Microsoft confirms Windows printing problems after update
Microsoft is currently investigating printer problems reported by numerous users after Windows updates and is planning a corrective update to fix the error. According to Microsoft, Windows 10 client versions 20H2 to 21H2 and Windows Server version 20H2 are affected. In the support article, Microsoft also asks that affected users submit appropriate feedback via the Feedback Hub.
The printing errors are caused as soon as the preview update KB5014666 from June 28, 2022, or the security update KB5015807 from July 12, 2022 has been installed. The latter security update contains the fixes of the June 2022 preview update.
According to Microsoft’s support article, the problem is that printers appear twice in the device list, usually with a similar name and the suffix “Copy1”. Or applications that refer to an existing printer name can no longer print. In both cases, the print function is disrupted after the update installation. Uninstalling the updates brings the print function back in most cases.
Various workarounds
As long as no correction update is available, Microsoft proposes various workarounds to be able to print again. This includes navigating to Printers & Scanners via Bluetooth & Devices in the Settings app and checking the printer configuration. If duplicates of a printer entry appear there, it is necessary to check whether a printer entry works. If the original printer entry can be used for printing, the second printer entry can be removed with the addition “Copy1” or something similar.
If that doesn’t help, Microsoft suggests removing the printer and adding it again. It also suggests trying to install the latest printer driver. The steps for the procedure are described in detail by Microsoft in the support article.
Unplug the USB connector and plug it back in
However, there are indications that the Microsoft support article does not describe the entire scope of the problems. After the July 2022 patch day, a number of administrators from the company environment contacted the author of the article and reported printing problems. In some cases, it was enough to unplug the USB printer port and plug it back in. Windows assigned or installed the correct printer driver.
Other users complained about errors when printing on Lexmark devices, which could be eliminated by switching off the device, unplugging it from the printer connection and reconnecting/switching it on, including updating the driver. Additional issues have been reported with HP laser printers going offline. There doesn’t seem to be a solution here yet.
In many cases the cause of the error was trivial, the option to use the USB port for printing out in the printer properties was no longer checked. Manually setting this option in the printer properties fixed the problem. There were also cases where all printer ports disappeared completely after installing the July 2022 update.
(axk)
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