Last month, Microsoft made a statement regarding printer support on Windows that caused confusion. Back then, Microsoft wrote: “January 2026, Windows will no longer support V3 and V4 printer drivers. These older driver models were announced as deprecated in September 2023”.
Turns out, this was not really what the company meant. Windows Central claims to have received a statement by Microsoft that confirms that support for legacy printer drivers is not ending after all on Windows.
If that would be the case, millions of printers would stop working. Here is the full statement as reported by the site:
Windows has not ended support for legacy printer drivers. If your printer works with Windows today, it will continue to work, and no action is required [..] an update to the Windows Roadmap stated that Windows will no longer support V3 and V4 printer drivers—this update was inaccurate and has since been removed
Here is what Microsoft actually meant: new legacy printer drivers will only be accepted on a case-by-case basis. This does not affect existing printer drivers and users may still download and install the updates from third-party sources.
The core changes
- The Microsoft IPP Class Driver: Instead of downloading a specific driver for every printer model (e.g., an HP driver, a Brother driver, a Canon driver), Windows 11 is shifting to the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) and the Mopria standard. This allows Windows to use a single, built-in inbox driver that works seamlessly with almost any modern printer.
- Windows Protected Print Mode (WPP): Introduced in the Windows 11 24H2 update, this is an optional security feature that entirely disables third-party printer drivers. When enabled, your PC only uses the Microsoft IPP Class Driver. While it’s currently turned off by default, Microsoft’s long-term goal is to make WPP the standard.
- Print Support Apps (PSAs): Instead of bundling advanced features (like watermarks, stapling, or deep color management) into a heavy driver package, manufacturers are being pushed to offer these features through lightweight Print Support Apps downloaded directly from the Microsoft Store.
The official timeline
- January 15, 2026: Microsoft officially stopped accepting new v3 and v4 printer drivers onto Windows Update. From this point forward, new printers are expected to be IPP/Mopria compliant, but exceptions may be made case-by-case.
- July 1, 2026: Windows will change its internal ranking system. If you plug in a new printer, Windows will default to the Microsoft IPP class driver instead of hunting for a manufacturer-specific driver.
- July 1, 2027: Windows Update will stop distributing non-security updates for third-party legacy drivers. Only critical security patches will be allowed through.