If you've printed an important document only to find random text and data mixed in with your actual content, your first instinct might be to blame the printer. But if you've already restarted it multiple times, reinstalled and updated its drivers, and tried every fix you could think of, you may have just wasted your time. Microsoft has now acknowledged that this is a Windows bug, and the culprit is a recent Windows 11 preview update.

Microsoft's K5050092 update is to blame

Microsoft released K5050092 over a month ago on January 29, 2025. The tech giant has now acknowledged via the Windows Health Dashboard that after installing this non-security preview update, users might experience issues with USB-connected dual-mode printers. The issue affects both USB Print and IPP Over USB protocols, causing printers to spit out random gibberish.

The printed text often starts with the header "POST /ipp/print HTTP/1.1", followed by more IPP-related technical headers. According to Microsoft, this issue occurs most frequently when the printer is powered on or reconnected to a Windows PC after being disconnected for a while. The bug affects users running the K5050092 preview update or later versions, including Windows 11 version 23H2, version 22H2, and Windows 10 22H2.

For some users, the issue might not be limited to USB printing. One person on Microsoft's help forum reported that their printer started printing gibberish whenever they tried to print wirelessly. After checking with HP, the printer manufacturer, they were told that the problem was with their computer rather than the printer itself. They confirmed this by successfully printing from a different device.

Another forum user suggested trying a USB connection to rule out a Wi-Fi-related issue, but the problem persisted. This suggests that wireless printing could also be affected, even though Microsoft hasn't officially acknowledged it.

A fix is on the way, but you'll have to wait

The worst part isn’t just that the issue exists—it’s that the fix isn't ideal. For now, Microsoft has provided a temporary workaround for IT admins and system administrators, allowing them to use a Known Issue Rollback (KIR) via Group Policy configuration.

This effectively rolls back affected Windows machines to a previous state and disables the problematic change. While advanced users on Windows Pro might be able to fix this using Group Policy, it’s far from an ideal solution for the average user. Microsoft has stated that they are actively working on a final resolution, which will be rolled out in a future Windows update.