“Secure print (PIN) won’t start” — driver and queue prerequisites

Joe B.

Expert ★★★★★ 27,853 satisfied customers

Specialities: Windows 11/10, macOS (Sonoma/Ventura/Monterey), Printers, Networking, Office Equipment

Secure print PIN not working on Windows 10/Windows 11 or Mac — HP, Canon, Ricoh, Xerox, Kyocera

Technician

Hey! Let’s get Secure Print / PIN printing working. Tell me the brand (HP, Canon, Ricoh, Xerox, Kyocera, Sharp), your OS (Windows 10/11 or macOS), and which feature you use — e.g., HP Job Storage PIN, Canon Secure Print, Ricoh Locked Print / User Code, or Xerox Private Print. Also share the PIN length and whether release happens at the panel or through a follow-me / PaperCut / uniFLOW queue.

Customer

Windows 11 with an HP LaserJet. Users choose Secure Print and enter a PIN, but at the printer they see nothing. No jobs to release. Single-sided normal prints work. Using HP Smart / Universal Print Driver on a TCP/IP port.

Technician

Got it. When Secure Print (PIN) won’t start or no job appears at the device, typical causes are:
• The driver isn’t the model-specific PCL/PS or HP UPD with Job Storage support; class/IPP drivers often omit PIN options.
• Job Storage/Private Print is disabled in the driver or the device options aren’t set (disk/SD or RAM disk not enabled).
• The queue uses WSD/IPP where the app ignores PIN fields — use a Standard TCP/IP port (RAW/9100) or the vendor port.
• Authentication/accounting (e.g., User Code, Department ID, SNMP accounting) is required but not configured, so the printer discards the job.
• Job names are blank or too long; some firmware hides jobs without a Document Name.
Quick plan: confirm driver capability, enable job storage, switch to TCP/IP RAW, and set queue bidirectional/SNMP so device options populate.

Customer

Where exactly do I enable HP Job Storage PIN and the device options?

Technician

Enable Secure Print — Windows 10/11 (HP example):
1) Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → your HP → Printing preferences → tab Job Storage → choose Stored Job or Personal Job, set PIN, and tick Make job private.
2) Printer properties → Device Settings: verify Job Storage/Hard Disk = Installed, Duplex/Stapler as applicable. Click Update Now if Bidirectional support is enabled.
3) Ports → ensure Standard TCP/IP Port (RAW 9100) or HP TCP/IP is used. Avoid the Microsoft IPP Class Driver for PIN release.
4) In the app (Word/Acrobat), pick the HP queue → Printer Properties → confirm Job Storage = Personal Job and enter a 4–8 digit PIN. Print, then release at the panel.

Customer

We also have Macs and a Canon imageRUNNER on another floor. Same issue — PIN jobs don’t appear.

Technician

Enable Secure Print on macOS (Canon example): Add the printer with the Canon UFR II/Generic Plus driver, not “Generic”. In System Settings → Printers & Scanners → select the Canon → Options & Supplies → Options and enable Department ID / Secure Print if present. When printing, open the Canon driver panel → set Secure Print, choose a PIN, and make sure Hold print is selected. Release at the MFP panel via Secure Print.

Customer

We use PaperCut MF for follow-me printing on a shared queue. Does that change the prerequisites?

Technician

With PaperCut/uniFLOW/Equitrac, you usually don’t use the device vendor PIN at all. Instead the system holds jobs server-side and you sign in at a release station or the MFP. Requirements:
• Install the recommended PostScript/PCL driver on the server and clients; avoid IPP class drivers.
• Set the queue to Hold for authentication (PaperCut) or the equivalent, and ensure the client has the user credentials or card ID mapped.
• Disable vendor-side “PIN/Private Print” so jobs don’t double-hold. Use one hold method only.

Customer

Any brand-specific steps to fix PIN printing not working for Ricoh or Xerox?

Technician

Ricoh (Locked Print / User Code): use the Ricoh PCL/PS driver. In Printing Preferences → Job Type choose Locked Print, set a User ID/PIN. In Device Settings enable User Code Authentication if your fleet uses accounting.
Xerox (Private Charge Print): in the Xerox driver select Job Type → Secure Print, define a passcode, and ensure Accounting = Off/Correct code. Many Xerox queues require enabling Bi-Directional Communication and SNMP for device options.
Kyocera/Sharp: choose Private Print/EcoPrint equivalent, confirm the device has storage and that the Standard TCP/IP port is used.

Customer

PIN prompt shows, but after printing nothing appears. Could the port or protocol be wrong?

Technician

Yes. For most secure PIN printing use RAW 9100 or LPR with correct queue name (often lp or auto). WSD is unreliable for PIN. If you require encryption, configure IPPS (TLS) with the vendor driver that supports job storage over IPPS.

Customer

We’re on Windows Server with shared queues. Any prerequisites on the print server itself?

Technician

On a shared queue, the server-side driver must expose the same Secure Print / Job Storage features as clients. Make sure:
• The queue uses the vendor driver (PCL/PS/UPD) with Job Storage installed.
• Render on client computers is consistent with your policy (PaperCut often requires client rendering).
• Bidirectional support and SNMP status are enabled so options like Disk/Memory are detected.
• If using Azure Universal Print, use the vendor’s UP connector guidance — some UP queues don’t support local device PIN storage.

Customer

On macOS I get “Hold for Authentication” or “accounting codes required”. Can that block secure print?

Technician

It can. If the device enforces Department ID / User Code / Accounting, you must enter those in the driver and enable Secure Print. Missing credentials make the printer silently discard jobs. Configure the code under Printer Features or the vendor plug-in, then retry.

Customer

Perfect — PIN release is appearing now on both HP and Canon. Anything else for best results?

Technician

Summary: When Secure Print (PIN) jobs don’t start, install the vendor driver with Job Storage/Secure Print, enable the device options (disk/RAM), use a TCP/IP RAW/LPR port, and configure any accounting codes. For HP, Canon, Ricoh, Xerox, Kyocera and Sharp, using the model driver instead of class/IPP resolves most secure PIN printing failures. Need hands-on help? Open the chat.

Quick answer: the accepted fix

Accepted fix when Secure Print (PIN) won’t start (Windows 10/Windows 11/macOS): install the vendor PCL/PS driver that supports Secure Print / Job Storage, enable the device’s storage option in Device Settings, switch the queue to a Standard TCP/IP port (RAW/LPR), and enter any required Department ID/User Code or accounting. Then print with a PIN and release at the panel.

FAQ

Step-by-step (Windows 10/11)

1. Install the vendor driver (HP UPD, Canon UFR II, Ricoh PS, Xerox V4).
2. Open Printer properties → Device Settings → set Job Storage/Secure Print = Installed.
3. Use a Standard TCP/IP Port (RAW 9100) or LPR with correct queue.
4. In Printing preferences choose Secure/Private/Locked Print and set a PIN.
5. If your fleet uses accounting, configure Department ID/User Code in the driver.

Step-by-step (macOS)

1. Add the printer with the vendor driver (not Generic/AirPrint if Secure Print is required).
2. Options & Supplies → Options → enable storage/authentication features.
3. In the print dialog select Secure/Private Print, set the PIN, and save as a preset.

Sources

• HP — Universal Print Driver / Job Storage
• Canon — UFR II / Secure Print
• Ricoh — Locked Print / User Code
• Xerox — Secure / Private Print
• PaperCut — Hold/Release secure printing

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