Microsoft says that some USB printers will start printing random text after installing Windows updates released since late January 2025.
The known issue affects Windows 10 (version 22H2) and Windows 11 (versions 22H2 and 23H2), but according to an update to the Windows release health dashboard, the latest Windows 11 24H2 is not impacted.
“After installing the January 2025 Windows preview update (KB5050092), released January 29, 2025, or later updates, you might observe issues with USB connected dual-mode printers that support both USB Print and IPP Over USB protocols,” Redmond explains.
“You might observe that the printer unexpectedly prints random text and data, including network commands and unusual characters.”
On affected systems, users will often see erroneously printed text that begins with the header “POST /ipp/print HTTP/1.1,” followed by other IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) related issues headers.
These printing issues are more frequent when the printer is turned on or reconnected after being disconnected. Affected users will observe the printer unexpectedly printing when the print spooler sends IPP protocol messages to the printer and the printer driver is installed on the Windows device.
Fixed via Known Issue Rollback
Microsoft has resolved these printing issues through Known Issue Rollback (KIR)—a Windows feature that helps reverse flawed non-security updates delivered via Windows Update—and says the fix will also roll out automatically with a future Windows update.
To resolve the known issue on impacted Windows enterprise-managed devices, IT admins must install and set up the following group policies:
After installation, the Group Policy can be found under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates.
To deploy the Known Issue Rollback, you must go to the Local Computer Policy or the Domain policy on the domain controller using the Group Policy Editor to choose the Windows version that needs to be targeted. Next, restart the affected devices to apply the group policy setting.
IT admins can find further guidance on deploying and configuring KIR Group Policies on the Microsoft support website.
Earlier this week, Microsoft also lifted a compatibility hold that blocked some AutoCAD users from upgrading to Windows 11 24H2 due to launch and crash issues.
Based on an analysis of 14M malicious actions, discover the top 10 MITRE ATT&CK techniques behind 93% of attacks and how to defend against them.
