Faces Windows 10 Windows 11 is a new problem, as operating systems randomly rename printers to HP LaserJet printers, and the technology giant indicated that the problem affects devices running the Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems that are running the 22H2 update.
How does this issue affect users?
Due to this issue, printers connected to Windows devices automatically install the HP Smart app and are renamed even if they are not HP devices, and the technology giant confirmed that it has already begun investigating this issue.
Microsoft claims that the issue is not caused by an HP update and the company suggests that it is a Windows issue instead. However, this issue does not cause printers to stop printing, and Windows 10/11 users can continue printing, but if users try to double-click On the printer, they may receive the error message “No jobs available for this page.”
In a support note, Microsoft says: “Some issues with printer configurations have been observed on Windows devices that access the Microsoft Store. Microsoft is investigating this issue and coordinating with partners to find a solution. Printers are being renamed as HP printers regardless of their manufacturer.” Most are named after the HP LaserJet M101-M106 model, and the printer icons may also be changed.
Printers that are not affected
There are some temporary workarounds and settings can be enabled to stop printers from being automatically renamed. For example, if your IT administrator blocks use of the Microsoft Store, printers will not be renamed. In such cases, the HP Smart app is also not installed automatically.
However, it is important to note that this is not the first time that Windows and printers have had problems with each other. In March 2021, a Windows update caused a blue screen to appear on some printers on computers, and Microsoft was able to quickly fix the problem.
A few months later, a serious, unfixed flaw appeared in the Windows Print Spooler service. Fixing this security issue caused some printers to stop working completely. Fixing the recent renaming issue is expected to be much less complicated.
