Microsoft releases YET ANOTHER out-of-band update to fix Windows 10 printing problems

The printing problems that were caused by a recent update to Windows 10 have rumbled on, and on, and on... and on.

After the initial issue introduced by the Patch Tuesday updates earlier this month, there were complaints about printing problems from users, an acknowledge from Microsoft, a workaround that didn’t really cut the mustard, a fix that didn't help, and then admissions of further printing problems. Now the company has pushed out yet another out-of-band update which it -- and countless Windows 10 users -- will be hoping gets things sorted once and for all.

See also:

• Microsoft admits Windows 10 updates are causing even more printer problems than first thought
• With KB5000842 Microsoft is finally fixing Explorer crashes and Windows 10 performance issues
• Microsoft issues official fix for blue screens and printing problems in Windows 10

The latest release is actually six patches, each for different versions of Windows 10, and there are more on the way. Describing the main update (KB5001649 for Windows 10 versions 2004 and 20H2), Microsoft says simply:

Updates an issue that fails to print the graphical content in a document after installing the March 9, 2021 update.

However, in a post on the Windows message center entitled "Out-of-band update to address unexpected results when printing from some apps or to some printers", there is a little more detail:

Microsoft identified an issue that affects Windows 10 devices which applied the March 2021 security update released March 9, 2021 and the out-of-band updates released March 15, 2021, and a resolution has been expedited. Affected devices might receive unexpected results when printing from some apps or to some printers. Issues might include missing or solid color graphics, misalignment/formatting issues, or printing of blank pages/labels. An out-of-band optional update is now available on the Microsoft Update Catalog and on Windows Update.

We recommend you only install this update if you are affected by this issue.

The post goes on to list all of the available patches:

• Windows 10, version 20H2 and Windows Server, version 20H2 (KB5001649)
• Windows 10, version 2004 and Windows Server, version 2004 (KB5001649)
• Windows 10, version 1909 and Windows Server, version 1909 (KB5001648)
• Windows 10, version 1809 and Windows Server 2019 (KB5001638)
• Windows 10, version 1803 (KB5001634)
• Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server 2016 (KB5001633)
• Windows 10, version 1507 (KB5001631)

Microsoft concludes by saying: "Note Updates for the remaining affected versions of Windows will be released in the coming days".

Based on experiences thus far with this particular issue -- and with the questionable quality control of Windows updates in recent times -- this may well still not yet be the end of the story.

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