
Brother Faces Allegations of Firmware Manipulation Amid Printing Issues
Recent allegations have emerged surrounding Brother printers, claiming the company has engaged in firmware manipulation tactics to obstruct the use of third-party ink cartridges. This controversy has gained attention as users reported challenges when trying to refill their printers with compatible ink.
Issues Arising from Microsoft’s January Update
Compounding these concerns, many users found themselves facing additional problems following Microsoft’s January non-security preview update. This update has notably affected printers that utilize dual-mode printing, specifically models that support both USB printing and IPP Over USB. Users of Windows 11 versions 23H2 and 22H2 reported that their printers began producing garbled output, rendering their devices unusable.
Overview of the Printing Issue
Microsoft has proactively addressed this dilemma, detailing the issue in an official communication:
After installing the January 2025 Windows preview update (KB5050092), released January 29, 2025, or subsequent updates, you might observe issues with USB connected dual-mode printers that support both USB Print and IPP Over USB protocols. You might observe that the printer unexpectedly prints random text and data, including network commands and unusual characters.
As a result, the printed text often begins with the header “POST /ipp/print HTTP/1.1”, followed by additional IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) related headers. This issue appears more frequently when the printer is powered on or reconnected after being disconnected.
This anomaly occurs when the printer driver is installed on the Windows device, leading the print spooler to send IPP protocol messages to the printer, which in turn generates unexpected text outputs.
Temporary Solution for IT Administrators
In response to the widespread problem, Microsoft has provided a temporary solution for IT and system administrators. By implementing a known issue rollback (KIR) via a Group Policy configuration, administrators can circumvent this non-security bug. Microsoft elaborates on the process:
IT administrators can resolve this issue by installing and configuring the special Group Policy listed below. The special Group Policy can be found in Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Group Policy name listed below>.
Group Policy downloads with Group Policy name:
- Download for Windows 11, version 23H2 and 22H2 – Windows 11 22H2 KB5050092 250131_150523 Known Issue Rollback
- Download for Windows 10, version 22H2 – Windows 10 22H2, 21H1, 21H2 and 22H2 KB5050081 250131_082569 Known Issue Rollback
Important: To resolve this issue, you must install and configure the Group Policy corresponding to your version of Windows. Additionally, restarting your device(s) will be necessary to apply the group policy settings. Please note that this Group Policy will temporarily disable the changes responsible for the printing issue.
Looking Ahead
Microsoft has indicated that a definitive solution is being developed and will be made available in a future Windows update. For ongoing updates and information related to this issue, users can refer to the Windows health dashboard.
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