"Test Page failed to print" error with Mobility Print and PaperCut Pocket/Hive

“Help! I just tried printing a test page from my Windows computer, and ran into an error message “Test page failed to print”. Why did this happen with Mobility Print, PaperCut Pocket or PaperCut Hive?”

We’ve heard of this happening after a user is trying to set up PaperCut Mobility Print, but an administrator has configured Group Policy to block IPP Printing. If so, you will see Event 372 with this error message in the Windows event logs :

“Win32 error code returned by the print processor: 1260. This program is blocked by group policy.”

In Pocket and Hive, the format of the spool file results in Windows hiding the actual error code and the message will appear as “Data type: NT EMF 1.008. Win32 error code returned by the print processor: 0. The operation completed successfully.”

Troubleshooting error 0x00002ef3 (‘Operation could not be completed’)

This error might appear when printing a test page or accessing printer properties with PaperCut Hive or Pocket, and is typically shown as:

"Operation could not be completed (error 0x00002ef3)"

What causes an 0x00002ef3 error

This error is most commonly caused by a Windows Group Policy or Microsoft Intune policy blocking HTTP/IPP printing. Specifically, the Windows Print Spooler will block IPP printing, resulting in this error, if:

• The policy Turn off printing over HTTP is enabled, or
• The registry key DisableHTTPPrinting is set to 1

It can also occur if:

• The PaperCut print client process (pc-print-client.exe) is not running, or
• A firewall or antivirus is blocking required ports.

How to resolve an 0x00002ef3 error

Check Group Policy settings

Check the settings in Group Policy to make sure the policy Turn off printing over HTTP is disabled. For detailed instructions, see check group policy .

Check the registry

Check the Windows Registry for the blocking key.

1. Open regedit.exe
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\
3. Look for the key DisableHTTPPrinting. If the value of this key is set to 1, the Print Spooler will block any IPP printing.
4. Ask yourself if something on the workstation (such as Group Policy) is managing this setting and make the necessary changes.

Ensure the print client is running

Verify that the PaperCut Print Client application is active.

1. Open Task Manager and confirm that pc-print-client.exe is running.
2. If not, check for antivirus or security software that might be terminating the process, and add exclusions if necessary.

Check firewall settings for ports 9264 and 9265

PaperCut Hive and Pocket require specific network ports to be open so it can correctly submit and process print jobs. Two of the most critical ports are 9264 and 9265:

• Port 9264 (HTTPS): Used for job submission, job replication, and for edge nodes to retrieve print jobs from each other. If this port is blocked, print jobs might not be delivered or released, and users might see errors such as jobs not appearing or being inaccessible at the printer.
• Port 9265 (HTTPS): Used by the print client to submit print jobs into the Edge Mesh. If this port is blocked, the print job cannot enter the system, and printing will fail.

If you are experiencing issues where print jobs do not appear, fail to print, or disappear without error, ensure that both ports 9264 and 9265 are open and not blocked by local firewalls, antivirus software, or network policies. For more details on required ports, see Pocket and Hive System Requirements .

Check Group Policy

This setting can be found in Group Policy under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Internet Communication Management > Internet Communication settings. Look for Turn off printing over HTTP and set it to disabled.

Some customers have stated they found the ADMX files from Microsoft security articles.

November 2021 and MDM connectivity policies

Check the registry key is configured

Another way to check to see if the registry key is configured is to check the registry on the affected workstation.

Still have questions?

Let us know! We’d also love to find out if you’ve discovered a new cause for this error message. Feel free to leave a comment below or visit our Support Portal for further assistance.