- Microsoft has confirmed V3/V4 printer drivers are still supported, responding to previous roadmap confusion
- New drivers are only being approved on a case-by-case basis, and old drivers will only get security updates from 2027
- Users are being urged to migrate from OEM drivers to Microsoft’s IPP Class Driver for enhanced security
Microsoft has corrected a previous update to its Windows Roadmap suggesting that legacy printer drivers will be cut.
“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,” a company spokesperson said, after previous announcements caused widespread confusion.
While this is great news for customers with existing printer drivers, a change is still being rolled out that could render some printers unusable.
Microsoft isn’t going to suddenly stop supporting your printer
The main change is that hardware manufacturers will no longer be able to submit new legacy drivers to Windows Update for certification, with a few case-by-case exceptions. Still, owners of older printers don’t need to worry about Windows updates bricking their devices for now.
“As of Jan 15, 2026, legacy drivers submitted to Windows Hardware Quality Labs and published to Windows Update will only be approved on a case-by-case basis, as described in the End of Servicing Plan for Third-Party Printer Drivers on Windows on Microsoft Learn,” the spokesperson added.
While V3 and V4 printer drivers will still be supported, Microsoft is still intent on pushing its IPP Class Driver and Windows Protected Print Mode, citing previous-generation driver vulnerabilities.
Microsoft describes the IPP Class Driver as a “universal, inbox driver that can communicate via IPP with any Mopria certified printer.” Full details to migrate from legacy OEM drivers to Microsoft’s preferred system are available in a support article.
And migrating is certainly the way to go, because from July 2026, Microsoft will favor its Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) over third-party drivers, then from July 2027 V3 and V4 drivers will only be able to be updated with important security fixes.
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