What’s Actually Happening with Printer Driver Support
Summary: You may have seen alarming headlines about Windows 11 ‘dropping support for millions of printers’. The reality is less dramatic: Microsoft is changing how you get printer drivers, not whether your printer will work. This article explains what’s actually happening and what it means for your business.
Applies to: Windows 11 (all versions) and Windows Server 2025. Not affected: Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, and Windows Server 2022 are not affected by these changes.
What’s Actually Happening?
Microsoft is phasing out the distribution of older ‘v3’ and ‘v4’ printer drivers through Windows Update. This doesn’t mean your printer will stop working—it means you might need to get driver updates directly from your printer manufacturer instead of through Windows Update.
The v3 and v4 driver models have been around for over a decade. Microsoft announced they were ‘deprecated’ (marked for future removal) back in September 2023, giving manufacturers and users over two years to prepare.
The Timeline
| Date | What Happens |
| September 2023 | Microsoft announces v3/v4 printer drivers are deprecated |
| 15 January 2026 | Microsoft stops publishing NEW v3/v4 printer drivers to Windows Update for Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025. Existing drivers remain available. |
| 1 July 2026 | Windows will prefer its built-in modern drivers over older third-party drivers |
| 1 July 2027 | Non-security updates for legacy drivers will no longer be available via Windows Update |
What This Means For You
If Your Printer Currently Works
Good news: it should continue to work. The drivers you already have installed aren’t being removed. Your printer will keep printing.
If You Need to Reinstall or Set Up on a New PC
This is where things might change. In the past, you could plug in an older printer and Windows Update would automatically find and install the driver. Going forward, you may need to:
- Download the driver directly from your printer manufacturer’s website
- Use the installation CD that came with your printer (if you still have it)
- Use Windows’ built-in Mopria driver (more on this below)
If Your Printer Is Less Than 10 Years Old
You’re probably fine. Most printers sold since 2014 support a universal standard called Mopria, which Windows supports natively without needing manufacturer drivers.
What Is Mopria?
Mopria is a universal printing standard developed by an alliance of major printer manufacturers including HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, Xerox, and others. Microsoft and Google are also members.
The key benefit: Mopria-certified printers work without installing manufacturer-specific drivers. Windows has built-in support for Mopria, so when you connect a compatible printer, it ‘just works’.
By the numbers: Over 9,000 printer models from 24 brands are Mopria certified, representing more than 120 million printers in use worldwide. If your printer was manufactured after 2014, there’s a good chance it’s Mopria compatible.
This is why Microsoft feels comfortable reducing support for legacy drivers—the majority of printers in use today don’t need them.
Which Printers Are Affected?
The printers most likely to be affected are those manufactured before 2014 that rely solely on v3 or v4 drivers and don’t support Mopria or other modern printing protocols.
In practice, this means printers that are roughly 10-12 years old or more. If you’re using an older printer that still works well, you have options:
- Keep your current setup working as long as possible (existing drivers remain installed)
- Download and save the manufacturer’s driver installer for future use
- Check if your manufacturer still provides driver downloads on their website
- Consider upgrading when convenient—modern printers are more efficient, more secure, and easier to manage
A Separate Issue: Windows Updates Breaking Printers
Unrelated to the driver distribution changes, some recent Windows 11 updates have caused printer problems. This is a different issue—these are bugs in specific updates, not the planned phase-out of legacy drivers.
For example, the November 2025 update (KB5068861) caused problems for some users where all printers—including Microsoft Print to PDF—stopped working entirely. In most cases, uninstalling the problematic update resolved the issue.
If you experience sudden printer problems after a Windows Update, this is more likely to be a bug than the planned driver changes. The usual troubleshooting steps apply:
- Check Windows Update for fixes
- Restart the Print Spooler service
- Remove and re-add the printer
- As a last resort, uninstall the recent update via Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates
What Should You Do Now?
- Don’t panic. Your printers aren’t about to stop working overnight.
- Check your printer’s age. If it’s less than 10 years old, it’s probably Mopria compatible and won’t be affected.
- For older printers, visit the manufacturer’s website and download the latest driver. Save a copy somewhere safe.
- Plan ahead. If you’re due to replace PCs or printers in the next year or two, factor this into your planning.
- Keep us informed. If you’re concerned about specific printers in your environment, let us know and we can check compatibility.
The Bigger Picture
Microsoft’s move away from legacy printer drivers is part of a broader ‘secure by default’ strategy. Third-party printer drivers have historically been a source of bugs and security vulnerabilities. By encouraging the use of standardised, built-in drivers, Microsoft aims to reduce these risks across the Windows ecosystem.
This is similar to Microsoft’s recent moves to retire older protocols like SMBv1 and NTLM—short-term inconvenience for some users, but better security for everyone in the long run.
What About Windows Server?
These changes apply to Windows Server 2025 and later only. If you’re running Windows Server 2016, 2019, or 2022, these printer driver changes do not affect you.
For organisations running print servers, this is worth noting when planning upgrades. If you upgrade a print server from Server 2022 to Server 2025, you may need to ensure your printer drivers are available from the manufacturer or that your printers support Mopria.
Many businesses use their servers as central print servers, sharing printers across the network. If your print server is running an older version of Windows Server, you have time to plan. However, if you’re deploying new Server 2025 infrastructure, factor printer compatibility into your planning.
Quick Reference
| Situation | What To Do |
| Printer less than 10 years old | Probably fine—likely Mopria compatible |
| Older printer, currently working | Keep using it; download manufacturer driver as backup |
| Setting up old printer on new PC | Get driver from manufacturer website |
| Printer stopped after Windows Update | Likely a bug—try uninstalling recent update |
| Planning new purchases | Ensure new printers are Mopria certified |
Questions about your printers?
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Give our friendly experts a call on 020 3327 0310.
Last updated: February 2026