Zebra thermal printer KR203 being detected as unspecified device, not as printer.

Question

We have multiple KIOSK systems connected to Zebra KR203 printer. The printer used to work with Windows 10 1909 update but with the security updates (20h2 or 21h1), printer stopped working.

We performed below steps to create a driver which can support Zebra KR203 printer. Please suggest if we are missing something.

• We setup a development machine to work on this issue and installed Visual Studio 2019 and Windows Driver Kit Version 10.0.19041.685.
• Uninstalled pre-installed Zebra printer driver.
• Created a new project of type “V4 printer driver” on VS2019.
• In the Create a V4 Print Driver Wizard, under Choose the driver rendering type:, selected V4 print driver with custom rendering filters (accepts XPS only). Kept other setup settings as default. After project is created, verified the necessary files after the creation of project as suggested by document. Followed the steps from the link: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/print/building-a-basic-v4-printer-driver
• Configured the target machine as per “Configure the driver solution for debugging and deployment” steps provided. Result: Complete
• We are currently in “Build and deploy the driver” step of the link mentioned above. Result: Builds successfully but driver output states “please select a valid target machine for deployment from the project prop

erty page”.

NOTE:

One day the printer started giving prints from MS word (windows 10 20H2 version), which was not working earlier. We tried to test the printer on another system following the same steps, but when we again connected the printer back to development machine, it stopped working and now it is not being detected as a printer, rather being detected as an unspecified device. (with or without Zebra’s own drivers)

Answer 1

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/34027555/why-am-i-getting-an-error-before-configuring-a-device-in-visual-studio-2015

Answer 2

Hi @Anil K2

There was some printing issue with the 20H2 update and it was resolved in the next KB updates released by Microsoft, make sure you have patched them all most notably KB5006670.

Microsoft chose to "enhance" plug and play with Windows 7 and above. This allows the operating system, when a USB printer is connected, to associate a printer to a driver automatically.

However, the OS forces an association to occur even when it does not find the driver from the printer manufacturer. The issue can be resolved by getting the ZDesigner driver in place so that it automatically installs the correct driver for your printer the next time a Zebra printer is connected via USB. An alternative solution is to attempt to update the Unspecified or Unknown driver that was already created in Devices and Printers.

Hope this resolves your Query!!

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