Microsoft Releases New Printer Metadata Troubleshooter Tool to Fix Printer Renaming Issues

Laptop-Windows-10

Key Takeaways:

  • Microsoft has released the Printer Metadata Troubleshooter Tool to fix the Windows bug that was previously causing printer renaming to HP LaserJet.
  • This tool restores the original printer information and removes the unwanted HP Smart application.
  • However, it may take a couple of hours for the icon and metadata changes to reflect on their Windows devices.

Microsoft recently acknowledged an issue where the HP Smart App was being installed, and printers were getting renamed on Windows 11 and Windows 10 PCs. Now, the company has released the Microsoft Printer Metadata Troubleshooter Tool, providing an easy solution for affected users to fix the printer bug on their Windows devices.

Last month, many users reported that the HP Smart printer app was automatically installed on their Windows 10 and 11 PCs, even if they did not have an HP printer. Additionally, the bug was causing the icons and names of the printers to change to HP LaserJet M101-M106. This problem affects all supported versions of Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows Server.

To address this issue, Microsoft has introduced a new tool that allows users to scan their systems and restore any previously downloaded model information and icons. The troubleshooter tool also removes the HP Smart application if specific conditions are met.

“It will restore any previously downloaded model information and icons and will remove HP LaserJet M101-M106 model information, icons, and application associations from printers that do not match this name and model. This tool will uninstall the HP Smart application if incorrect metadata was found, there are no HP printers or HP printer drivers installed, and the application was installed after November 25, 2023,” Microsoft explained.

How to use the Microsoft Printer Metadata Troubleshooter Tool

If you’re experiencing printer renaming issues, you will need to download the Microsoft Printer Metadata Troubleshooter tool from the official website. Once downloaded, open the command prompt as an administrator and use the “cd /d” command to navigate to the directory where the tool is located. Enter the tool’s name and press Enter to run it on the Windows device.

It’s important to note that IT admins will need to run the troubleshooter tool as the Local System account. “When it is run by enterprise administrators, correcting printers for all users and sessions on a system requires running the tool as the Local System account. Tools such as PsExec or Windows Task Scheduler can run commands as Local System,” Microsoft added.

Microsoft notes that it may take a few hours for the icon and metadata changes to appear after completing the troubleshooting process. You can check out this support page for more information about the Microsoft Printer Metadata Troubleshooter Tool.