HP
Earlier this month, Microsoft disclosed an odd printer bug that was affecting some customers of Windows 10, Windows 11, and numerous Windows Server merchandise. Affected PCs have been seeing an HP printer put in, often an HP LaserJet M101-M106, even once they weren’t really utilizing any type of HP printer. This bug might overwrite the settings for no matter printer the person really did have put in and likewise prompted the set up of an HP Smart printer app from the Microsoft Store.
Microsoft nonetheless hasn’t shared the basis reason for the issue, although it did make it clear that the issue wasn’t HP’s fault. Now, the corporate has launched a fix for anybody whose PC was affected by the bug, although as of this writing, it requires customers to obtain and run a devoted troubleshooting tool obtainable from Microsoft’s assist web site.
The December 2023 Microsoft Printer Metadata Troubleshooter Tool is on the market for all affected Windows variations, and it’ll take away all references to the phantom HP LaserJet mannequin (so long as you do not have one put in, anyway). The tool will even take away the HP Smart app so long as you do not have an HP printer hooked up and the app was put in after November 25, presumably the date that the bug started affecting techniques. These steps ought to fix the difficulty for anybody with out an HP printer with out breaking something for individuals who do use HP printers.
There are 4 completely different variations of the troubleshooter, relying on whether or not you could have the 32- or 64-bit model of an Arm or x86 model of Windows. Microsoft will even launch a further really useful troubleshooting tool “within the coming weeks” that may fix the issue in Windows 11 upon a person’s request with out requiring the obtain of a separate tool.
Microsoft has mentioned that, regardless of the renaming and the obtain of the HP Smart tool, most elementary printing performance ought to proceed to work as meant for customers affected by the issue. But in case your printer depends by itself exterior app to present further settings or additional performance, you may want to run the troubleshooting tool (or manually uninstall the phantom HP printer and reinstall your individual printer) to get issues working correctly once more.
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