A recent code change in the Microsoft Graph API has broken printer sharing for Universal Print users across Microsoft 365. Microsoft confirmed the issue on Tuesday, tracking it under incident ID UP1287359, and classified it as a critical service incident due to its noticeable impact on users.
What Caused the Universal Print Sharing Print Failed Error
Microsoft engineers pushed a code change to the Graph API that introduced increased replication latency in Microsoft Entra ID. That latency exposed a pre-existing race condition in Universal Print’s share creation flow. Because the retry logic does not account for the delayed identity replication, the system tries to complete the sharing operation before the required permissions fully propagate and fails every time.
Users see a “Sharing Print Failed” error in the Universal Print portal when they attempt to create printer shares.
Who Is Affected
The bug hits two specific scenarios:
- Users creating a printer share with the “Allow all users in my organization” toggle enabled.
- Users assigning specific users or groups during the initial share creation screen.
Microsoft has not disclosed which regions are affected or the total number of impacted users, but the critical incident classification signals the problem is widespread.
What Is Microsoft Universal Print and How It Works
Universal Print is Microsoft’s cloud-based print management solution, built to replace traditional on-premises print servers. It gives Microsoft 365 customers centralized control over printers, queues, and access all managed through the Azure portal without needing local print infrastructure.
The Workaround (13 Steps)
Microsoft has released a temporary workaround while it rolls out a permanent fix. The approach is simple: create the printer share without assigning users first, then add permissions afterward.
- Open the Azure portal → Universal Print → Printers
- Select the printer you want to share
- Click “Printer Share” (or “Share Printer”)
- Enter the share name
- Do NOT check “Allow all users in my organization” — leave it unchecked
- Do NOT select any users or groups at this step
- Click “Share Printer”
- Wait 30 seconds for the share to fully propagate
- Navigate to Universal Print → Printer Shares
- Select the newly created share
- Open the “Members” tab (or “Access Control”)
- Manually add users or security groups
- For org-wide access, add an organization-wide security group (e.g., “All Company”) from your Entra ID directory
Tip: If share creation still fails after applying the workaround, wait 1–2 minutes and retry.
Fix Status: Microsoft is actively deploying a code correction targeting the underlying Graph API error. The company has not provided a timeline for full resolution.
If your organization relies on Universal Print and users are hitting “Sharing Print Failed” errors, the 13-step workaround above gets you unblocked today. Skip the user assignment during initial share creation, wait 30 seconds, then add members manually from the Printer Shares portal. Monitor the Microsoft Admin Message Center (UP1287359) for updates on the permanent fix rollout.
Sources: BleepingComputer, Microsoft Admin Message Center UP1287359
