December 27th, 2022

Why can’t I print when I boot Windows into audit mode?

Raymond Chen
Raymond Chen

A customer found that when they deployed Windows and booted into audit mode, they were unable to print anything.

If they were not in audit mode, then everything printed fine. It was just audit mode that was broken. They wanted to know how to print in audit mode.

Don’t print in audit mode.

Audit mode is for you to configure your system in preparation for resealing it, so that the next boot will run through the Out of Box Experience, commonly abbreviated OOBE and pronounced /oo-bee/. You aren’t expected to be using the system as a normal user. Install the apps, make your final tweaks, and reseal that puppy.

Specifically, a number of services are disabled in audit mode. It’s not surprising that printing wouldn’t work.

Category
Old New Thing
Topics
Tips/Support

Author

Raymond Chen

Raymond has been involved in the evolution of Windows for more than 30 years. In 2003, he began a Web site known as The Old New Thing which has grown in popularity far beyond his wildest imagination, a development which still gives him the heebie-jeebies. The Web site spawned a book, coincidentally also titled The Old New Thing (Addison Wesley 2007). He occasionally appears on the Windows Dev Docs Twitter account to tell stories which convey no useful information.

4 comments

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  • Mystery Man · Edited

    Typo alert: OOBE is short for “out-of-box experience.” This is an industry-standard term. I’d gladly give you a dictionary definition link, but all my past comments with a hyperlink in them are awaiting moderator approval!

    • chrisok · Edited

      Well, if you bother to follow the link in the article, you will find out that in this (Microsoft) context Out of Box Experience is the “correct” term.

      If you disagree, then you should file an issue over here https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs. (I’m not sure that this part of the docs has a repo there. You’d have to check)

      • Mystery Man

        You should get your eyes examined. The linked article (“Boot Windows to Audit mode or OOBE”) correctly spells the phrase in question as “Out-Of-Box Experience,” with appropriate hyphens.

        Bonus reading: There has been a war called the hyphen war in 1989.

  • Jason Freeman

    Raymond, I will pay you good money to update the version of the Sysprep Tool from 3.14.

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