Microsoft confirms Windows 10 update has broken some printer functionality

[midian182]

Facepalm: Windows 11 might have its share of problems, but that doesn't mean Windows 10 has become a completely smooth experience. Microsoft has confirmed that an update released for the older OS last month is causing issues with USB-connected printers.

If you're a Windows 10 user who downloaded and installed the KB5014666 update, released on June 28, 2022, you might notice that your USB-connected printer can no longer print anything.

According to Microsoft, the issue can cause Windows 10 to show duplicate copies of printers installed on a device. These typically have a similar name and the suffix 'Copy1.' But the bigger problem is that applications referring to the printer by a specific name cannot print.

The issue affects both client (Windows 10, version 20H2, 21H1, and 21H2) and server (Windows Server, version 20H2) versions of Microsoft's operating system. "Normal printer usage might be interrupted for either scenario, resulting in failure of printing operations," the company writes. The Redmond firm is asking anyone who experiences these or similar issues to report them via the Feedback Hub.

This obviously isn't good news for those who print using a wired connection rather than wirelessly. Microsoft says it is investigating the issue and working on a fix. Until that arrives, there is a workaround you can use:

• Open the Settings app, navigate to "Bluetooth & devices," and select "Printers & scanners"
• If there appears to be a duplicate installation of an existing printer, such as with suffix "Copy1", confirm if printing works for this printer. This printer should operate as expected.
• If there is a need to use the original printer installation and not the duplicate, right-click the duplicate printer, select "Printer properties" and select the "Ports" tab. Observe the port in use.
• Open "Printer properties" on the original printer and select the "Ports" tab. From the list displayed, select the port option in use by the duplicate printer. If this original printer works normally, the duplicate copy printer can be removed.

If that doesn't work, Microsoft suggests updating the device's printer driver and uninstalling then reinstalling the printer.

The latest Steam survey showed that Windows 11 continues to slowly but surely erode its predecessor's user share, with 21.23% of participants now on Microsoft's latest OS. However, Windows 10 is still found on 1.4 billion monthly active devices, so expect it to be the most popular Windows version for a long time yet.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/95422-microsoft-confirms-windows-10-update-has-broken-printer.html

 

[winjer]

Ever since MS got rid of it's Q&A teams, that Windows update has become a minefield.

 

[George Keech]

Honestly - printers have a general reliability rate of about 50% in my experience

 

[yRaz]

Honestly - printers have a general reliability rate of about 50% in my experience

It's been like this since the 90s when I first started using computers

 

[Trapped Nowhere]

What's with microsoft and printers? Lol

 

[Vulcanproject]

Honestly - printers have a general reliability rate of about 50% in my experience

I have an ancient HP inkjet that works like a charm even after being at idle for months and a more modern HP that I need to spend about 10 minutes cajoling to print if I haven't used it for a week. Annoying.

They really should come with a disclaimer: "50 percent of the time, it works every time."

 

[Uncle Al]

MicroSludge strikes again!

 

[yRaz]

I have an ancient HP inkjet that works like a charm even after being at idle for months and a more modern HP that I need to spend about 10 minutes cajoling to print if I haven't used it for a week. Annoying.

They really should come with a disclaimer: "50 percent of the time, it works every time."

I had a Cannon photo printer that was designed to run on windows 98 and had a giant serial connector. When we switched to XP it was nightmare to get it to work. We eventually just had a dedicated PC running 98SE for the printer. It was a great so we were reluctant to give it up. I believe it was ~$650 when we bought it in the 90s. It was huge compared to many home printers today but it could fire out color prints like no other printer I've owned since. My dad used it to make brochures for his business so it was worth the investment

 

[torchyear]

Oh. So that was why my Brother laser had a virtual clone and duplicate print queue with over 100+ phantom print jobs.

I've been so conditioned to printer problems that I just thought it was situation normal.

 

[Fearghast]

Wait wait wait, they actually did break it ... again?

