Windows 10 and Windows 11 are no strangers to printer issues over the past year, but the latest Windows 10 update breaks just as much as it fixes. While the KB5014666 update addresses bugs with wireless hotspots, the Snip & Sketch app, and laptop touchpads, Microsoft admits that “printing to USB-connected printers might fail”. Fortunately, the company also details some workarounds you can try if you run into printing woes.
Microsoft released the KB5014666 update on June 28, and has admitted that it didn’t quite have the desired effect after a month of receiving reports. Microsoft says symptoms may include:
- Windows might show duplicate copies of printers installed on a device, commonly with a similar name and the suffix ‘Copy1’.
- Applications that refer to the printer by a specific name cannot print.
This means printers that connect wirelessly might not suffer the same fate, but rocking the tried and tested cable to your gaming PC could see you interrupted by one of the above issues, stopping you from printing at all.
Windows 10 printer bug workaround
If you encounter these issues, Microsoft asks that you detail your experience in the Feedback Hub – you can find out how to access the Feedback Hub here. After this, you can try these fixes to get your printer working:
Manual fix
- Go into your settings
- Head to ‘Bluetooth & devices’
- Select ‘Printers & scanners’
- If you see a duplicate printer with the suffix ‘Copy1’, confirm this printer works
- If you need to use the original printer instead of the duplicate, right-click the duplicate, click ‘Printer properties’, and select ‘Ports’ to see the port in use
- Go to the original printer, right-click, select ‘Printer properties’, and change the port to the same as that on the duplicate
If the original printer now works, you can remove the duplicate
Further fixes
- Install the latest driver for your printer
- If you are already running the latest driver, check for firmware updates directly from the printer manufacturer’s website
- You can try uninstalling and reinstalling your printer if these methods don’t work:
- Turn off your printer
- Disconnect all cables
- Go into your settings
- Head to ‘Bluetooth & devices’
- Select ‘Printers & scanners’
- Click on the affected printer and remove it
- Restart your printer, then reconnect it to your PC
Hopefully Microsoft has these issues in hand with the next update so you won’t need to jump through so many hoops in order to print a document.