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Windows 10 March 2021 Update Printing Issues

In March 2021, Microsoft released two Windows updates—KB5000802 and KB5000808—that caused widespread printing failures, RDP connection issues, and even Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) crashes. If your printing suddenly stopped working after a March 2021 Windows update, this is likely what hit you.

What Happened​

On March 9, 2021, Microsoft pushed out these updates as part of their regular Patch Tuesday cycle. Shortly after release, IT administrators across the globe started reporting serious problems:

  • Printers failing to print or crashing when users tried to send print jobs
  • RDP connections dropping or refusing to establish
  • System crashes with BSOD errors

The problems were severe enough that Microsoft quickly stopped the automatic deployment of these updates. However, if your systems updated during that initial window, they likely received the problematic patches.

Microsoft released KB5001568 on March 15, 2021, which fixed these issues. If you're still experiencing problems, you've likely got the bad updates installed but haven't received the fix yet.

How to Check If You're Affected​

If you started seeing printing issues, RDP problems, or BSOD errors around mid-March 2021, check whether you've got the problematic updates installed:

  1. Open Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update
  2. Click View Update History
  3. Look for KB5000802 or KB5000808 in the list

If you find either of these updates and you're experiencing the symptoms described above, you'll need to take action.

Resolution Option 1: Install Microsoft's Fix​

The best solution is to install Microsoft's corrective update KB5001568, which resolves the issues introduced by the March updates. If your Windows Update is working properly, this update should install automatically. You can also download it manually from the Microsoft Update Catalog.

After installing KB5001568, the printing, RDP, and stability issues should be resolved without needing to uninstall anything.

Resolution Option 2: Uninstall the Problematic Updates​

If you can't install KB5001568 for some reason, or if you need an immediate fix while waiting for the corrective update to deploy, you can uninstall the problematic updates:

Using Windows Settings​

  1. Go to Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update
  2. Click View Update History
  3. Click Uninstall updates
  4. Find KB5000802 or KB5000808 in the list
  5. Select the update and click Uninstall
  6. Restart your system

Using PowerShell​

If you prefer command-line tools or need to script the removal, you can use PowerShell:

First, verify which updates are installed:

wmic qfe list brief /format:table

Then uninstall the problematic updates:

wusa /uninstall /kb:5000802
wusa /uninstall /kb:5000808

Restart your system after running these commands.

Additional Resources​

Several tech news outlets documented this issue as it unfolded:

  • Windows Latest - Windows 10 KB5000802 (March) update is crashing PCs with BSOD
  • Windows Report - KB5000802 and KB5000808 cause printing crashes in Windows 10
  • Bleeping Computer - Windows 10 emergency updates released to fix printing crashes

Affected Updates​

ScrewDrivers-Specific Notes​

This issue wasn't caused by ScrewDrivers—it was a Windows bug that affected all printing, including native Windows printing and third-party solutions like ScrewDrivers. Once you've applied Microsoft's fix (KB5001568) or uninstalled the problematic updates, ScrewDrivers printing should return to normal without any ScrewDrivers-specific configuration changes.