Windows 10: Windows upgrade has messed up my printer

Windows 11 Home version 23H2. After upgrading I get all sorts of printer errors. The spooler service doesn't start - try to restart and it stops. My Printers and Scanners page shows printers I don't have and I cannot click against them to remove or update see image. Messages like Driver unavaible or just refusing to do things is common whne I try and reload drivers. I ran the PrintMetadataTroubleshooter program but it doesnt help - says no meta data. I can print a test page so the printer is OK but windows just won't connect properly.

:)

 

win10 sez no drivers for brither hl5040 printer

To be sure that you followed my suggestion correctly, I will specify some steps: CP>devices and printers>add a printer>the printer that I want isn't listed>add a local printer with manual settings>define port>Windows update and install

 

HP Printer messed up

Hi,



Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.



We appreciate the efforts you have taken in trying to resolve this issue. We understand that after an update you are unable to print from your HP printer. However, it would be great if you can help us with the details mentioned below:

• Do you receive any error message/code when you try to print? If yes, what is the error message?
  
• Were you able to install the drivers successfully?
  
• May I know which update was installed on the computer recently? To check go to
  Start >> Settings >> Update & Security >> Windows Update >> View update history.
  

We would suggest you to check if the Printer is listed in Device Manager. Refer the steps mentioned below:

1. Press Windows key + X, and select
   Device Manager.
   
2. Expand Printers and check if the Printer is listed.
   

We would suggest you to run HP Print and Scan Doctor on your computer and see if that helps. The HP Print and Scan Doctor will automatically detect for the issues and diagnose them. You can download the HP Print and Scan Doctor from the
Utility-Diagnostic Tool section in
HP LaserJet Pro M203dw Printer.



For additional information, see
Fix printer connection and printing problems in Windows 10.



As you have mentioned that you are unable to remove the printer from the computer, we would suggest you to follow the steps mentioned below and remove the traces of the printer from the registry, restart the computer and then try installing the drivers.



Note: Important this section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow
these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs.



Refer the article to
Create a system restore point.



Step 1: Restart Print Spooler service

1. Press Windows key + R, type
   services.msc and click on OK.
   
2. Now, look for Print Spooler service, right click on it and select
   Restart.
   

Step 2: Cancel print jobs

1. Search for Print management (PMC) on the search bar in the
   Taskbar and open it.
   
2. Click on Printers, select all the printers (Press
   Ctrl when selecting), right click and select
   Cancel all jobs to delete the pending print jobs.
   
3. If PMC is not available, open printer’s print queue via
   Settings (Windows key + I, Devices) and
   cancel all pending print jobs.
   

Step 3: Remove all third-party printers

1. Press Windows key + R, type
   control printers and click on OK.
   
2. Now, right click on the third party printers and select
   Remove.
   
3. If this doesn’t work, press Windows key + R, type
   regedit and click on OK.
   
4. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers
   
5. Under Printers, delete all the third party printers except:
   

• Fax
  
• Microsoft Print to PDF
  
• Microsoft XPS Document Writer
  
• OneNote
  
• Send To OneNote2016
  

Step 4: Remove all third-party drivers

1. Press Windows key + I, to open
   Settings.
   
2. Click on Devices, and select
   Printers & scanners on the left pane.
   
3. Now, click on Print server properties and select the
   Drivers tab.
   
4. Remove all the third party drivers. Do not remove any
   Microsoft print driver.
   

Step 5: Uninstall OEM software

1. Press Windows key + R, type
   appwiz.cpl and click on OK.
   
2. Find and uninstall all the printer related
   OEM software.
   
3. Verify the same from registry by navigating to
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Monitor
   
4. Delete all the third party print monitor from the location except:
   

• Local Port
  
• LPR Port
  
• Microsoft Shared Fax Monitor
  
• Standard TCP/IP Port
  
• USB Monitor
  
• WSD Port
  

Step 6: Set Print Spooler service Startup Type to Automatic

1. Press Windows key + R, type
   services.msc and click on OK.
   
2. Look for Print Spooler service and double click on it.
   
3. Set the Startup Type to Automatic from the drop down.
   
4. Restart the computer
   

Step 7: Re-add the printer

1. Press Windows key + I, to open
   Settings.
   
2. Click on Devices, and select
   Printers & scanners on the left pane.
   
3. Select Add Printer or Scanner to re-add the device.
   

Let us know how it goes.



Regards,

Nikhar Khare

Microsoft Community - Moderator

 

Post Windows 10 upgrade- No PDF printer

Hi Anurag,

Thank you for posting the query on Microsoft Community.

Did you install the printer after upgrading to Windows 10?

Refer the link below and check if it helps.

https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/warning-20225-pdf-printer-missing.html

I suggest you to run the Printer Troubleshooter and check if it helps.

• In Search window type Troubleshooting and click on it to open it.
• Click on Hardware and Sound.
• Then click on Printer to run the troubleshooter. Follow onscreen steps.

Hope this helps in resolving the issue. If the issue persists, do get back to us. We will be happy to assist you.