Introduction

In early 2025, Windows 11 users encountered a perplexing and frustrating printer bug tied to the KB5050092 update, primarily affecting USB-connected dual-mode printers. These printers, designed to handle both traditional USB print jobs and Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) communications over USB, began outputting random, unintelligible text including network protocol headers like INLINECODE0 instead of printing the intended documents. This article explores the technical background, impact, and solutions surrounding this notable issue.

Background and Context

Microsoft released the KB5050092 update in late January 2025 as part of Windows 11 version 23H2's preview updates, alongside affecting some Windows 10 22H2 editions. The update inadvertently introduced a communication error within Windows' print spooler. Normally, the spooler translates print jobs into data streams interpretable by printers. However, with this update, protocol messages intended for IPP networking were mistakenly sent as printable content, confusing compatible dual-mode printers.

Dual-mode printers are engineered to toggle between:

  • USB Print—traditional direct USB printing.
  • IPP over USB—a network-style protocol that manages print jobs via IP networks.

The KB5050092 update caused the spooler to mishandle these streams, merging IPP protocol data into the print stream. This resulted in printers outputting diagnostic or network communication data, transforming ordinary printouts into cryptic messages that look like network traffic logs.

Technical Details: How the Bug Manifested

  • Affected Devices: USB-connected dual-mode printers supporting both USB Print and IPP over USB.
  • Symptoms: When powered on or reconnected, such printers started printing pages beginning with IPP commands such as INLINECODE1 followed by various other IPP headers and network protocol data.
  • Cause: The Windows print spooler mistakenly sent IPP commands as part of the printable content rather than treating them as background protocol communications.
  • Trigger Points: Power cycles or reconnection events intensified the issue, as the spooler reinitialized communication streams.

This bug illustrated a rare protocol leak where network debugging-like information appeared on printed paper, disrupting both home and enterprise printing workflows.

Implications and Impact

User Experience:
  • Home users faced daily disruptions printing documents, often wasted paper and ink.
  • Printers producing gibberish caused confusion and interrupted normal tasks.
Enterprise Environment:
  • Organizations with large printer fleets encountered workflow bottlenecks.
  • IT administrators had to field increased support tickets and implement temporary mitigation strategies.
  • Environments relying on Citrix and other remote desktop solutions experienced compounded challenges.
Security Considerations:
  • Random printed IPP headers could inadvertently reveal network protocol data.
  • Disrupted printing raised concerns around reliability and risk management.

Microsoft’s Response and Fixes

Known Issue Rollback (KIR):

Microsoft promptly introduced a mitigation via the Known Issue Rollback mechanism. This feature allows administrators to rollback the problematic update segment remotely or through group policy configuration, thereby restoring normal printer communication without entirely uninstalling the update.

Patch Update KB5053657:

Released March 25, 2025, KB5053657 addresses the root cause by correcting the print spooler's treatment of IPP messages for dual-mode printers. After applying this update, users reported printers returning to normal, faithfully rendering documents without extraneous protocol data.

Enterprise Guidance:
  • IT administrators are advised to deploy KB5053657 to affected endpoints.
  • Until then, configuring group policies for KIR remains a critical stopgap.

Broader Lessons and Outlook

The KB5050092 printer bug underscores several broader themes:

  • Complexity of Peripheral Support: Operating systems must continually balance legacy hardware support with evolving protocol standards.
  • Risks in Preview and Cumulative Updates: Even routine updates can introduce complex interactions that disrupt critical functionality.
  • Importance of Prompt Mitigation: Microsoft's swift introduction of a rollback mechanism reflects a mature approach to managing update failures.
  • Role of Community and IT Feedback: Early detection and collaborative troubleshooting via online forums and enterprise feedback accelerated remediation efforts.

Going forward, users and IT teams should monitor Windows Update advisories closely, maintain backup policies, and apply patches like KB5053657 as soon as practical to prevent printing disruptions.

Summary

The Windows 11 KB5050092 update inadvertently caused USB-connected dual-mode printers to print garbled IPP protocol messages rather than documents, a surprising glitch that wasted resources and interrupted workflows. Microsoft responded by enabling Known Issue Rollback and subsequently releasing update KB5053657, which fixed the spooler’s communication handling, restoring printing stability across affected devices. This incident highlights the ongoing challenge of integrating new software updates with diverse hardware ecosystems.