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Windows has a new issue: printers may print on their own

Has your printer been acting strangely lately? By that, I mean printing pages even though you did not hit the print-button? Then it may be related to a new issue that Microsoft just confirmed.

The details:

  • The issue affects all but the latest version of Windows. In other words, Windows 11, version 24H2 is not affected while Windows 11 version 22H2/23H2 and Windows 11 version 22H2 are.
  • Printers that support USB Print and IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) over USB protocols are affected.
  • Affected printers may print random text and data automatically.

The issue may occur after the installation of the January 29, 2025 preview update or any later updates that Microsoft released for the affected operating systems.

The printout may start with "POST /ipp/print HTTP/1.12", but this is not the case all the time. Microsoft says that it is likely that users experience the issue when the printer is powered on or reconnected to the Windows machine after disconnection.

The bug reports reveals that the issue is observed when the print spooler sends IPP protocol messages to the printer, as this causes the printer to print text unexpectedly. Clearly, this happens more often when the printer is connected or powered on.

Good news: While Microsoft is investigating the problem, it has issued a Known Issue Rollback. This resolves the issue automatically on non-managed devices over the course of days.

System administrators may need to become active regarding managed devices. Microsoft's bug report has instructions on how that is done using the Group Policy.

Here are the relevant links:

  • Windows 11, version 23H2 and 22H2
  • Windows 10, version 22H2

The process is the same. You need to install and configure the Group Policy using the provided download. This applies the Known Issue Rollback on the machine and should correct the experienced issue.

Closing Words

It is interesting to note that Windows 11, version 24H2 appears not to be affected by the issue. Usually, bugs are experienced in newer versions of Windows more often than in older, more established versions. This time, it appears to be the other way around.

Now You: do you use a printer? If you do, how it is connected to your devices?

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