By now, everyone’s all too familiar with the bugs that tag along with every Windows update. While Microsoft usually fixes major issues fairly quickly, one particular bug has been around since early 2025. Thankfully, not for much longer.
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Microsoft has resolved a frustrating bug that caused USB-connected dual-mode printers to print random text and data after certain updates. The issue has been resolved by the March 2025KB5053643non-security update for Windows 10, version 22H2.
Additionally, Microsoft released theKB5053657optional update for Windows 11 23H2, with its release notes quietly mentioning that the frustrating printer issue has finally been fixed. If you’re on Windows 11 24H2, however, you’ll need to wait until June 13, 2025, for the optional update to become available. According toWindows Latest, Microsoft also plans to address the issue globally with April’s Patch Tuesday update.
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The support document states, “[Printers] Fixed: USB-connected dual-mode printers that support both US Print and IPP Over USB protocols might unexpectedly output incorrect or unwanted text.”
Microsoft had initially provided a workaround for system administrators using Known Issue Rollback (KIR) via Group Policy configuration. This feature allows Microsoft to roll back non-security bugs introduced by Windows updates without requiring users to uninstall the entire update.
Unfortunately, while advanced users on Windows Pro may have used this workaround to resume printing without gibberish, it wasn’t enough to resolve the problem for everyone.
A few weeks ago, Microsoft confirmed this bug via theWindows Health Dashboard, explaining that it caused USB-connected dual-mode printers to print random text and data. The output often began with the header “POST /ipp/print HTTP/1.1” and included network commands, unusual characters, and IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) headers.
According to Microsoft, the bug was most likely to occur when the printer was powered on or reconnected to a PC after being disconnected for a while. It affected users who had installed the K2050092 non-security preview update, released on May 29, 2025, or later.
The tech giant recommends installing the latest update on your device right now as it includes other important improvements and bug fixes in addition to this one. All in all, if this bug has been causing you headaches, you can now install the optional March updates to get your printer working normally again. Otherwise, you can wait for the global fix to roll out with April’s Patch Tuesday.
