Windows: Printer issues after July 2022 patchday and fixes

[German]As of July 12, 2022, Microsoft has also fixed printing vulnerabilities as part of its security updates. As expected, users and administrators encounter printer issues after installing the July 2022 security updates. Below, I summarize some reports of problems. In addition, two pieces of information about fixing printing issues have come to my attention, which I'll also briefly outline.

Problem printing/scanning with smartcard

Microsoft  has already pointed out that if you use printers and scanners with integrated smartcards, you may run into problems if they don't meet certain specifications. I had picked up the details in the blog post Windows print and scan error due to smart card authentication change.

Printer fails after update

After the July 2022 patchday, a number of users have reported problems with USB printers within my German blog on Windows 10 systems with local USB printers.

Brother HL-1450 doesn't work

Blog reader 1ST1 reports a Brother HL-1450 is on strike in this German comment.

Hi, not only printers with smartcard are causing problems, my much loved Brother HL-1450 currently doesn't like to print under Windows 10 either, apparently since the update. Let's see how I can solve the problem….

He didn't give any details, but I assume it's a USB connected printer. Later he added this German comment:

It works again. In the printer properties under "Ports" only the check box in front of the USB interface wasn't marked.

Zebra ZM400 failed

Blog reader C.R. noticed problems with his Zebra ZM400 label printer after the update installation under Windows 10 and has a simple solution:

A Zebra ZM400 on Win10 also wouldn't work after the updates.
Solution: unplug the USB and plug it back in – then the drivers got"reinstalled".

This is also the approach I recommend as a first measure to all users who are affected by problems with USB printers. With any luck, a working printer driver will then be updated.

Lexmark printers cause trouble

In this German comment, WilliWurm points out issues with USB printers after installing the July 2022 update on Windows 10.

Anyone else affected by problems with local USB printers after patchday?
The Printernightmare has been tinkered with again… Some colleagues can only print hieroglyphics…

In the following comment Deepy points out that it probably concerns Lexmark printers and gives hints how the problem can be solved (among other things reboot).

HP Laser printer issues

Sebastian got in touch in this comment and reports problems with HP laser printers that use the universal driver. There the status goes to Offline:

We have the problem with HP laser printers.
especially with the universal driver

printer is shown as offline
must then be deleted in the control panel and reinstalled, then it works again.

But this is not the case with all devices.
Both with devices that are plugged via USB or are connected via shares.

And the solution:

Today some colleagues report again.

In the printer properties at "connection" the hook is gone.
Check the box and apply – works again.
In the worst case, switch the printer off and on again.

Of course, this works well when a fleet of several hundred HP laser printers is in use in a company.

USB printer issues

User WilliamBlake experienced that all USB printers were no longer usable under Windows 10 after the July 2022 patchday. He describes the following error pattern including a workaround:

Here, all local USB printers are no longer usable.

The previously used USB ports are no longer visible and the printers can therefore not print anything.

As a workaround we have now started to put the printers on higher USB port numbers (USB 003, ….).
The printers actually come automatically via our software distribution.

In addition the reader means: Now we have to run off 160 PCs.

Kyocera network printer problems

On Facebook a reader reported problems with network printers.

We now also have increased problems with our Kyocera Taskalfas that are connected via network. Whether connected via print server or directly, every time we print on letter paper (assigned via paper type in the driver and control on the MFG itself) the device goes on strike and wants to pull from cassette 1 (letter paper 2 assigned). Completely crazy at the moment and no workaround found yet.

RDP printing issues via terminal server

On Facebook a reader has contacted me who also reports problems with remote printers.

Good evening Günter, have you heard of any problems related to remote desktop and printing? We have problems printing via terminal server since the last MS patches.

After restoring the servers from a backup, the issues are gone – so it was a patch as a root cause.

Tip about Windows 10 printer problems

Blog reader Peter F. emailed me the other day because he had come across the German blog post Windows 10: Druckprobleme nach Juni 2020-Updates,which originated in 2020. He wrote:

Dear Mr. Born,

You had given valuable advice in a post on the topic of "old" printers and Windows 10.

And this still seems not to be settled – on the part of Microsoft.

Since your hints have quite reference character, I would like to contribute an insight.

