🎯Basically, Microsoft found that a code change is causing problems with their printing service.
What Happened
Microsoft has traced ongoing issues with its Universal Print service to a recent change in the Microsoft Graph API code. This code change has led to difficulties in creating printer shares, with users encountering "Sharing Print Failed" errors in the Universal Print portal.
Who's Affected
The issue affects users who are trying to create printer shares, particularly those using the 'Allow all users in my organization' toggle or selecting specific users or groups. While Microsoft has confirmed the issue, they have not disclosed the number of affected users or specific regions.
What Data Was Exposed
No sensitive data has been reported as exposed due to this issue. The problem is primarily operational, affecting the ability to share printers rather than compromising user data.
What You Should Do
Microsoft has provided a 13-step mitigation procedure for users facing this issue. Here’s a brief overview of the steps:
- Go to the Azure portal and navigate to Universal Print.
- Select the printer you wish to share.
- Click on "Share Printer" without checking the 'Allow all users' option.
- After sharing, wait for the share to propagate before adding users manually.
This workaround allows users to continue using the Universal Print service while Microsoft works on a permanent fix.
Technical Details
The root cause of the issue is linked to increased Entra ID directory replication latency, which exposed a race condition in the share creation flow. This has caused the retry logic to fail, preventing successful share operations.
Industry Impact
As Universal Print is a cloud-based solution designed to replace traditional print server setups, issues like this can significantly disrupt business operations, especially for organizations reliant on centralized print management. Microsoft’s swift identification of the problem and provision of a workaround reflects their commitment to minimizing user impact during service disruptions.
🔒 Pro insight: The incident underscores the importance of robust testing for API changes, particularly in cloud services that manage critical business functions.
