Microsoft has officially pulled the plug on legacy printer driver support in Windows 11, a move that could leave users of older printers unable to install or use their devices. As of January 15, 2026, the company no longer supports V3 and V4 printer drivers through Windows Update, marking the next phase in a multi-year plan to modernize—and secure—the Windows printing ecosystem.
The change, first announced as a deprecation in September 2023, is part of Microsoft’s broader shift away from the complex, vendor-specific driver model that has long been a source of security vulnerabilities and maintenance headaches. Incidents like the widespread ‘PrintNightmare’ print spooler exploit highlighted the risks of the old architecture.
What This Means for Users:
New installations of printers requiring V3 or V4 drivers will likely fail on Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025 or later.
Existing installed drivers may continue to work but will no longer receive automatic updates via Windows Update except in rare, manually approved cases.
Microsoft states most users won’t be affected, as newer printers typically use more modern driver architectures or can utilize Microsoft’s built-in IPP class driver.
What to Do If Your Printer Stops Working:
Microsoft’s official recommendation is to contact your printer manufacturer for a supported, updated driver or consider upgrading to a newer printer that uses modern standards.
The Road Ahead: A Driver-Less Future
This is not an isolated change but part of a clear roadmap:
July 1, 2026: Windows will begin to prefer Microsoft’s own IPP class driver when multiple driver options are available during installation.
July 1, 2027: Third-party driver updates delivered via Windows Update will be restricted to security fixes only.
The End Goal: Microsoft is steering users toward Windows Protected Print Mode, an optional feature in recent Windows 11 24H2 releases that disables all third-party drivers and uses only Microsoft’s secure, standardized drivers. This mode may eventually become the default, signaling a future where the traditional printer driver is phased out entirely.
By shifting responsibility for legacy hardware support back to manufacturers and moving toward a unified, secure printing model, Microsoft aims to reduce the attack surface and complexity of Windows printing—even if it means some older peripherals are left behind.