The topic has also reached me after the Windows 7 to Windows 10 changeover. Since I don't see why I should buy a new printer, I found a solution, which I tried to find on the web.

Peter referred to the German forum post Paralleler Drucker über LPT druckt nach Update 1511 nicht mehr, where someone presented a solution for a workaround for older printers running over the parallel port.

1. Apply all Windows updates, also have Device Manager check for updated drivers (just to be safe).
2. Click on the parallel port in the Device Manager, then open Properties, Port Properties. Here set: "Do not use interrupt if possible" (Instead of "Never use interrupt") and "Enable detection for legacy plug and play".
3. Get DevCon.EXE from Microsoft
4. Write a small script with the following content:@echo off
   devcon disable *PNP0401
   devcon enable *PNP0401
5. Execute this script via the task scheduler. Trigger: System start or logon. User account: SYSTEM.

The script disables and enables the printer and the LPT interface respectively, so that Windows recognizes it again (source is probably this MS Answers forum thread). Peter notes:

And this solution also allows to turn on the printer later and detect it when needed. So not as a necessity presupposes that the printer is turned on before the system startup. The drivers are based on the old PCL-5. The driver package for the HP LJ 6L available via the MS Update Catalog also includes other HP printers. It is only meant up to and including Windows 7, but newer drivers are not available. This is the real problem.

If you consequently continue the solution mentioned under "devcon.exe", you can also address a USB to LPT (IEEE-1284) adapter with it. My solution (command part) is attached. Of course the script can also be executed manually without a task.

Maybe the hint for your blog/thread is still helpful for one or the other.

Peter has attached the following batch program to his mail (many thanks), which I publish here in source code.

@echo off
REM LPT-Port Drucker unter Windows 10 wieder aktivieren - erweitert auf USB-LPT Adapter
REM Quelle: https://www.windows-10-forum.com/threads/paralleler-drucker-ueber-lpt-druckt-nach-update-1511-nicht-mehr.17443/
REM Quelle: https://www.borncity.com/blog/2020/06/11/windows-10-bug-usb-drucker-werden-nicht-erkannt/
REM Quelle: https://www.borncity.com/blog/2020/06/19/windows-10-sonderupdate-soll-druckerprobleme-beheben-ii/
REM Quelle: https://www.borncity.com/blog/2020/06/13/windows-10-druckprobleme-nach-juni-2020-updates/
REM Dieses Skript über die Aufgabenplanung ausführen lassen.
REM Trigger: Systemstart oder Logon. Anm.: alle Minute, falls der Drucker beim Booten nicht eingeschaltet war.
REM Benutzer-Account: SYSTEM.
REM ECP Printer Port (LPT1). Hardware ID: ACPI\PNP0401 *PNP0401
devcon restart *PNP0401
REM Unbekanntes USB-Gerät (Fehler beim Anfordern einer Gerätebeschreibung.) - restart obligatorisch
REM Dieses Gerät wurde angehalten, weil es Fehler gemeldet hat. (Code 43)
devcon restart *DEVICE_DESCRIPTOR_FAILURE
REM Prolific IEEE-1284 Controller Printer = USB-Druckerunterstützung - restart genügt meist allein
REM Das Fehlverhalten von Windows 10 bei alten Druckern liegt in erster Linie bei der Nicht-Erkennung
REM von Statuswechseln dieses Gerätes
devcon restart *USB\Class_07
REM HP LaserJet 6L Kompatible IDs = CID_MS_GENERICPRINT - rein zur Sicherheit
devcon enable *CID_MS_GENERICPRINT
REM Pause

Simply copy and paste the above script source code from the browser into the Windows editor and save it as LPT Reset Devcon Public.cmd. The batch file can then be called manually or by task scheduling. Maybe it helps someone.

Spooler spoolsv.exe does not start

By default the spooler spoolsv.exe is used as service for print jobs in Windows. But this service can't start and displays the error message:

Spooler printer queue spoolsv.exe does not start

1068 the dependency service or dependency group could not be started.

The error has been going around the internet for over a decade (see this MS Answers forum thread including the fix) and is usually caused by old printer drivers that have not been cleanly uninstalled (see also this article). The days I came across this German post at administrator.de, where someone describes the problem and the solution approaches, including intervention in the registry.

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