs
2. At the top of Add/Remove Programs, make sure the "Show updates" checkbox is selected
3. Now scroll down the list until you find "Security Update for Windows XP (KB979683)" and highlight it and then click Remove.  (If KB979683 is not in the list, you may have to look elsewhere for a solution.)
4. Once removed, again try installing your new Printer.

Chances are you will now be able to install your printer.