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Zephyrother
User level: Level 1 (4 points)

M1 Mac mini printer sharing automatically turns off for Dymo Label Printer

I work in an office with several printers, all shared over USB. One of the computers has, in the last 6 weeks, started changing its printer sharing from on to off. This is not associated with an update or with restarting the computer.

It is an M1 Mini, running 26.6.2. No software has been added. This is a Dymo Label Printer and it has been working just fine for the last several years, including with the present operating system. Sometimes it works well for days, sometimes the preferences will shift from on to off several times a day. I could believe that I maybe didn't save my preferences once, but this is a regular occurrence. Any thoughts? Updating the system software may not be possible. We have some critical software running and update only after promises of compatibility from the software manufacturer.

Any thoughts on troubleshooting?


Thanks,


Zeph


Posted on Oct 26, 2026 12:41 PM

1 reply

kaz-k
User level: Level 9 (53,902 points)

Oct 28, 2026 11:13 PM in response to Zephyrother

Hi,


On Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) Macs, macOS frequently disables Printer Sharing or drops the connection for USB-connected DYMO LabelWriters due to a mismatch between old background Intel architecture daemons, USB power saving features, and CUPS (Common UNIX Printing System) security settings.

1. Disable USB Sleep / Energy Saver Mode

When an M1 Mac mini enters a low-power state or spins down USB ports, macOS assumes the printer is disconnected and turns off the sharing token for that specific queue.


  1. Go to System Settings > Energy Saver (or Displays depending on your exact macOS version).
  2. Enable "Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off".
  3. If you have an external USB Hub, try bypassing it. Plug the DYMO printer directly into one of the Mac mini’s built-in USB-A or USB-C ports using a high-quality cable.

2. Reset the Printing System & Purge Old Background Drivers

Legacy Intel-based DYMO drivers often crash in the background on M1 chips, prompting macOS to stop sharing the "unresponsive" printer.


  1. Unplug the DYMO USB cable from your Mac mini.
  2. Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners.
  3. Right-click (or Control-click) inside the printer list and select "Reset Printing System". (Warning: This clears all installed printers, so you will need to re-add them).
  4. Open the Keychain Access app on your Mac, search for DYMO, and delete any old DYMO Root CA certificates.
  5. Download and install the absolute latest software package from the official DYMO Support Center(Ensure it explicitly states native M-series/Apple Silicon or macOS Sonoma/Sequoia compatibility).
  6. Reconnect the USB cable, add the printer back, and toggle Printer Sharing back on.

3. Clear the CUPS Web Interface Error (Advanced)

If macOS keeps toggling sharing off because it flags a persistent internal error on the server side, you can manually override it via the CUPS backend:


  1. Open Terminal (via Spotlight).
  2. Type cupsctl WebInterface=yes and hit Enter to unlock the hidden printer management site.
  3. Open Safari and go to: http://localhost:631/printers/
  4. Click on your shared DYMO printer.
  5. Under the administration dropdown, select Modify Printer. Follow the prompts to ensure "Share This Printer" is strictly checked and save it directly into the Unix kernel layer.

4. Create an Automator Script to auto-restart the Sharing Daemon (Fallback)

If a macOS bug continues to shut down your printer sharing after system updates or reboots, you can force it back on automatically using a simple native command:


  1. Open Automator on your Mac and select Application.
  2. Search for and drag Run Shell Script into the right panel.
  3. Replace the text inside with:
  4. bash
sudo cupsctl --share-printers
  1. Save it to your Applications folder as "FixPrinterSharing".
  2. Go to System Settings > General > Login Items and add this application to open at login so it reactivates the protocol automatically every time your Mac boots up


Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256383471