Word to the wise: it may be prudent to hold off on the Windows 11 23H2 update KB5050092 for the time being. This particular update has been reported to cause USB printers to unexpectedly churn out pages filled with what can only be described as random gibberish—or, as Microsoft prefers to call it, “unusual characters.” For those who might find the idea of a printer spontaneously coming to life at 3 AM amusing, this update could be worth pursuing.
Understanding the Issue
This peculiar phenomenon appears to stem from an isolated observation shared by a user on Reddit. However, Microsoft has acknowledged the issue on its official “Learn” website, which tracks known problems with Windows. The company notes that users may encounter erratic printing behavior with USB-connected dual-mode printers that utilize both USB Print and IPP Over USB protocols following the installation of the KB5050092 update.
According to Microsoft, “you might observe that the printer unexpectedly prints random text and data, including network commands and unusual characters.” The root of the issue seems to lie in the interaction between the printer driver installed on the Windows device and the print spooler, which sends IPP protocol messages to the printer, resulting in this unexpected output.
Identifying and Resolving the Problem
To determine if your printer is affected, look for pages that begin with the header, “POST /ipp/print HTTP/1.1.” If you find this, you are indeed experiencing the issue. Fortunately, Microsoft has provided a solution in the form of a Known Issue Rollback (KIR), allowing users to revert to a previous state before the problematic update was applied. Links to the necessary tools for this process can be found on Microsoft’s Learn page.
A quick search online reveals that this is not an isolated incident; many Windows users have reported similar printing issues over the years, often featuring the same “POST /ipp/print HTTP/1.1” header text long before the introduction of KB5050092.
While it seems unlikely that this will be the last we hear of Windows having unexpected conversations with USB printers, those affected can now approach the situation with a clearer understanding of how to resolve it. Rest assured, you need not worry about finding yourself in the opening scene of a low-budget sci-fi horror flick—at least not this time around.
