Windows 11 25H2 (build 26200.8875) fails to install USB thermal POS printer drivers — reproduced on 2 separate machines

I'm seeing the same issue reproduced on two different computers, with different Windows editions but the exact same OS build, and wanted to report it since I found a thread with a very similar symptom involving HP V4 drivers (link below).

Affected machines:

• PC 1: Windows 11 Pro, version 25H2, build 26200.8875, updated on 1/14/2026
• PC 2: Windows 11 Home Single Language, version 25H2, build 26200.8875, installed on 2/20/2025

Hardware: POS80C thermal receipt printer, USB connection, same model and brand on both machines.

Symptom:
The printer worked perfectly on both machines until it stopped working from one day to the next, with no manual changes made. It showed up as "Inactive" in the system. After removing it and trying to reinstall it:

• The manufacturer's official software ("POS Printer Driver Setup", tested with versions from 7.17 up to the most recent one available on the manufacturer's website) correctly detects the USB port (it sends commands and cuts the paper at the port level), but pressing "Install" never completes the driver registration: it doesn't print the test page and the printer never shows up in "Printers & scanners".
• Event Viewer shows no error related to the printer installation at the moment of failure (checked both System and Application logs).
• Installing manually with Windows' generic driver ("Generic / Text Only") does allow printing, but automatic paper cutting is lost, since that command is added specifically by the manufacturer's driver.

What I've already ruled out:

• Not a hardware/cable/port issue (the manufacturer's direct port test works fine).
• Not .NET Framework 3.5 (enabled).
• Not the Visual C++ Redistributables (2005/2008/2010 installed).
• Not Windows Defender or antivirus (no blocks, nothing in quarantine).
• Ran the installer as administrator and in compatibility mode, with no change in behavior.

Comparison: I tested the same printer (same model/brand) on a third PC running Windows 11 23H2, and it worked without issues, including automatic paper cutting.

Has anyone else reproduced this with thermal/POS printers? Is there any confirmed workaround besides rolling back the feature update?

Thanks in advance.