Windows 10: Getting a printing error? Here’s how to fix it

Some Windows 10 users have been experiencing a pesky error when trying to print items from certain apps. Microsoft has now released a workaround as it works on a resolution, which should be ready in the next week, the company wrote on a support page. 

After installing the latest update, KB5000802, you might see an APC_INDEX_MISMATCH error with a blue screen when you try to print to certain printers from certain apps. The problem affects a subset of Type 3 printer drivers. To find out if your printer is impacted, follow these steps, according to Microsoft. You can also check out CNET’s collection of tips for troubleshooting common Windows 10 problems. 

1. Press the Windows key+r or select Start and type run and select it.

2. Type printmanagement.msc and press enter or select the OK button.

3. If Print Management opens, continue to step 4. If you receive the error, Windows can not find ‘printmanagement.msc’. then select Start and type manage optional features and select it. Select Add a Feature and type print, select the check box next to Print Management Console and select install. You will now need to start at step 1 again.

4. Expand Print Servers, expand your computer’s name, and select Printers.

5. You can now see the Driver Type for each of your installed printer drivers.

Read more: How to download Windows 10 for free

If you are getting this error, here’s how to fix it for now:

1. Go to Start > Settings, and search for Printers & scanners. 

2. Check that you have the driver that has the issue installed (for example, KX driver for Universal printing). 

3. Go to Start, and search for Command Prompt. Select Run as administrator. 

4. To check driver setting availability, next to Windowssystem>, write the run DLL command: rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /Xg /n “KX driver for Universal printing” (you’ll need to replace KX driver for Universal printing with your driver name). Press enter. This will open the printer user interface dialog box. 

5. Check the Attributes field. If it does not say Direct, you’ll have to fix it by closing out of the dialogue box, and running another command. Next to Windowssystem>, type rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /Xs /n “KX driver for Universal printing” attributes +direct (again, you’ll need to replace that with the name of your driver). Press enter. 

6. Run the first command again by hitting the up arrow, and pressing enter. In the dialog box that pops up, you should see Direct under Attributes. 

This should mitigate the issue for 32 bit apps on a 64 bit OS. If you have a different setup, you’ll have to follow different instructions, which you can find (along with those above) in a video walkthrough from Microsoft. 

For more, check out all the new features coming in the Windows 10 spring 2021 update, and tips to help you become a Windows pro.