Windows error 0x0000052e - logon failure, unknown user name or bad password

What causes it

• The host PC has no matching user account for the credentials being sent
• Password-protected sharing is on but you have not supplied a valid host account
• The saved credential for that host is stale after a password change
• You are signing in with a Microsoft account while the host expects a local account name
• The account exists but has a blank password, which Windows refuses over the network by default

How to fix it, in order

Work down the list and stop when the printer recovers. The steps are ordered from most likely and least invasive to last resort.

1. Create a matching account on the host

   On the computer sharing the printer, open Settings › Accounts › Other users and add a local account with a username and password you will use from the client. Give it a real password rather than leaving it blank. Sharing works most smoothly when the client can authenticate as a known local user.

2. Clear the stale saved credential

   On the client, open Control Panel › Credential Manager › Windows Credentials and delete any entry for the host computer's name or IP. Windows caches the first credential it succeeds with and keeps offering it long after a password change. Removing it forces a fresh prompt.

3. Reconnect and enter credentials explicitly

   In File Explorer type \\hostname and, when prompted, enter the credentials as hostname\username so Windows does not assume a domain or Microsoft account. Tick Remember my credentials once it works. Then add the printer again from Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners.

4. Use the local account name, not the email address

   If the host signs in with a Microsoft account, the network username is often still the underlying local profile name rather than the email address. Check C:\Users on the host to see the real profile folder name and use that. The email address frequently fails where the profile name succeeds.

5. Consider turning off password-protected sharing at home

   On the host, go to Control Panel › Network and Sharing Center › Change advanced sharing settings › All Networks and switch off Password protected sharing. Only do this on a trusted home network, since it allows any device on the network to use the shared printer.

6. Check the account is not locked or expired

   On the host open lusrmgr.msc if available, or Settings › Accounts, and confirm the account is enabled and its password has not expired. A disabled or expired account produces the same logon failure code as a wrong password.

7. Sidestep credentials with a direct IP queue

   If the printer has its own network port, add it directly through Add manually › Add a printer using an IP address or hostname. Direct printing to the device does not authenticate against the host PC at all, so credential problems disappear.

Frequently asked questions