Windows 10 still has its share of bugs and glitches with each new update, with the latest update released on June 28, 2022 breaking USB printer functionality.
According to Microsoft (opens in new tab)There are two main symptoms of this Windows 10 bug: “Windows may show duplicate copies of printers installed on a device, usually with a similar name and suffix ‘Copy1’” and “Applications that refer to the printer by a specific name cannot print.”
The issue is being worked on for a future update, so for now, the company has provided users with several workarounds so far, as well as a way to report the issue to Microsoft to help expedite a fix for the issue. If you are one of the many Windows 10 renegades and your printer has suddenly stopped working after an update, you can submit your issue to the company by doing the following:
- Launch Feedback Hub by opening the Start menu and typing “Feedback Hub” or pressing Windows key + F
- Fill in the “Summarize your feedback” and “Please explain in more detail” boxes and click Next.
- In the “Choose a Category” section, make sure the “Issue” button, the “Devices and Drivers” category, and the “Print” subcategory are all selected. Click Next.
- In the “Find similar comments” section, select the “Create new bug” radio button and click Next.
- In the “Add more details” section, provide any relevant details (please note that this is not essential to resolve your issue).
- Expand the “Recreate my issue” box and press “Start recording”. Reproduce the issue on your device.
- Press “Stop Recording” when done. Click the “Send” button.
There are also these workarounds that could help solve the problem:
- Open the Settings app, navigate to “Bluetooth & Devices” and select “Printers & Scanners”
- If there appears to be a duplicate installation of an existing printer, such as suffixed “Copy1”, confirm that printing works for this printer. This printer should work as expected.
- If there is a need to use the original printer installation and not the duplicate one, right-click the duplicate printer, select “Printer Properties” and select the “Ports” tab. Note the port in use.
- Open “Printer Properties” on the original printer and select the “Ports” tab. From the displayed list, select the port option in use by the duplicate printer. If this original printer works normally, the duplicate printer can be removed.
And if the above doesn’t work, the following steps can be followed:
- Update your device’s printer driver. For guidance, see Install the latest driver for your printer.
- If you already have the latest driver, check the printer manufacturer’s website for device firmware updates
- If you’re still having problems, uninstalling and reinstalling the printer may help.
- Turn off the printer and disconnect all cables
- Open the Settings app, navigate to “Bluetooth & Devices” and select “Printers & Scanners”
- Select the affected printer and select the “Remove Device” option
- Restart your device
- Turn on your printer and reconnect it to your device
Analysis: Windows 11 is not the only operating system with issues
While this latest issue is annoying, it’s not Windows 10’s first dodge of update bugs that break basic features. In May, Microsoft had to release a patch to fix a bug that was caused by a previous patch fixing an entirely different problem. A sort of patch start, it seems.
There was also an update released in May that fixed a Bluetooth bug causing the dreaded Blue Screen of Death on some PCs. And there were also a number of ransomware attacks disguised as Windows 10 updates, which spread Magniber ransomware voltage. And those are just the latest questions.
Despite Windows 11 issues get a lot of press, Windows 10 issues have a long history full of bugs, weaknesses, and feature-breaking updates. So, before you berate Microsoft’s latest OS, remember that your problems are a legacy problem.
