In 2026, Microsoft is moving Windows 11 toward giving priority to the OS's built-in print drivers when users add a new printer. Using conventional manufacturer-supplied drivers remains an option. Even so, Epson and Brother have published guidance for cases in which, after a Windows update, installation stalls partway through or dedicated apps and some features stop working.
It would be a mistake to see this change only as a problem of older printers becoming unusable. Even with the same printer, setup steps and everyday use can change depending on which driver Windows selects and which software provides model-specific features.
The timeline through 2027, and the setup methods that remain
What Microsoft is phasing out is the mechanism for newly distributing and updating conventional v3 and v4 printer drivers through Windows Update. It applies to Windows 11 and later and Windows Server 2025 and later. The plan, announced in September 2023, had its schedule adjusted in May 2025. The main milestones shown in Microsoft's official migration plan are as follows.
| Date | Changes to Windows Update and driver selection |
|---|---|
| January 15, 2026 | Listing of new printer drivers is restricted. Updates to existing drivers are approved after individual review |
| July 1, 2026 | Driver selection order changes to give priority to the OS's built-in IPP class driver |
| July 1, 2027 | Updates to third-party drivers are, in principle, no longer accepted, except for security fixes |
It would be wrong to read this schedule as a deadline after which existing printers stop working. Microsoft states explicitly that it does not plan to disable printing functions that use conventional drivers as part of the migration plan.
Even after July 1, 2027, existing drivers already distributed through Windows Update, as well as installation packages that manufacturers provide on their own websites and elsewhere, will remain usable.
Driver signing is not ending entirely, either. New drivers for Windows 11 will go through individual review, but conditions allow signing for printers that cannot obtain Mopria certification and for native ARM64 drivers, among others. Microsoft also plans to keep fixing security issues in the legacy print infrastructure for as long as the OS itself is within its support period.
In other words, you need to separate two questions: whether you can get a driver automatically from Windows Update, and whether you can print using a driver obtained from the manufacturer.
Even if distribution through Windows Update shrinks, manufacturers can still distribute drivers themselves. However, the fact that this route remains does not guarantee that every model and every manufacturer-specific feature will stay available in the future.
Distribution, automatic selection, and usage restrictions are separate changes
In June 2026, Microsoft announced that it was renaming the print platform built on standard specifications to "Windows Ready Print."
At its core is IPP, a protocol that standardizes how a PC communicates with a printer. On compatible models, Windows uses its built-in driver, reducing reliance on manufacturer-specific drivers.
The official announcement in June explains that, starting in July, Windows Ready Print will be preferred by default when a compatible printer is newly added.
At the same time, Microsoft added a setting that lets users choose between prioritizing the built-in driver and returning to the previous driver selection behavior. This setting affects only newly added printers, not devices that are already installed.
Separately, there is a feature called "Windows protected print mode (WPP)."
WPP is a mode that uses only print methods compatible with Windows Ready Print. When it is enabled, printers registered with third-party drivers are removed. According to Microsoft's explanation, even a Mopria-certified printer is subject to removal if it was registered using a manufacturer's driver.
However, a model that supports Windows Ready Print can be added again using the standard print method.
Restrictions on driver distribution through Windows Update, driver selection when adding a new printer, and usage restrictions under Windows protected print mode are each separate mechanisms.
| Change or setting | Main situation affected | Impact on existing print environments |
|---|---|---|
| Restrictions on distributing and updating conventional drivers | When obtaining or updating drivers from Windows Update | Microsoft does not plan to disable existing print functions solely because of the migration plan |
| Setting that prioritizes Windows Ready Print | When adding a new printer | Changing this setting alone does not affect existing printers |
| Enabling Windows protected print mode | When restricting the print methods available on the PC itself | Printers using third-party drivers are removed; compatible models are re-registered with the standard method |
This table organizes Microsoft's driver distribution plan, the specification changes for new installations, and its explanation of Windows protected print mode, as of October 6, 2026, by the situations each affects.
A "setting that prioritizes the built-in driver" and a "setting that makes manufacturer drivers unusable" differ in their impact on existing environments.
Also, once Windows protected print mode is enabled, the setting that prioritizes Windows Ready Print can no longer be turned off. If you want to go back to a manufacturer's driver, you need to check the state of both settings.
Problems with USB connections and dedicated features, as described by Japanese manufacturers
Epson says Windows Ready Print may become enabled on systems running Windows 11 24H2 or later that have applied updates from June 2026 onward.
Its FAQ, updated September 18, lists examples in which, over a USB connection, the printer is not recognized and installation stops, and examples in which installing the manufacturer's driver package fails.
