How do I know if I have network printers disappear after restart or update issues?

Common symptoms of network printers disappear after restart or update include: Network printer removed from Printers list after every restart, Printer re-added manually but gone again after next reboot, All network printers disappeared after a Windows Update, Printer shows as "Driver unavailable" after reboot, "Windows cannot connect to the printer" error when re-adding, Printers persist for current user but disappear for other users, Print server printers keep losing their connection.

Fix Network Printers Disappear After Restart or Update

Symptoms

You might be experiencing this problem if you notice:

•Network printer removed from Printers list after every restart
•Printer re-added manually but gone again after next reboot
•All network printers disappeared after a Windows Update
•Printer shows as "Driver unavailable" after reboot
•"Windows cannot connect to the printer" error when re-adding
•Printers persist for current user but disappear for other users
•Print server printers keep losing their connection

Common Causes

⚠Windows Update replaced the printer driver with an incompatible version
⚠Print Spooler service not properly saving printer connections
⚠User profile corruption preventing printer settings from persisting
⚠Group Policy or login script adding then removing printers
⚠KB5006670 or similar security update breaking print server connections
⚠Type 3 printer driver blocked by Windows security update
⚠Registry printer entries corrupted or not saved correctly

Solutions

Solution 1: Re-add Printer and Set as Default

1Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → Add device
2If the printer doesn't appear: click "Add manually"
3For network printers: enter the path (\\server\printername)
4For IP printers: "Add a printer using a TCP/IP address" → enter IP
5After adding: right-click the printer → Set as default
6Print a test page to verify
7If it disappears after reboot: continue with fixes below

Solution 2: Fix Print Spooler Service

1Open CMD as Administrator:
2net stop spooler
3del /f /q %systemroot%\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*
4net start spooler
5Re-add the printer
6Also check: Services → Print Spooler → set Startup type to Automatic
7On the Recovery tab: set all three failure actions to "Restart the Service"
8This ensures the spooler restarts if it crashes and preserves printer connections

Solution 3: Fix Windows Update Breaking Printer Drivers

1Recent Windows security updates broke many network printer connections:
2Open CMD as Admin: printui /s /t2 (opens Print Server Properties → Drivers tab)
3Check if your printer driver shows "Driver unavailable"
4Download the latest driver from the printer manufacturer's website
5Install it manually via "Add" in the Drivers tab
6For print server printers: the driver may need to be updated on the server first
7If a specific KB update caused the issue: check Microsoft's known issues page for a fix

Solution 4: Create Persistent Printer Connection via Script

1If printers keep disappearing, force them at login:
2Create a batch file (add_printers.bat):
3rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n "\\server\printer1"
4rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /n "\\server\printer1" (sets as default)
5Place this in: shell:startup (type this in Explorer address bar)
6This runs every time you log in and re-adds the printer
7Alternative: use Group Policy Preferences to deploy printers (enterprise environments)

FIXES THIS IN 5 MINUTES