Microsoft releases Printer Metadata Troubleshooter Tool (KB5034510) to fix HP printer weirdness
Last month, users of Windows 10 and Windows 11 started complaining about an odd problem that saw printers being renamed and the HP Smart app being forcibly installed. It took Microsoft a little while to acknowledge the issue, but ultimately the company conceded that the fault did not lie with HP.
But what those affected by the weird bug have been waiting for is a fix; this is now available in the form of KB5034510: Microsoft Printer Metadata Troubleshooter Tool - December 2023. Microsoft says that the tool will restore any previously downloaded model information and icons and will "remove HP LaserJet M101-M106 model information, icons, and application associations" as well as uninstalling the HP Smart app for anyone without an HP printer.
Microsoft finally confirms Windows bug that renames printers and forcibly installs the HP Smart app
If you have noticed that Windows suddenly thinks you have an HP LaserJet M101-M106, you are not alone. The same is true if you've spotted that the HP Smart app has installed itself on your computer.
These are issues that have been affecting users of Windows 10 and Windows 11 for a little while, but Microsoft has only just acknowledged that a problem exists.