Before you begin
- The approximate time the issue began and the update or package changed near that time.
- The printer's exact model and connection type.
- Administrator permission if you need to adjust a driver or remove a printer queue.
Important Cautions
- Do not stack multiple driver, application, and firmware changes while investigating one regression.
- Driver rollback affects a PC driver; it is not a firmware recovery tool and may not be available.
- Avoid removing a network queue until you record its address, share, or deployment details.
Freeze the situation long enough to observe it
A failure after an update is a useful timing clue, not proof that the update caused it. Before installing another package, record the error message, queue state, driver or package version if visible, and whether the printer itself is ready. A brief power or network interruption can happen at the same time as a software update.
Send one small, simple document from a second application if possible. Then check whether the printer can make its own configuration or test page. A failure limited to one application points in a different direction from a job that reaches the queue but never reaches the device. A failed device-side test indicates that Windows changes may not solve the problem.
Work from queue and connection to driver recovery
Microsoft’s printer troubleshooting guidance starts with basic checks and includes removing and reinstalling the printer. First make sure the intended queue is selected and no old jobs are blocking it. For a network printer, confirm its local connection and that the PC can still reach the intended device. For USB, reconnect only after checking the cable and port. These steps avoid treating a changed connection as a driver regression.
If the evidence remains tied to a recent device-driver change, Microsoft documents driver rollback through Device Manager when an earlier driver is retained. This may require an administrator account. Identify the relevant device carefully; do not roll back unrelated system devices. If rollback is unavailable, use the model-matched official support package or remove and add the Windows printer queue as appropriate.
- Capture the error, current queue name, and the approximate update date before changing settings.
- Try one short test document and check whether the printer can produce its own report.
- Clear or cancel clearly stuck jobs and verify the selected queue and connection.
- If the fault began after a confirmed driver change, check the relevant Device Manager entry for a documented rollback option.
- If rollback is not suitable, remove and add the printer through Windows Settings, then test before installing further software.
Use the right recovery path when the result is not restored
Expected result: a simple job leaves the correct queue and prints, or the comparison identifies a narrower problem such as a single application or a lost network connection. Restore normal documents only after the basic test works. Keep the note of what changed; it is useful if the problem returns.
If the printer was updated at the firmware level, do not try to undo it with a Windows driver. Follow the manufacturer’s model-specific support guidance. If the device will not start normally, displays a continuing hardware error, or cannot make its own report, contact the printer maker or a qualified service channel. If a work printer is centrally managed, provide the captured error and timing to its administrator rather than repeatedly changing the deployed queue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I roll back printer firmware from Windows?
Not through the normal Windows driver rollback process. Firmware recovery and downgrade availability are manufacturer- and model-specific.
The update finished successfully; why does printing still fail?
Completion means the software operation ended, not that the selected queue, connection, document, and printer state are all correct. Use the simple-job and device-report checks to narrow the next step.