There are times when you may have encountered problems with your printer, in which you were unable to set a printer as default, and it throws an error: “The operation could not be completed” with an error code 0x00000709.
Contents
In this post, we will talk more about the error, its causes and how to fix it. So, catch us after the jump!
How the operation could not be completed-0x00000709 error occurs?
The primary reason for this error to occur is due to a corrupt Windows registry.
Windows registry keeps hold of information related to all software, applications and any changes done on the PC.
In the process of keeping a note of all valuable information, it also keeps information related to configured devices and which device is set as default.
In the process of saving default printer, when Windows is unable to override previously saved default printer information then in such cases this error appears.
Therefore, to resolve this issue, we need to either manually go to that registry location and make changes or can use a third-party application that will do the required steps for us.
As we covered the reason for why the operation could not be completed error occurs, lets now talk about ways to resolve this.
Disclaimer:
Tweaking or changing registry entries is not recommended by Microsoft, but it is required in times when we encounter such issues. Please be informed, and we shall not be held responsible for any damage caused to your PC after below troubleshooting steps.
We are going to cover three ways to resolve the operation could not be completed problem:
1) Using Windows Devices and Printer settings:
In this method, we will try to fix the issue by going to Devices and Printer settings on Windows 7/8/10 control panel and will try to set our printer as default, the steps follow as below:
- Go to start -> type “Control Panel” -> Enter
- In the Control Panel option -> look for “Hardware and Sound” -> underneath “View Devices and Printers” -> click on it
- Devices and Printer window will open, from the list of options select the printer which you want to set as default printer
- Right-click on the printer -> select “Set as default printer.”
Once done, go back to “Devices and Printers” window and see if the printer is set as the default printer or not if it doesn’t then try the second and third method mentioned below.
2) Using Windows Registry Editor:
This method is little technical, and novice user might face difficulty following the troubleshooting steps.
But do not worry and follow the process step-by-step, and you will be able to resolve the issue in no-time.
- Go to Start-> In the search bar, type “Registry Editor” without quotes -> enter
- The registry editor window will pop up -> go to “HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ Windows” as mentioned in below screenshot
- After following the above step, you will land in Windows folder -> right-click -> select “Permissions.”
- Permissions for Windows box will open, select the “administrator” option and give full access as mentioned in below screenshot -> then okay
- Repeat the above step for your username as well
- Once done with both steps, from the right-hand side look for below registry keys, if it exists delete them
Device
IsMRUEstablished
LegacyDefaultPrinterMode
Restart the computer and try to set the printer as default.
3) Using Third-Party Applications:
Using third party applications like Garysoft or Reimage repair user can repair the corrupt registry. These applications run a scan on the PC and look for any corrupt registry and try to fix or reset those files.
They take care of issues related to registry permission and tries to fix them by running a scan and replacing corrupt ones from system saved Windows registry entries.
The process takes a lot of time to perform a scan and fix the PC.
Conclusion:
As we now know the primary reason for the operation could not be completed error to occur and how to fix it. Do let us know which method you liked the most and how was your experience in your comments below.
