Rejoice! Microsoft has finally fixed this nasty Windows 11 printer bug

P5026cdw
(Image credit: Future)

Windows 11 has now got a fix for a seriously troublesome printer bug, affected users will doubtless be pleased to hear.

This particular bug sprang up back in September, causing some printers to revert to their default settings – a real headache as it means that certain important features, like duplex or even color printing, cease to work.

The glitch was brought in with the Windows 11 22H2 update and it affected printers using the Microsoft IPP Class Driver or Universal Print Class Driver.

The good news, as mentioned, is that Microsoft has now officially fixed the bug as reported in an update to the Windows 11 health dashboard, spotted by The Register.

This means that Windows 11 users previously blocked from upgrading to the 22H2 update are now free to go ahead and grab it.

Microsoft noted: “A troubleshooter has been released which will automatically download and resolve this issue on affected devices running Windows 11, version 22H2. Once the issue with the installed printer is resolved, the safeguard should be removed and you should be able to upgrade to Windows 11, version 22H2.”

The caveat is that it may still take a while – up to 48 hours – before the upgrade is offered, and of course, this assumes there aren’t any other blockers or compatibility issues elsewhere stopping the 22H2 update for your PC. You can always manually check for Windows updates to attempt to speed up the process, Microsoft advises.


Analysis: Same old story, sadly

Obviously it’s good to see this one resolved in a reasonable timeframe, although as we said above, the bug will certainly have proved a frustrating one for those users (and businesses) hit by it.

The sad truth is we’ve seen a fair few Windows 11 bugs emerge of late, and just as Windows 10 experienced bouts of gremlins in the works causing serious problems all too often, it doesn’t appear that the new operating system is much different. But that’s no real surprise, seeing as Windows 11 remains the same in many core ways; and certainly Microsoft’s underlying testing and QA procedures don’t seem to have changed.

Other recent bugs which have impacted Windows 11 include a problematic issue with trying to eject USB drives, and a head-scratcher whereby the OS is slowing down performance of high-end models of AMD’s new Zen 4 processors.

Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).

Read more
Printer
No, your printer isn't possessed: a Windows 11 23H2 bug could be making it print random characters when connected via USB
Woman gaming on a computer at home
Microsoft finally fixes some of Windows 11’s most annoying problems with new patch
A woman pictured from behind who is holding her hands out in frustration and wearing a headset. She is seated at a table with a desktop monitor in the background.
Windows 11 24H2 strikes a sour note as audio bug hits the update, leaving some PCs silent
A man sitting at his desk in the evening and using a desktop computer
It looks like Microsoft is forcing its controversial Windows 11 24H2 update on people and (plot twist!) it might be for the best
A laptop with the Windows 11 desktop on screen, glowing, while on a work desk
Are you unable to get security updates for Windows 11 24H2? Here’s the likely reason why, and the fix to get your PC safe and secure again
Angry businessman destroying his desk and laptop with a baseball bat
I'm absolutely sick of Microsoft's Windows 11 24H2 update, as it's now causing Bluetooth and webcam issues
Latest in Pro
Finger Presses Orange Button Domain Name Registration on Black Keyboard Background. Closeup View
I visited the world’s first registered .com domain – and you won’t believe what it’s offering today
Racks of servers inside a data center.
Modernizing data centers: an efficient path forward
Dr. Peter Zhou, President of Huawei Data Storage Product Line
Why AI commonization is so important for business intelligent transformation and what Huawei’s data storage has to offer
Wix automation
The world's leading website builder aims to save businesses time with new tool
Data Breach
Thousands of healthcare records exposed online, including private patient information
China
Juniper patches security flaws which could have let hackers take over your router
Latest in News
A super close up image of the Google Gemini app in the Play Store
It's official: Google Assistant will be retired for phones this year, with Gemini taking over
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #1147)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #378)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #644)
Three iPhone 16 handsets on show
Apple could launch an iPhone 17 Ultra this year – but we've heard these rumors before
Super Mario Odyssey
ChatGPT is the ultimate gaming tool - here's 4 ways you can use AI to help with your next playthrough