Win8.1, Windows Updates & Printers not working

Hello,
After doing a batch of MS Windows updates on May 16 on an Asus X750JN laptop preinstalled with Win 8.1 64-bit, I have not been able to do any printing except to an older HP Deskjet F2120 (which like a Samsung CLP365 I also have and which was the default printer, had already been installed on the laptop).
I initially thought that the cause may be with the Samsung printer, and in the process (including uninstalling & reinstalling drivers), I managed to stuff up the firmware on this printer.
In hindsight, not such a bad mistake as it got me looking at other printers, and so in turn I realised that the problem wasn’t with Samsung printers, but seemingly with Windows 8.1.
Other printers (Lexmark E230, HP Laserjet 600, Brother inkjet etc) cannot be printed to.
The same problem occurs with printers regardless of network or local; or USB or Ethernet/LAN connection
I can set up a printer using either software from the printer vendor or let Windows find the printer, and still the same problem.

The laptop (bought in June/July 2014) and the software on it is running fine apart from the printers issue and so I don't see the point in getting a new PC, trying System Restore, or anything similar.
The only downside with having to use the HP F2120 as the default printer is that ink is more expensive than toner; apart from that, I can manage as I’m a low-volume printer (and can print more graphical items off at work if need be – just give the accountant some spare change to cover costs).

On 16 May, I could print OK to the Samsung printer before the Windows Updates but not afterwards.
I’ve rung Microsoft’s (Australian) support line but they were useless; they simply suggested ‘try System Restore’, implying it was not their fault.
I’ve tried uninstalling all Windows Updates back to 16 May (except for KB3021910, which can’t be uninstalled), and still have the same error messages with printers after this.

The printer setup (whatever printer I’ve tried connecting for the first time since 16 May) runs smoothly, but once the printer has been set up I go into Devices and Printers and select the printer, the following error messages come up:
Right-mouse click on Printing Preferences: 'Operation could not be completed'
Right-mouse click on Printer Properties: 'The <xyz> printer driver is not installed on this computer. Some printer properties will not be accessible unless you install the printer driver. Do you want to install the driver now?'
Interestingly, when a ‘Guest’ account is created (Guest Properties, not Administrator), I can install the printer OK, and in Devices and Printers, there is no following error message as above:
Right-mouse click on Printer Properties: 'The <xyz> printer driver is not installed on this computer. Some printer properties will not be accessible unless you install the printer driver. Do you want to install the driver now?'
However, the following still occurs:
Right-mouse click on Printing Preferences: 'Operation could not be completed'
However, when I go into 'Printer Server Properties' and the 'Drivers' tab, the <xyz> printer driver is shown to be installed.
For example, this happened at the start of June when I visited some friends near work and did a test with a Brother inkjet MFP they had - the first time I had ever connected my laptop to a Brother printer.
Therein lies the conundrum ...
And just to show that it's not driver software problems ...
I can download a setup file for a Samsung printer off the Samsung website, that allows you to set up a printer without it needing to be physically there/attached to the PC.
When I run this on the laptop, it sets up OK but gets the error messages in Devices and Printers as indicated above (all since 16 May only, where the timing again suggests a likely cause being one of the Windows updates).
When I run this very same driver setup file on my work PC (Windows 7 HP desktop with similar CPU/RAM/HDD to my laptop), it sets up OK again but no error messages, instead the correct screens/boxes come up, as appeared on my laptop with the Samsung CLP-365 at home up until the morning of May 16.

Checking for malware using HitmanPro and MalwareBytes Anti-Malware hasn’t revealed anything unusual.
AVG Free hasn’t picked up anything unusual either. I use ZoneAlarm Free as the firewall.

I don’t use the laptop that much, generally a few hours on a Saturday morning and it is disconnected from the modem when not in use.
Any advice on how to fix this is welcome, as I can’t think of anything else.
I’m the only user (apart from testing the ‘Guest’ account as noted above) and have Administrator rights.
Thanks,
John