Microsoft releases HP Smart App to troubleshoot printer issues on Windows

Some Windows 10 and 11 users started noticing HP’s Smart App automatically installing on their devices by the end of November 2023. This can occur even if you are not using an HP printer or other HP device.

A few days later, Microsoft confirmed the issue. The company admitted that the issue was related to misidentification of the printer. In particular, printers (including virtual printers) were incorrectly identified as HP LaserJet M101-M106 models.

This causes the operating system to initiate the installation of the HP Smart App on the affected device. According to Microsoft, printing should not be affected by the issue.

Microsoft’s Solution: KB5034510

Microsoft today released the solution to this issue, KB5034510: Microsoft Printer Metadata Troubleshooting Tool – December 2023.

Troubleshooting tools are designed to fix problems on affected systems. Microsoft explains that the tool will look at printer information on the system it is running on. If the printer model has recently changed, it will restore the printer's original model information and icon and delete any data associated with the HP LaserJet M101-M106 printer on the device. Microsoft notes that it will do this for any printer that does not match the make and model of an HP printer.

If "No HP printer or HP printer driver is installed" and the app was installed after November 25, 2023, the troubleshooter will further uninstall the HP Smart app.

Affected users and administrators can download the Microsoft Printer Metadata Troubleshooting Tool starting in December 2023 from Microsoft's Download Center. The program is 188 KB in size and includes executable files for all supported architectures . Most users will need PrintMetadataTroubleshooterX64.exe, but there are also 32-bit versions and ARM processor versions.

Here's a step-by-step guide to using the tool:

1. Download the correct version from the Microsoft Download Center.
2. Open Start, type cmd.exe, then select Run as administrator after making sure Command Prompt is the highlighted result.
3. Switch to the downloaded tool using the CD command, for example cd /d C:\Users\Martin\Downloads
4. Type the name of the tool, for example PrintMetadataTroubleshooterX64.exe, and press Enter.
   1. Tip: Type print and press Tab for autocomplete. If there are multiple files in the directory that begin with print, you may need to press the Tab key multiple times.

The tool automatically fixes the problem and returns the status. It is also possible to run it by right-clicking it in File Explorer and selecting "Run as Administrator", but this does not ultimately return a status report. You can verify the change by checking your installed printers or searching for the HP Smart app.

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