Printer not activated error code 41 is a very common problem that occurs in almost every brand of printers.
Whenever the notification pops up in a device, users are unable to use any kind of printing function of that printer.
If you are also facing the same problem with your printer and don’t know how to solve it, then no need to panic.
In this article, we are going to provide you an effective guide which will not only fix the issue but also help you to avoid the same problem in the future.
How to Fix Printer Not Activated Error Code -41 Issue?
So, if you want to resolve the problem quickly to complete the work that you are doing, then you can rely on some easy hacks or tricks for it.
With the methods discussed in this section, you can fix the issue instantly without any tool, third-party application or a convincing amount of tech-savvy knowledge.
Well, without wasting any more time let’s check them out
Solution #1: Check the Connection
When printer not activated error code 41 issue occurred in your device, the first thing you should do is to check the connection between your printer and computer.
If the wire connection is loose or USB port is faulty then it’s not a surprise that you are facing the not activated error. To confirm if there’s a connection problem or not, remove all the cables between your computer and printer and then reconnect them to their appropriate places.
If there was a loose connection issue in the setup, then applying the above step will fix the problem.
But, if the problem is associated with the faulty USB port, then you can try to connect the wire with a different USB port of your computer. If the problem is still there, then jump to the next method.
For the wireless printer, you can refresh the connection by turning off the power supply of your router and then, turn it on after a few minutes.
Solution #2: Set the Printer as Default
If the problem is occurring in a new printer you just have brought, then most probably you forget to set the printer as Default.
So, in this case, you just need to set the printer as default to fix the problem quickly. If you are new to this kind of stuff, then follow the steps carefully to avoid making any mistakes during the process.
- First, click Windows + I key to open the Windows Settings page and then, select the Devices from the given options.
- Next, choose Printer and scanner from the left panel and ensure that the option “Let Windows manage my default printer” is disabled by unchecking the corresponding box from the right pane.
- After that, locate the printer you want to set as default and click on it. When you click on the printer, it will expand “show some more options” for you.
- From the new options list choose the Manage option to open the Manage your device. Now, click on “Set as default” option under the Printer status section.
By completing the steps hopefully, you will be able to solve the printer not activated error code 41 issue. But, if your printer is already set as default, then skip this method and jump to the next solution.
Solution #4: Rename the DLL Files
According to the user’s review, this problem can be also solved by renaming the DLL files. However, to do so, you can follow the steps as discussed in the following section.
Stop the Print Spooler
- Turn on your device and press the Windows + R key together to open the Run box.
- Now, type “services.msc” in the Run box and hit the Enter button to open the Service window
- Now from the list of available services, locate Print Spooler.
- After locating it, right-click on it and select Stop.
Rename DLLs
After stopping the Print Spooler follow the steps below to rename the DLL files.
For 32-bit system
-
- Go to “C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3\”
- Rename acpdfui400.dll to acpdfui400.old.dll
- Go to “C:\Program Files\Workshare\Modules”
- Copy acfpdfui.dll to “C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3\”
- Go to “C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3\”
- Rename acfpdfui.dll to acpdfui400.dll
For 64-bit system
-
- Go to “C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\x64\3\”
- Rename acpdfui400.dll to acpdfui400.old.dll
- Go to “C:\Program Files\Workshare\Modules”
- Copy acfpdfui.dll to “C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\x64\3\”
- Go to “C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\x64\3\”
- Rename acfpdfui.dll to acpdfui400.dll
After completing the above steps, open the service page in the same way as you have done earlier and once again right-click on the Print Spooler to start the service.
Solution #5: Adjust Printer Driver or Update Driver
If none of the above methods solves the problem for you, then the last option, left is to adjust or update the printer driver. An outdated printer driver or a wrong configuration can also be responsible for this type of situation.
So, making a few changes in the printer driver settings can even solve the problem for you. If you don’t know how to do that, then follow the given steps:
Driver Configuration:
- Open the Start Menu and search for Control Panel. After that, click ‘View devices and printers’ option under the ‘Hardware and Sound’ setting.
- Next, select your printer, right-click on it and select the Properties option.
- Now, from the new window, select the Advanced tab and then click on the Print Processor.
- From the Print Processor window, open the WINPRINT and make sure RAW is selected under the default data type. Once you confirm it, press OK.
- After that, go back to the Advanced tab to uncheck ‘Keep printed document ‘and press the Apply button to save the changes.
Next, after completing the above changes in the Advanced tab, open the General Tab and click Print Test Page.
If the above method is still not able to solve the problem, then try to update the driver by following the steps:
- Go back to the Control Panel window and change the view type as Category.
- After that click on the ‘System and Security’ option and then open the ‘Devices and Printers’.
- Now, select your printer and right-click on it to choose Update Driver from the drop-down menu. Here, you will get two options to update the driver.
- The first one is, “Search automatically for updated driver software” and the second one is “Browse my computer for driver software”. Choose whichever is preferable for you.
- You can also visit the official website of the printer to choose and download the latest driver for your printer manually.
After successfully completing the process, restart both your computer & printer and then try to print a page to check the status of the problem.
Wrapping Up
We hope that after applying the above methods, you will be able to fix the printer not activated error code 41 issue.
If you have some other effective methods to solve this problem, then you can also share it with us.
Somehow, if the above methods are not able to resolve the problem, then we will highly recommend contacting a professional for better guidance.
