We have been having an issue at work with installing a network printer on our computers. The easiest way would be to plug in directly, but that isn't really an option. We found this solution below: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-hardware/windows-was-unable-to-get-a-list-of-devices-from/d396d3e0-f5f4-49ef-b2d1-e4bb0831a0f2?page=3&tm=1338466188671#footer Essentially what you will be doing is deleting the Software Distribution Folder. Then after it renews itself, WU should be functional. 1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl-Alt-Del) 2. Click Services Tab 3. Under Name find "wuauserv" 4. Right click on "wuauserv" and click on Stop Service. do not close 5. Open Window Explorer and browse to C:\Windows 6. Delete the Folder "SoftwareDistribution" 7. Go back to the Task Manager, Right click on "wuauserv" and click on Start Service. The problem with this is you have to do this for each printer you want installed, and it is only a one-time fix. I was wondering if there is a permanent fix to this, or if it is just something Microsoft messed up and needs to fix?

Hello there, Is there any output messages when you are performing that action (adding the network printer)? Have you checked Event Viewer? Also, are you doing this by browsing some SMB share, like \\servername\printername? Windows Update would have no influence on this, since the Print Server should have a driver for it, or are you using it (WU) to get a driver for your printer? Best regards,

We are using it to find the driver, since it is not listed in ones in Windows 7 in the initial list. When we click 'Windows Update' to refresh the list of drivers, it says it was unable to retrieve the list. The steps above make it work once, but then it gets the error after that one time. And since it happens at work and at home, it almost has to be something on Windows' end.