 

[madboyv1]

I've had over a dozen HP printers (laser and Inkjet) lose scan capabilities in the last couple weeks, I have had to remove and then reinstall the printer in every case. =/

 

[Neatfeatguy]

I've never had a printer issue after doing any updates in any other Windows version before 10. I used Vista for years, never had any issues. I used 7 for years, never had any issues.
XP? No issues.
ME? No issues.
2000? No issues.
98? No issues.
NT? No issues.
95? No issues.
Even when using 3.0 and 3.1 as a kid, I don't remember having printer issues....usually the printer itself was the issue with the memory on getting full/corrupt so you had to power cycle it or the dot matrix paper that was used would get jammed up.

Windows 10 updates have broken printers at my work on 3 different occasions across the past 2 years. I'm glad we haven't had to have any updates lately....maybe the IT guy actually started doing his job and blocking all the crappy updates MS pushes out.

Only version of Windows I haven't used since 3.0 was Windows 8/8.1 so I cannot comment on printer issues after updates.

Come on, MS, get your shite together!

 

[Puiu]

I've never had a printer issue after doing any updates in any other Windows version before 10. I used Vista for years, never had any issues. I used 7 for years, never had any issues.
XP? No issues.
ME? No issues.
2000? No issues.
98? No issues.
NT? No issues.
95? No issues.
Even when using 3.0 and 3.1 as a kid, I don't remember having printer issues....usually the printer itself was the issue with the memory on getting full/corrupt so you had to power cycle it or the dot matrix paper that was used would get jammed up.

Windows 10 updates have broken printers at my work on 3 different occasions across the past 2 years. I'm glad we haven't had to have any updates lately....maybe the IT guy actually started doing his job and blocking all the crappy updates MS pushes out.

Only version of Windows I haven't used since 3.0 was Windows 8/8.1 so I cannot comment on printer issues after updates.

Come on, MS, get your shite together!

I can only laugh at that "No issues" list

 

[waclark]

Honestly - printers have a general reliability rate of about 50% in my experience

You mean the printer or it's ability to work with a specific OS? I have a couple old Dell and HP printers. They work fine, except I can't find drivers for MacOS. I have to use generic drivers which don't cover all the functionality of the printer/scanner/Fax etc .

 

[Hotlynx16]

I have 3 PC's on a home network and I used to have my canon printer connected by USB to one of my PC's and it worked fine last year until a good old MicroSludge update! It would print from the one it was connected to but none of the others! After trying things for three days trying to get it to work I gave up and then realized I was lucky enough to have an Ethernet port on my printer. Ended up hooking it to my router to be able to share it!!

 

[Neatfeatguy]

I have 3 PC's on a home network and I used to have my canon printer connected by USB to one of my PC's and it worked fine last year until a good old MicroSludge update! It would print from the one it was connected to but none of the others! After trying things for three days trying to get it to work I gave up and then realized I was lucky enough to have an Ethernet port on my printer. Ended up hooking it to my router to be able to share it!!

That issue was because of a print spooler vulnerability for using printers over the network on other computers. MS has been trying to fix that issue for some time now and I don't know if they actually did or not.....that was one of the updates that really mucked up how printing was handled at my work.

 

[BobHome]

Hey, any update that ends in "666" you KNOW will cause problems!

 

[Mr Majestyk]

My printers problems are nothing to do with Windows bjorked updates. I printed just yesterday without problem. Still they are a joke with these constant problems they create. I guess they are just to small a company to be able to afford a QC team.

 

[George Keech]

You mean the printer or it's ability to work with a specific OS? I have a couple old Dell and HP printers. They work fine, except I can't find drivers for MacOS. I have to use generic drivers which don't cover all the functionality of the printer/scanner/Fax etc .

both really, I've done IT support in a medium office with 50 people and 6 printers and 75% of my time fixing IT problems a printer just suddenly stopped working for some random reason

 

[lazer]

Micro$lop is not a tech company, it is a sales company which uses tech things to make money so don't expect anything really worth while from them.

 

[waclark]

both really, I've done IT support in a medium office with 50 people and 6 printers and 75% of my time fixing IT problems a printer just suddenly stopped working for some random reason

I have some issues with printers not working, but usually it's a SW issue (drivers, Mgmt software etc). I can't recall a printer actually failing, but then this is home business use and we don't print continuously so our "duty cycle" is probably lower than normal.