Microsoft has finally provided a fix for the HP LaserJet printer driver problems currently frustrating Windows users. It comes in the form of a troubleshooting utility that will stop the HP Smart app from forcefully installing itself on Windows devices, and also restore the original name of printers connected to Windows PCs that might have been changed to HP LaserJet M101-M106 for no reason.
The troubleshooter can be downloaded from the Microsoft website. The tool will reportedly restore any previously downloaded model information and icons, and remove the HP LaserJet M101-M106 model name from printers that aren't, in fact, that model. The troubleshooter will also uninstall the HP Smart application if the following conditions are met: incorrect metadata was found, no HP printers or HP printer drivers are installed, and the application was installed after November 25th.
It's great that Microsoft has finally provided some sort of countermeasure to these issues breaking printers on Windows devices. But it's unfortunate that it comes weeks later, in the form of a troubleshooter that will need to be manually installed and run. It would be preferable if these issues could have been resolved automatically with another Windows update, but Microsoft's current fix is better than nothing.
Problems surrounding these two HP printer issues seemingly began late last month when users noticed the latest Windows driver update (at the time) began rewriting the model name of whatever printer that was connected to the user's system to the name LaserJet M101-M106 — except for HP printers. On top of this, the existence of an HP printer on the PC also triggered HP's Smart application to automatically install, leading to additional "bloatware" installed on the user's machine. Thankfully for some users, the issue did not prevent affected printers from functioning, but for some it did.
If you are a victim of this latest printer nightmare, Microsoft's new troubleshooter is probably your best shot at getting these printer problems fixed until Microsoft (hopefully) implements a fully automated fix in the future.