On LAN connections, even when installation appears to finish normally, the Microsoft driver may be selected instead of the Epson driver, the company says.
The workaround Epson describes is to turn off the setting that prioritizes Windows Ready Print in the settings screen.
If that does not help, check the name of the driver currently in use in the printer's properties. If "Microsoft IPP Class Driver" is selected, delete the printer once, restart the PC, and then install the manufacturer's driver again.
In other words, just because a printer is connected and a print queue has been created, it does not necessarily mean the intended manufacturer driver was installed correctly.
Brother, too, says the built-in driver will be prioritized in stages starting with updates from June 23.
While Microsoft's schedule puts the milestone at July 1, the manufacturers describe effects from updates beginning in June. Rather than assuming that all PCs switched at once on a particular day, it fits reality better to check each PC individually by Windows version, applied updates, and settings.
The effects are not limited to whether you can print on plain paper.
In Brother's FAQ for USB connections, the company describes what to do when Brother iPrint&Scan, PC-FAX, the firmware update tool, and other software stop working or some functions do not operate properly.
The procedure is to uninstall the related software, turn off the setting that prioritizes the built-in driver, and then install the latest full package again.
With label printers, being unable to select a paper size can by itself bring work to a halt.
For the QL, RJ, and TD series, Brother also describes what to do when label sizes cannot be selected and errors occur during printing over a USB connection in Windows 11.
In addition to reinstalling the driver, this procedure requires that you not connect the USB cable until the installer instructs you to.
Because similar problems could arise depending on when the cable is connected, not every case can be attributed solely to the prioritization of Windows Ready Print.
These are cases the manufacturers describe as possible under specific conditions, not figures showing the proportion of models in which problems occur.
Even so, when checking a move to the built-in driver, it is clear that confirming a test page prints is not enough.
Only by actually trying operations from the manufacturer's dedicated app and model-specific paper settings can you judge whether you can keep working as before.
Why Microsoft is changing the printing architecture itself
The Windows print spooler is a service that manages print jobs and converts data, and it runs as SYSTEM, a highly privileged account.
In its technical explanation, Microsoft cites the fact that this print infrastructure loads third-party code as needed as a challenge for improving security.
Even if a vulnerability is found in a printer driver, it can be difficult to get a fixed version if the manufacturer has already gone out of business or ended product support.
In Windows protected print mode, third-party printer drivers are not loaded, and some processing, such as rendering documents, is run with user privileges.
The design reduces reliance on external code and makes it harder for a problem to lead directly to SYSTEM privileges. The aim of reducing dependence on manufacturer-specific drivers is not only to simplify setup but also to improve security.
However, standardizing the print method does not make each manufacturer's unique features the same.
Microsoft explains that printer-specific features and settings can be added using the "Print Support App (PSA)." The idea is to split a role that dedicated drivers once handled as a whole between Windows' common print features and manufacturer apps.
That extension mechanisms exist is one thing; whether the features you need are actually provided for the printer you use is something you need to check separately.
Check whether the features you use every day survive, not just the printer's age
Even for a Mopria-certified printer, you cannot judge printing and scanning together as "supported."
Microsoft explains that even a device that can print in Windows protected print mode may not be able to use its scanner function, and asks users to check scanning support separately.
Before migrating, check not only the model name but also the driver name currently in use and the connection method, and actually try your regular tasks.
For a label printer, for example, check whether you can select the label sizes you need. For a multifunction device, check whether you can use scanning and PC-FAX from your existing apps.
In environments that need manufacturer-specific features, you need to choose the setup method by following each model's FAQ.
If Windows protected print mode has been enabled by organizational policy, ordinary users may be unable to change the setting themselves, in which case an administrator's help is needed.
Virtual printers also need checking.
In Windows protected print mode, unsupported software printers are also removed, so tasks that don't print on paper, such as output to OneNote, may be affected.
Microsoft provides a protected virtual printer for OneNote, but virtual printers you used before cannot always be carried over as they are.
Also, turning Windows protected print mode back off does not automatically restore unsupported printers that were removed when the mode was enabled; you must reinstall them manually as needed.
Microsoft's FAQ on Windows protected print mode indicates a policy of enabling this mode by default in the future.
However, it gives no specific date. There is no basis for interpreting the restriction on third-party driver updates planned for July 1, 2027 as the date on which Windows protected print mode will be enforced.
The test of whether you can migrate is whether the combination of Windows' standard print method and the manufacturer's support app can reproduce the functions you normally need.
Once you have confirmed that, you can move to an environment that reduces the burden of managing model-specific drivers while still letting you carry on the printing and scanning work you need.