Hey Windows folks, heads up about a quirky printer bug some users are seeing lately. Microsoft just acknowledged the issue, so let’s break it down.
You may remember reports of the HP Smart app randomly installing itself on PCs without HP printers. Turns out the bug is broader than that.
Some Windows 11 and 10 devices are renaming networked printers to a specific HP model, and changing the icons too. If you try to access the printer, you get an error about no tasks being available. Weird!
Microsoft says this isn’t caused by an HP update, though. In most cases you can still print as normal, and use copy/scan/fax features.
The renamed printer will use the expected drivers for core functions. But extended capabilities provided by manufacturer apps could be affected, or not work at all.
So in summary – the bug shouldn’t stop basic printing, but could mess with extra features if your printer gets mysteriously renamed. Annoying but not catastrophic.
Microsoft is still investigating the cause. No timeline on a fix yet. But at least they acknowledged the issue openly.
I’ll keep an eye out for further updates. Let me know if your printer is acting up after getting randomly renamed! This is a head-scratcher for sure.
For now, try reinstalling your printer software and drivers if anything seems broken. We’ll have to wait patiently for Microsoft to squash this weird bug. Our printers have never been more confused!
