Why the Active Directory Domain Services Unavailable?

The active directory domain service is currently unavailable states that the computer is unable to recognize and connect to the required printer. As a result, this error stops the current process and resist it from moving any further. This process is related to the management and allocation of resources by the computer. Thus, the problem seems to lie with the permissions, drivers, or UAC of the PC. Therefore, keep moving on with this article if you want to know the factors causing this error and the appropriate solutions to fix it.

Solutions to Fix the Active Directory Domain Services is Currently Unavailable!

We have presented some of the workable ways to solve this issue. Start with the first one and then proceed to the remaining ones until you find the suitable fix for you:

Solution 1: Reset the Printer Spooler Settings

The spooler is a software program, to manage all print jobs that are sent to the printer. You can see the print spooler service and cancel a print job when it is being processed. Hence you can manage those print jobs that are on the waiting list. So, make an attempt to fix the issue by resetting the printer spooler settings in the following steps:

1. Press Windows logo key and ‘R’ at the same time to open the Run application.
2. Type ‘services.msc’ in the Run application and click ‘OK’ to open the ‘Services’ window.
3. Find out Printer Spooler service among the list of services running on your PC.
4. Then double-click on the specific service and select ‘Properties.’
5. Hit the ‘Stop’ button present under the ‘System Status’ menu and click ‘OK’ to apply the changes.
6. After enabling the printer spooler service, you need to delete the printer files.
7. So, hold Windows key and press the letter ‘E’ from the keyboard to launch the ‘Quick Access.’
8. Click ‘This PC’ in the left navigation pane of the window and follow the ‘C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS’ path.
9. If a resulting popup appears, then click the ‘Continue’ button to give permissions.
10. Select all the files available in the folder and tap the ‘Delete’ button in order to delete them.
11. Close the current window and return to the ‘Services’ window.
12. Select Printer Spooler service and enable it. Moreover, set the ‘Startup Type’ as Automatic and restart the system to ensure that the printer can connect correctly.

Solution 2: Add the Printer Manually and Update its Drivers

If the active directory domain service is currently unavailable after resetting the printer spooler service, then update the drivers and add the printer to your PC. To so so, follow the steps as discussed below:

1. First of all, make sure that you have connected the printer properly to your PC.
2. If required, then unplug the printer and connect it again by using the USB cable.
3. Now, press the Windows logo key and ‘R’ simultaneously to launch the Run application.
4. Type ‘control’ in the Run box and press ‘Enter’ or click ‘OK’ to access the Control Panel.
5. Click the drop-down arrow at the top right side of the screen to view ‘Large icons.’
6. Select ‘Devices and Printers’ and locate the printer you want to connect to your PC.
7. Right-click on it and select the ‘Remobve Device’ option from the context menu.
8. Click ‘Yes’ on the popup UAC to your actions as an administrator.
9. Then, click ‘Add a printer’ and follow the on-screen wizards for adding the printer to your PC.
10. Visit the official website of the printer’s manufacturer and see whether the latest version of drivers is available or not.
11. Open the Run application, type ‘devmgmt.msc’ in it and hit ‘Enter’ to access the Device Manager.
12. Navigate to ‘Print Queues’ and expand it to find your printer.
13. Right-click on the printer and select ‘Update Driver.’
14. Now, click the second option, ‘Browse my computer for driver software’ to update the driver manually.
15. Open the folder where you have downloaded the latest drivers for the printer.
16. Select the drivers, click the ‘Install’ button and tap ‘Next’ to install the driver.
17. After installing the printer driver, restart the PC to ensure that you have solved the issue.

Solution 3: Grant Access Of PrinterPorts And Windows

This is the solution you can try out if the above two solutions have failed to fix ‘the active domain service is currently unavailable’ issue. Here you will need to change the permissions of files in the Registry Editor to access the essential keys like Printer Ports.

Note: Since Registry Editor is a powerful tool, incorrect changing of keys might affect your PC and make it non-functional. So, be extremely cautious and do the way we have discussed below:

1. Open the Run application as you have done in the last method.
2. Type ‘regedit’ in it and press ‘Enter’ to open the Registry Editor window.
3. Navigate to the ‘HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows NT > CurrentVersion’ directory.
4. Right-click on the ‘Devices’ tab and select the ‘Permissions’ option.
5. Locate your account from the list of available accounts and check all the boxes under ‘Allow.’
6. Move your way towards the ‘Deny’ column and check that none of the items is selected.
7. Repeat the same process for modifying the entries of ‘Printer Ports’ and ‘Windows’ as well.
8. Once you are done with the entire method, restart the PC to let the changes take effect.

Solution 4: Run Printer Troubleshooter

The printer troubleshooter is a built-in Windows feature that seems to be useful in handling minor technical issues. Therefore, you can also give it a try and check whether it does any help to you or not. To run the printer troubleshooter, type ‘printer troubleshooter’ in the Windows search bar and press ‘Enter.’ The tool starts scanning the system for hidden faults and fixes them if it is within its reach. You will receive a notification if the troubleshooter fails to fix the issue so that you can try out some other fixes.

Solution 5: Use Other ApplicationsFor Recognizing The Printer

This is the last workaround to fix the underlying issue. In this method, we will use the Notepad as every computer carries this application by default. So, let’s focus on the method by the below-mentioned steps:

1. Right-click on an open area on your desktop and select the ‘New’ option.
2. Then click ‘Text Document’ from the context menu and type something in the blank space.
3. Click the ‘File’ menu and select the ‘Print’ option under it.
4. You will find a list of all the printers installed on your PC.
5. Search for your printer and the printer isn’t available, then click ‘Find Printer’ at the right side of the window.
6. See whether Windows can detect the printer and solve the ‘active domain services unavailable’ issue.

If still, Windows displays the active directory domain service is currently unavailable, then update Windows to the latest version. To do that, type ‘windows update’ in the search bar and press ‘Enter.’ Then select the ‘Check for updates’ option from the search results and let Windows search for its available updates and install them automatically on your PC. Hope, you will be benefitted by the solutions emphasized in this article to fix the issue. If you feel, then provide your feedback in the comment section below. Furthermore, let us know what additional information we can provide to you in the near future.