On Tuesday, Microsoft took a significant step in addressing a peculiar issue that has been troubling users of Windows 11. The release of the KB5053657 update specifically targets an anomaly where certain USB printers connected to Windows 11 systems were erroneously printing random text. This patch is applicable only to the Windows 11 23H2 and 22H2 versions, leaving users of the Windows 11 24H2 version without an equivalent update for the time being.
This optional preview update is part of Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to enhance user experience and is slated for broader distribution during the upcoming Patch Tuesday in April. For those eager to resolve the printing issue sooner, the update can be manually installed via Windows Update or downloaded directly from Microsoft’s Update Catalog.
The USB printer malfunction traces back to a problematic update released in January 2025, which led to printers producing nonsensical outputs. The specific patches that contributed to this issue include:
- Windows 11 24H2: KB5050009, KB5050094, KB5051987, KB5052093, KB5053598.
- Windows 11 23H2: KB5050092, KB5051989, KB5052094, KB5053602.
In the update notes, Microsoft clarified the nature of the fix: “Fixed: USB connected dual-mode printers that support both US Print (sic) and IPP Over USB protocols, might unexpectedly output incorrect or unwanted text.”
RDP issues reverted in Windows 11 24H2
In a related development, Microsoft has acknowledged complications arising from the January update for Windows 11 24H2, which has led to corruption in Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections. The company detailed the issue as follows:
“After installing the January 2025 Windows preview update (KB5050094) and later updates, users might experience unexpected disconnections with Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) sessions, including Remote Desktop Services (RDS). We’ve observed a significant increase in reports of this issue following the release of the March 2025 Windows security update (KB5053598).
Users might notice their RDP sessions unexpectedly disconnecting after 65 seconds when establishing UDP-based connections from Windows 11, version 24H2 devices to RDS deployments running versions Windows Server 2016 or earlier. Resulting from this issue, users might experience frequent disconnections from their Remote Desktop and RDS sessions.”
While Microsoft’s initial attempts to rectify the situation fell short, they have now introduced a Known Issue Rollback. This means that affected devices will automatically receive a rollback update, reverting the problematic changes. Users will need to restart their PCs to apply this rollback when it becomes available.
Looking ahead, Microsoft is actively working on a permanent solution, which is expected to be included in a future update for Windows 11 24H2.
