Windows 11 update is making some printers spit out gibberish

WTF?! If you've updated to a specific Windows 11 preview build, you might want to keep an eye on your printer. Microsoft has acknowledged a strange bug that can cause USB printers to unexpectedly come to life and begin printing random pages of gibberish.

Microsoft's own documentation states that the KB5050092 cumulative update for Windows 11 version 23H2 is causing some printers to "unexpectedly print random text and data, including network commands and unusual characters." The printed gibberish often starts with the header "POST /ipp/print HTTP/1.1," followed by a jumble of nonsense.

Microsoft adds that the issue tends to occur more frequently when a printer is powered on or reconnected after being unplugged.

It almost sounds fun and whimsical, until you realize it's wasting your ink and paper. It's certainly one of the stranger Windows bugs to surface over the years. Haunted printers ...