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0x00000057Worth attention

Windows Printer Error 0x00000057

What it means

"The parameter is incorrect", seen when connecting to a printer shared from another computer. It belongs to the same family as 0x0000011b and 0x0000007c: the printer is fine, printing from the machine it is attached to is fine, and only the connection across the network refuses. What has usually happened is that the two computers no longer agree on how the driver should be handed over. A security update to one of them changed what the other is permitted to accept, so a setup that worked for months stops on a morning when nobody changed anything. The advice to uninstall the update solves it for a few days and then the update returns, along with the problem, minus a security fix you wanted. The durable route is to stop asking the other computer for the driver. Install the printer driver on your own machine from the manufacturer's download, then add the printer as a local one pointed at the share: Add printer, the printer I want is not listed, Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings, Create a new port, Local Port, and type \\COMPUTERNAME\PrinterShareName as the port name. Choose the driver you just installed when asked. The job still goes to the same printer over the same network. The difference is that nothing has to be negotiated between two Windows installations that have stopped agreeing.

Guides that cover this kind of fault

A guide written for 0x00000057 itself is still being checked against the manufacturer's documentation. These cover the same underlying problem and are filed under driver issues.

Common questions

What does the 0x00000057 error mean on a printer?

"The parameter is incorrect", seen when connecting to a printer shared from another computer. It belongs to the same family as 0x0000011b and 0x0000007c: the printer is fine, printing from the machine it is attached to is fine, and only the connection across the network refuses. What has usually happened is that the two computers no longer agree on how the driver should be handed over. A security update to one of them changed what the other is permitted to accept, so a setup that worked for months stops on a morning when nobody changed anything. The advice to uninstall the update solves it for a few days and then the update returns, along with the problem, minus a security fix you wanted. The durable route is to stop asking the other computer for the driver. Install the printer driver on your own machine from the manufacturer's download, then add the printer as a local one pointed at the share: Add printer, the printer I want is not listed, Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings, Create a new port, Local Port, and type \\COMPUTERNAME\PrinterShareName as the port name. Choose the driver you just installed when asked. The job still goes to the same printer over the same network. The difference is that nothing has to be negotiated between two Windows installations that have stopped agreeing.

Is the 0x00000057 error serious?

It is worth attention but not alarm. Switching the printer off, unplugging it for a minute and checking for anything physically in the way resolves a large share of cases before anything else is needed.

Different code or problem?

Switch off and unplug a printer before reaching inside it. If a fault involves the power supply or internal electronics, or the machine is under warranty, contact the manufacturer or a qualified technician. Full disclaimer. Brand and code names are trademarks of their owners; PrinterFixUp is independent and unaffiliated.