Microsoft Releases Fix for USB Printing Bug on Windows 11 PCs
Microsoft has fixed a Windows 11 bug that caused some USB printers to print random characters.
Published: Mar 26, 2025
Key Takeaways:
- Microsoft has fixed a Windows bug that caused some USB-connected printers to print random characters or unwanted text.
- The issue affected dual-mode USB printers supporting both USB Print and IPP Over USB protocols.
- Microsoft is still working to fix an issue with the Citrix Session Recording Agent.
Imagine hitting print and instead of your document, your printer spits out a cryptic mix of random symbols and network commands—frustrating, right? Microsoft has now fixed this bizarre USB printing bug with a new patch (KB5053657) that affected PCs running Windows 11 version 22H2 and 23H2.
Microsoft released the Windows 11 preview update (KB5050092) on January 29, 2025. The company acknowledged that after installing this update, users might experience issues with USB-connected dual-mode printers. Microsoft mentioned that this issue mostly occurred when powering on a printer or reconnecting to a Windows PC after being disconnected. It affected USB-connected dual-mode printers that support both USB Print and IPP Over USB protocols.
“You might observe that the printer unexpectedly prints random text and data, including network commands and unusual characters. Resulting from this issue, the printed text might often start with the header POST /ipp/print HTTP/1.1, followed by other IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) related headers,” Microsoft explained on the Windows Health Dashboard.
Additionally, some users reported that the issue wasn’t limited to USB printing, and also affected wireless printing. A Windows user complained that their printer began printing gibberish when they tried to print wirelessly.
How to fix USB Printing issues on Windows 11
Microsoft recommends that users install the latest optional update (KB5053657) to fix USB printing issues on Windows 11 PCs. However, the company is still working on another issue affecting users with version 2411 of the Citrix Session Recording Agent. Microsoft has confirmed that it is collaborating with Citrix to resolve the problem.
Earlier this week, Microsoft fixed a Remote Desktop connection issue caused by the January 2025 Patch Tuesday updates. The company has begun rolling out a fix through Known Issue Rollback (KIR) for enterprise customers and plans to make it available to all users soon. KIR works by restoring affected Windows machines to their previous state and disabling the faulty update.