Printer offline in Windows after KB5041585 update

Quick answer: Uninstall KB5041585 via Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View update history > Uninstall updates, then restart. Pause updates for 7 days to block reinstall.

What's actually happening here is that the September 2024 cumulative update KB5041585 (and its follow-up KB5043137) introduced a change in how Windows 10 and 11 handle network printer connections. The update modifies the Win32_Printer WMI class behavior, specifically how printer drivers get loaded over SMB connections. The result: the print spooler can't maintain the connection, and the printer shows offline with error code 0x00000709 in Device Manager. Microsoft's known issue also confirms this affects IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) connections, not just standard TCP/IP ports. The update doesn't break all printers – it targets those using shared network printers from another Windows machine, not direct IP printers.

A real-world trigger: you have a Brother HL-L2350DW shared from a Windows 10 desktop. After installing KB5041585, that desktop's printer shows offline. The print spooler service (spoolsv.exe) may crash when you try to reconnect. The fix is straightforward, but you'll see tons of posts telling you to reinstall drivers, clear the spooler manually, or run the printer troubleshooter. Skip those – they don't address the root cause.

Fix: Uninstall KB5041585

1. Open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update (or Windows 11: Settings > Windows Update).
2. Click View update history > Uninstall updates.
3. Find KB5041585 in the list (it's dated September 10, 2024). Select it and click Uninstall.
4. Restart your PC. The printer should come back immediately.

Alternative fix: Use a direct IP port instead

If rolling back isn't possible (locked down by IT, or you already installed KB5043137 and it still breaks things), change the printer port from a shared network printer to a direct TCP/IP port. This works because the bug only affects SMB file-and-print sharing, not raw TCP/IP connections. Steps:

1. Open Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
2. Right-click your printer, select Printer properties.
3. Go to the Ports tab, click Add Port, select Standard TCP/IP Port, click New Port.
4. Enter the printer's IP address (find it from the printer's network settings menu or your router's DHCP list).
5. Finish the wizard, then set the new port as the active one.

Prevention tip

After rolling back, pause Windows updates for at least 7 days. Microsoft confirmed they're working on a fix (status as of October 2024). Go to Settings > Windows Update > Pause updates for 7 days. Resume only after Microsoft releases a patched update. If you're on a managed network, ask your IT team to block KB5041585 and KB5043137 in WSUS or Intune until the permanent fix ships.

Why other fixes fail

You'll see advice to run net stop spooler and delete files in C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS. That clears stuck print jobs, but it won't fix the underlying WMI/SMB issue. Similarly, reinstalling the printer driver doesn't help because the driver itself isn't broken – Windows' protocol handler is. The only reliable workarounds are rolling back the update or switching to a direct IP port.

If the printer still shows offline after rollback

Rare, but if the printer remains offline after uninstalling KB5041585, check if you have KB5043137 (released September 26, 2024) installed. That update was supposed to fix the issue but introduced its own printer bugs. Uninstall it the same way. Also verify the print spooler service is running: open services.msc, find Print Spooler, right-click and Restart if it's not running.