Windows 10 1903 now missing printers

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After the latest Windows 10 updates, on several of our machines, the local printers are not showing in the printers section. But if you go into Word or any other program, they show as an available printer.

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Printers section of where? the Settings app? or the “classic” Devices and Printers section of the older/classic Control Panel?

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I have the same problem: in both the Settings app and the Control panel, my locally attached (via USB port) Epson 325 printer is missing. In the section Devices and Printers of Control Panel it is missing in the Printers category, but does appear in the Unspecified category. Many printer tasks (such as nozzle check) are not available from that entry, however.
This behavior started after update KB4515384 which brought the version to 1903 (OS Build 18362.356).

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Have you tried reinstalling the printer s/w from the printer manufacturer?

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cmptrgy

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I had a similar problem after installing 1903 October updates. I could print from Win7 machine and android phone, but not from Win10 (Pro) despite seeing printer (Canon Pixma) in devices. Can’t remember the exact error message but something like ‘printer not on line’.

To echo @PKCano suggestion, I solved it by downloading and installing Canon device software instead of relying on plug’n’play which was how it was set up initially.

Win10 22H2 Pro, MBAM Premium, Firefox, OpenOffice, Sumatra PDF.

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[cmptrgy]

I ran into a problem with my printer at home last month Oct 2019 in which all of a sudden it wouldn’t print my documents in color but the printer itself would print it’s Quality Diagnostic Page in color. That indicated to me that the printer itself is ok but I decided to see if I could find an issue in the printers configuration.

I went to Devices and Printers and my printer wasn’t checked in as my default printer that I expected to see. I checked it in to be my default printer and got a pop-up message that read “Setting this printer as default means Windows will stop managing your default printer” I didn’t realize that Windows was managing my default printer or which one of the entries in Devices and Printers were considered my default printer. I don’t have another printer other than the one I’m using. The other items in Devices and Printers are Fax, Microsoft Print to PDF, Microsoft XPS Document Writer, OneNote & Send to OneNote 2016.
— I checked in my printer to be my default printer but that didn’t help.

I did what PKCano mentioned in post #2001545 and it worked for me and I’m back up and running.
— But that means I’m settling for Windows managing my default printer but it is what it is.
— I don’t recall which post its on but I remember that Windows Updates are controlling some driver updates starting in either 1809 or 1903 and I am on 1903.

I know the situation in this thread is different than my situation but I believe “reinstalling the printer s/w from the printer manufacturer?” is the way to go especially since I don’t understand how deep Windows Updates are controlling driver updates reach.

HP EliteBook 8540w laptop Windows 10 Pro (x64)

• This reply was modified 5 years, 7 months ago by cmptrgy.

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There is a setting in the Settings app that allows you to uncheck Windows managing your printers. Settings\Devices\Printers and Scanners

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cmptrgy

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[TonyS]

“There is a setting in the Settings app that allows you to uncheck Windows managing your printers. Settings\Devices\Printers and Scanners”

I’ll second that!

Win10 22H2 Pro, MBAM Premium, Firefox, OpenOffice, Sumatra PDF.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 7 months ago by TonyS.

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PKCano wrote:

There is a setting in the Settings app that allows you to uncheck Windows managing your printers. Settings\Devices\Printers and Scanners

I want to thank you again. I don’t understand how an average user is supposed to know that. In addition Microsoft isn’t held accountable for something they take over w/o our knowledge. I’ve looked up 1809 & 1903 changes & improvements. Maybe I missed it but I didn’t see anything related to printer management or Windows Updates controlling driver updates either.
But at least these AskWoody forums are very valuable. Have a good day.

HP EliteBook 8540w laptop Windows 10 Pro (x64)

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It slipped into version 1511; and it’s a terrible default:

b wrote:

I believe it’s a common problem since the crazy “default printer = last one used” setting was introduced four years ago. It’s only ever useful for road warriors, so why make it the default?

