[German]Update KB4517211 for Windows 10 Version 1903, released on September 26, 2019 ,seems to cause issues with printers for some users. The printer queue fails and no printers are found. Addendum: Microsoft has confirmed the issue.
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I've mentioned the topic before, along with other problems, briefly in the blog post Windows 10 Problems with Windows 10: Issues with Updates KB4522015, KB4522016 / KB4517211 (Sept. 2019). Since then I've received a couple of confirmations of the issue from blog readers. Because Microsoft has classified Windows 10 Version 1903 as 'ready for widespread use' as of September 26, 2019, I've extracted the topic separately below.
Update KB4517211 for Windows 10 V1903
After tests with insiders (see Windows 10 19H2 Insider Preview in Release Preview Ring) Microsoft released the update KB4517211 for Windows 10 Version 1903 on September 26, 2019. The cumulative non-security (optional) update KB4517211 contains a huge list of fixed bugs in Windows 10 Version 1903 and Windows Server Version 1903. I reported about it in the article Windows 10 V1903: Update KB4517211 released (09/26/2019).
Printer issues after installing Update KB4517211
I got the first notification about issues with update KB4517211 a few hours after release within this German comment. German blog reader Kay reported, that all printers on his system had disappeared after installing the Windows 10 Version 1903 update KB4517211. Kay wrote:
After the installation on a client PC all programs including Office reported "No printer installed" (not even the Windows internal ones – in "Devices and printers" all printers are grayed out) – but the web interfaces of the printers were accessible via browser (status ok).
In addition, the message "Print spooler service does not run" was displayed – manual start of the service was not successful either.
The only solution was to uninstall update KB4517211. Then everything ran as usual. I only guessed an isolated case, because the problem was negated by other blog readers. But blog reader Ralf reported in this German comment that the print queue had ended itself three times since installation (a few hours ago) and had to be restarted manually. Meanwhile two more German blog readers confirm these problems in comments. And also to my english blog post Windows 10: Issues with Updates KB4522015, KB4522016 / KB4517211 (Sept. 2019) contains confirmations from blog readers.
Meanwhile I also found something at askwoody.com, where a user describes the same issue. Update KB4517211 causes the spooler service for the printers to crash, so no more printers are detected. There the affected person can restart the service – but it crashes again during printing. This effect is also described in this Google Chrome support thread and within this German Dr. Windows forum. Currently I don't know the condition to trigger this issue nor I know a workaround – beside uninstalling update KB4517211.
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Addendum: I've escalated this issues to Microsoft's developers – see this Microsoft Answers forum thread.
If someone is affected: Can you specify which printers are affected? It seems that only HP printers are affected and that reinstalling the driver via .inf file solves the issue.
Addendum 2: Microsoft has confirmed that issue, which may affect all Windows versions. See my details within the blog post Windows: Printer issues after Sept. 2019 Update confirmed.
Similar articles:
Windows 10: Issues with Updates KB4522015, KB4522016 / KB4517211 (Sept. 2019)Windows 10 V1903: Update KB4517211 released (09/26/2019)
Windows 10 Version 1903: Ready for broad realease
Windows 10 19H2 Insider Preview in Release Preview Ring
Windows 10: Fixes for October 2019 (start menu) issues
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it seems the printing problems with the KB4517211 update seem to occur with certain HP printers, guenni. I have not yet seen this problem being reported in the HP support forums.
also does the problem also occur on another brand printers like Brother, Canon, Epson, etc. or is the problem limited to just some HP printers?
It could be true, that it only affects HP printers – see my addendum at the article's end.
I do have HP printers installed, however it disables the Print Spooler service entirely, rendering all printers unusable.
I have some problems
I can confirm that after the installation of KB4517211, I was unable to print on any of my printers (incl. HP, Brother, Acrobat, etc.). I did not attempt to analyze the problem, as I had work to complete, but the comment by Jack3D seems a likely explanation. I uninstalled this CU, and print function was restored.
Same problem, even uninstalling didn't help. We decided to use a restore point before the September updates…😒
HP OfficeJet Pro 6978, tested on Wireless/USB/Ethernet connections with their "basic drivers" At least in my case, it have nothing to do with the Print Spooler service and it's on automatic and runs fine. I have also commented on AskWoody/GHack as well. Also I tried the .INF install but no luck.
Got this issue yesterday on 10 clients , after long time i have identify it , the printers are HP printer , first Client i restore windows to previous day using recovery as part of troubleshooting the issue , once the printer starts working again , i start diging little bit to find out that this KB breaks the spool service , the funny thing is if you check the event viewer you won't get any information about spool service , you will find the error related to .NET so it is misguide you.
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I've just installed KB4517211 and found that i could not print to a Ricoh MPC3002 with different error messages depending on which program was trying to print. Unistalled KB4517211 and everything returned to normal.
Just noticed the problem on my Dell XPS 15, when trying to print to HP DeskJet F300. But also other printers vanished (network printers).
I can print on my HP Officejet Pro 6978, but only with the USB cable connected. I can no longer print wirelessly. When I try to print a document, it says Printer Ready in the print screen, but when I click Print, I get "Printer is in error mode" or something similar. I have tried reinstalling the driver, but it says it can't find the device. This started immediately after the 1903 update.
I found that it stopped all printers from working in all the computers with solid state hard drives. The computers with conventional hard drives work and print fine on all the printers in the office, all of which are HP. The solution for now is to uninstall the update.
@Paul Edinger
Are the HP printer problems happening when your HP printers are "networked" (aka connected either thru wired/ethernet cable or WiFi/wireless) or when they are connected locally thru a usb cable?
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4524148/windows-10-update-kb4524148
EP, In my case the HP printer works when connected by usb cable to the pc. But by wifi it dont work.
I just saw a notice Resolved:
October 03, 2019
10:00 AM PT solved issue about KB4524147, at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/release-information/resolved-issues-windows-10-1903#351msgdesc
But it is not the KB4517211 you mencioned above…
And if I disconnect the printer from the usb, no wifi printing works.
May be we have to wait Microsoft correct it right?
a new update KB4517389 just came out today Oct. 8, Carminda Proença.
try this one since it seems to resolve some more printing problems caused by older updates like KB4517211
Thank you much EP, it worked good !
I have been using the Windows 10 system and also using a Canon printer. I can print on my Canon printer but only with the USB cable connected. I can no longer print wirelessly. When I try to print a document that time printing blank pages. I have tried reinstalling the driver but did not solve the problem. When I read your blog then I got little hope about updated KB4517211 information.
I've removed your seo link – further comments with such link will result that you will be banned. I don't tolerate SEO spam
Epson L3050 is the same. It worked before the system upgrade, now it doesn't. The driver returns information that is not valid. The system does not send any print jobs.
We have had new security updates on October 8, 2019 – see KB4519338 (for Win 10 V1809), that addresses the printer issue. Uninstall the old Update and install the newest update.
Patchday Windows 10-Updates (October 8, 2019)
Patchday: Updates for Windows 7/8.1/Server (Oct. 8, 2019)