How to fix
Cannot print faxes to printer
on Windows

Hello. Recently I encountered a problem with printing faxes directly from the application. Any help would be appreciated.

Recently, many users, mainly businesses that use Windows encountered a problem when trying to print faxes. Those affected by the issue say that they can send and receive faxes without fail. They can also save them and print them if needed. However, the problem is that they cannot print faxes directly from the application.

It is unknown what exactly could have caused this but many people found that uninstalling the KB5017308 update solved the fax issue. KB5017308[ref en-1] is a security update. Many bugs were reported, but Microsoft has not yet addressed the fax bug in the list of known issues of this update.

Knowing this, simply uninstalling the update should fix the fax printing problem for most people. However, in this guide, you will find 3 more steps that should help you. This is not the first time that Windows updates have affected users' abilities to print. Back in 2021, we wrote about the network printing error 0x0000011b which was caused by updates and affected many small businesses.

We suggest you try all the options we present in this guide. Keep in mind that manual troubleshooting can be a lengthy process so you can also use a maintenance tool, like [d1]. It can fix most system errors, BSODs,[ref en-2] corrupted files, and registry[ref en-3] issues. Otherwise, follow the step-by-step instructions below.

Method 1. Update Printer Drivers

• Press the Windows key and search for Device Manager
• Select the printer that you’ve connected from the list of available devices
• Right-click the device and select Update driver or Update driver software

• Click Search automatically for updated driver software
• Follow the on-screen instructions to install the updated driver
• You can also use a dedicated utility like [rev id="DriverFix"] that can find the best drivers for your machine and install them automatically
• Restart your computer

Method 2. Grant permissions

• The incoming faxes are in the following location:

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows NT\MSFax\Inbox

• Once you go to the location you can see all the faxes there and print them, or convert them to a pdf
• To view the folder you must follow the directions below first
• Open Windows Explorer
• Click on the C drive, then on Program data
• Press on Microsoft, then Windows NT, then msfax
• Grant permission to view the folder
• You should see all the folders the fax program uses
• Click on Inbox and grant permission to view the folder
• Now you should be able to view all your faxes and print them

Method 3. Uninstall the latest Windows Update

Some users reported that uninstalling the 2022-09 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 21H1 for x64-based Systems (KB5017308) helped to solve the issue. 

• Click Windows key + I to open Settings
• Select Update & Security and open Advanced Options
• Select View update history and click Uninstall Updates

• The system will open the list of updates in the Control Panel. Look for the KB5017308 update. If this update has not been installed, then remove the last one
• Select the update that you want to remove and select Uninstall

Postpone Windows 10 updates until Microsoft announces that the printer bug has been successfully fixed. Microsoft allows users to postpone security updates for up to a month. 

• Open Settings and navigate to Update & Security
• Select Windows Update and click on the Advanced options link
• Under the Choose when updates are installed area, you will see two drop-down menus
• Choose for how long you want to defer the security and/or quality updates

Method 4. Perform a System Restore

• Press the Windows key and type System Restore Point to the search bar
• When the System Properties window opens, navigate to the System Protection tab
• Now click the System Restore button

• Now the System Restore wizard should emerge. Click the Next button to go on
• Now you should see all available restore points. Luckily, the Windows system by default creates a weekly restore point, so if you haven't created one manually, select the last System Restore Point. If you cannot find the preferred point, click the Show more restore points
• If the restore point is suitable for you, click Next and Finish buttons. The system should automatically reboot to ever all the recovery