Microsoft has confirmed an issue causing the HP Smart app to automatically install on Windows systems after all printers are renamed to HP LaserJet M101-M106.
Customers have been reporting this issue since last week on the Microsoft community website and on online social networks.
According to these reports, the HP Smart App is automatically installed on some Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices via the Microsoft Store, even though users don't own or use an HP printer or an HP computer.
While initially, some users thought that their systems had been compromised, Microsoft has now confirmed that this is a known issue affecting both client (Windows 10 1809 or later) and server (Windows Server 2012 or later) platforms.
According to Microsoft's findings, devices without access to the Microsoft Store should be unaffected by this particular issue.
Additionally, all printers, regardless of their original manufacturer, are being relabeled as HP printers on impacted systems, with the possibility that the printer icons will also get changed.
When users try to open a printer by double-clicking on it, they may also see an on-screen error message that says, "No tasks are available for this page."
"Printing processes are not expected to be affected by this issue. It should be possible to queue printing jobs as usual, as well as other features such as copying or scanning," Microsoft said.
"Printers on the device will continue to use the expected drivers for printer operations.
"As the symptoms are related to the automatic installation of the HP Smart app, Windows devices which do not have access to the Microsoft Store are not expected to be affected by this issue."
Microsoft is investigating this ongoing issue and will provide an update soon. Home and business users seeking assistance should contact support through the online form available at https://support.microsoft.com/contactus.
Earlier this year, the company fixed another known issue encountered by some printers during the installation process when they connect to Wi-Fi automatically.