Microsoft released update KB5034510 on December 15, 2023, to address a bug in Windows 10/11 where all printers were being renamed to HP products. The patch file for fixing the printer renaming issue in 64-bit versions of Windows 11 is named PrintMetadataTroubleshooterX64.exe and has a size of 240 kilobytes.
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After installing KB5034510, the system will be checked for unnecessary information about the HP LaserJet M101-M106 in the printer metadata. The information about the printers will be corrected, and if the user's PC with Windows 10/11 does not have HP printers installed, the HP Smart utility will be removed from the system if it is found.
On December 7, 2023, Microsoft acknowledged that the bug causing the renaming of all printers to HP products in Windows 10/11 was not the fault of HP.
Their investigation has revealed that this issue is not caused by an HP update. In most cases, the renamed printers can still be used as intended, including spooling print jobs and other functions such as copying, scanning, or faxing. These printers utilize up-to-date drivers for their operation. However, this issue may affect the functionality of other printer-related applications that enhance the device's capabilities. In such cases, certain or all advanced options may not be available, Microsoft stated.
Microsoft aims to clarify any misunderstanding among users about HP developers, as the bug in the metadata that renames printers to HP and installs the HP Smart application is not related to HP, according to their latest investigation.
For users with this issue, in the Devices and Printers section of Control Panel, all icons and names of printers or related services have changed to HP LaserJet M101-M106, regardless of the actual brand of printer. This is only a problem of marking and identifying the device in the system, but the operation of the printer itself will remain unchanged. The issue has also impacted Microsoft products and services, including Microsoft Print to PDF and XPS Document Writer. Other printers, including printers and scanners, also began to appear as HP products.
You can learn more about the release patch on this support page.
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