Microsoft Broke Windows Again: USB Printers Started Printing Random Text With Another Update

Microsoft has reported that some USB printers may start printing random text after installing a Windows operating system update that was released in late January 2025. The issue affects Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2. However, Windows 11 24H2 does not appear to be affected.

Image source: Bleeping Computer

«After installing the January 2025 Preview Update (KB5050092) released January 29, 2025, or later updates, you may experience issues with dual-mode USB-connected printers that support the USB Print and IPP Over USB protocols. You may notice that the printer unexpectedly prints random text or data, including network commands and unusual characters,” Microsoft said in a statement.

USB printer owners who encounter this problem most often receive randomly printed text that begins with the header “POST /ipp/print HTTP/1.1” followed by other text related to the Internet Printing Protocol. Random printing most often occurs when the device is turned on or the printer is reconnected.

Microsoft was forced to recall the problematic update package using the Known Issue Rollback (KIR) tool, which is integrated into current versions of Windows and is designed to return the system to the state before the problematic update was installed. To fix the error in corporate networks, IT administrators will need to use the appropriate group policies to deploy and apply the KIR feature.