Managing your default printer: We are introducing a new mode that makes your default printer the last printer you used. This change helps ensure the best printer is preselected in inbox print dialogs. You can manage this behavior in Settings > Devices > Printer & Scanners to change this to the previous way Windows handled default printers. The ability to set a default printer by network location has been removed.

Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 10565 (OCTOBER 12, 2015)

Several people at BleepingComputer.com used a VBS script called by a scheduled task to check and if necessary reset the default printer every minute, and it seems to have worked well for a bunch of them; the script is in post #22: Default printer keeps changing
(Ugly but practical?)

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cmptrgy

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PKCano wrote:

There is a setting in the Settings app that allows you to uncheck Windows managing your printers. Settings\Devices\Printers and Scanners

I turn this stupid default *off* as part of my Win 10 configuration script (using AutoHotkey):

; Let Windows manage my default printer (1=Turn OFF / 0=Turn ON)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows, LegacyDefaultPrinterMode, 1

The equivalent REG file is:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Devices - Printers & scanners - Let Windows manage my default printer - Turn OFF

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows]
"LegacyDefaultPrinterMode"=dword:00000001

To revert to the default setting, use the following:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Devices - Printers & scanners - Let Windows manage my default printer - Turn ON (default)

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows]
"LegacyDefaultPrinterMode"=dword:00000000

Hope this helps…

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wavy, cmptrgy

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cmptrgy wrote:

The other items in Devices and Printers are Fax, Microsoft Print to PDF, Microsoft XPS Document Writer, OneNote & Send to OneNote 2016.

Two things to bear in mind:

1) When was the last time you saw a document in XPS format? MS’ attempt to usurp Adobe’s PDF as a portable print format failed dismally and not even MS now use XPS as a document format. You may wish to consider removing this.

2) MS’ implementation of ‘Print to PDF’ is inefficient. It’s a bit old now but here’s a comparison I made some time ago:

It shows a document sent to various pseudo printers to create a PDF file. Notice the much larger file size of the MS-created PDF. (Not as bloated as CutePDF, admittedly.)

You may wish to consider removing this as well and use an alternative pseudo-printer to create PDFs.

Hope this helps…

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wavy, cmptrgy

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[cmptrgy]

Thanks Rick, I will remove Microsoft Print to PDF, Microsoft XPS Document Writer. I’ve never used them or even know how they work.

HP EliteBook 8540w laptop Windows 10 Pro (x64)

• This reply was modified 5 years, 7 months ago by cmptrgy.

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I doubt that you’ll notice but your boot time should be microscopically faster with fewer ‘print to’ protocols needing to be loaded. IMO, minimal is good, default is usually bloated.

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Rick Corbett wrote:

I doubt that you’ll notice but your boot time should be microscopically faster with fewer ‘print to’ protocols needing to be loaded. IMO, minimal is good, default is usually bloated.

Actually I’m under that impression but I don’t know if I was “guessing” that. I have a habit of restarting my laptop after making changes and watch for the response while booting back up. Even though I have a HDD my boot time is only about 10 seconds. Even though I do a manual count it appeared to me to be a “quick” 10 seconds. I’ll never know technically but that’s the way I perceived it to be.

HP EliteBook 8540w laptop Windows 10 Pro (x64)

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A friend has an odd Brother J220 printer/scanner issue. Win 10/1903. The scanner functions, but the printer stopped after an update for Edge browser a day or so ago. I did use the Bro. uninstall tool, but didn’t go into the XPS driver to remove printer history there because for some reason, the MS xps/others aren’t in the devices & printers, it’s empty? I have no idea why they’re not showing?

Additionally, I ran DISM/restore health + sfc + chkdsk and everything was either okay or repaired successfully. I tried uninstalling all USB ports in dev man and restarting, tried plugging to different USB ports, downloaded & installed new software, checked cable…basically everything I could think. If it weren’t new inks, I’d toss it. Now what?

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