Will Your Next Office Printer Work with Windows Protected Print Mode?

A new office printer may work perfectly with Windows today but still rely on a traditional manufacturer-supplied driver.

That distinction matters because Microsoft is moving Windows printing towards a driverless system called Windows Ready Print. Windows Protected Print Mode allows a Windows PC to use only that newer printing system.

Before accepting a printer or multifunction-device proposal, businesses should therefore check more than whether the machine “supports Windows 11”. They should establish whether the exact model, configuration and required functions will work through Windows Protected Print Mode.

What Is Windows Protected Print Mode?

Windows Protected Print Mode is a Windows security setting that prevents third-party printer drivers from being installed or used.

When it is enabled, the computer prints exclusively through Windows Ready Print, Microsoft’s modern printing platform. This uses standards including the Internet Printing Protocol, commonly shortened to IPP, instead of requiring a separate driver package for each printer manufacturer and model.

Microsoft says this approach improves security, compatibility and reliability by reducing the number of third-party software components loaded into the Windows printing system.

Windows Protected Print Mode is not enabled by default at the time of writing. A user or administrator must enable it, although Microsoft says it intends to make the mode the default at a future date. Microsoft has not given a date for that change in its current public documentation.

Why Is Microsoft Changing Windows Printing?

Traditional Windows printing normally relies on a driver supplied by the printer manufacturer.

That driver translates print jobs into instructions understood by the device. It may also add manufacturer-specific controls for features such as stapling, folding, secure release, paper selection, user authentication or departmental accounting.

The disadvantage is that Windows must support a large collection of third-party driver software. Drivers can become outdated, develop compatibility problems after Windows updates or increase the number of components that could contain a security weakness.

Windows Ready Print replaces those model-specific drivers with a standardised IPP-based route. Manufacturers can provide additional functions through a Print Support App rather than a conventional print driver.

Is Microsoft Ending Printer Drivers?

Microsoft is reducing its support for traditional third-party printer drivers, but this does not mean that every existing driver has stopped working.

The current timetable is:

• From 15 January 2026, Microsoft stopped publishing new printer drivers for Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025 through Windows Update. Updates to existing drivers may still be approved individually.
• From 1 July 2026, Windows changed its driver-ranking order to prefer the built-in Windows IPP class driver.
• From 1 July 2027, third-party printer-driver updates will generally be limited to security-related fixes.

Existing drivers can still be installed from Windows Update where available, and manufacturers can still distribute driver installation packages separately. Microsoft also states that it has no current plan to disable features merely because they use the older driver platform.

Windows Protected Print Mode is different. When that setting is active, Windows deliberately prevents third-party print drivers from being used.

What Happens When Protected Print Mode Is Enabled?

When Windows Protected Print Mode is switched on, printers installed through third-party drivers are removed from the computer.

If the printer is compatible, it can normally be reinstalled using Windows Ready Print. If it is not compatible, it cannot be reinstalled while Protected Print Mode remains active.

Turning the mode off does not automatically restore every removed printer. A non-compatible printer may need to be installed again manually.

A printer should therefore not be assumed to be unsuitable merely because it disappears when the setting is enabled. A compatible model that was originally installed with a traditional driver may simply need to be added again through the Windows Ready Print route.

Check Whether the Exact Model Is Mopria Certified

Windows Protected Print Mode is designed to work with Mopria-certified printers.

Mopria is an industry printing standard used by many major printer manufacturers. Its certified-products database can be searched by manufacturer and model.

Do not rely only on a statement that a manufacturer “supports Mopria”. Certification applies to specific products. Ask for the full model number shown on the quotation and confirm that exact model against the current certified-products list.

The supplier should also confirm that IPP is enabled and supported in the proposed network configuration. Microsoft identifies IPP support as a requirement for using Windows Protected Print Mode.

Compatibility Does Not Answer Every Feature Question

Mopria certification is an important first check, but it should not be the end of the assessment.

The printer may be able to produce an ordinary document through Windows Ready Print while a particular business workflow still depends on manufacturer software, a Print Support App, a print server or another integration.

Microsoft says manufacturers can provide customised functionality through Print Support Apps. The actual functions available will therefore depend on the model, the manufacturer’s app and the way the printer has been installed.

A supplier should demonstrate the functions the business intends to use rather than only showing that a Windows test page can be printed.

Test Finishing and Paper Controls

Basic printing may not represent the documents produced by the business.

Test the proposed setup with the settings staff will actually need, which may include:

• colour and mono selection;
• single-sided and double-sided printing;
• different paper sizes;
• alternative paper trays;
• headed paper;
• envelopes or specialist media;
• stapling;
• hole punching;
• booklet production;
• folding;
• multiple output trays; and
• saved print presets.

Some of these options may be exposed directly through the standard printing system. Others may require a manufacturer’s Print Support App or a different configuration.

The written proposal should identify any function that depends on additional software, licensing or a particular method of installing the printer.

Check Secure Printing and User Authentication

A printer may support Windows Protected Print Mode but still require separate testing of its secure-printing workflow.

Where the business needs held jobs, PIN release, card authentication, follow-me printing or identity-based access, ask:

• How is the user identified?
• Is the feature available through Windows Ready Print?
• Is a Print Support App required?
• Does the solution depend on separate print-management software?
• Will existing user codes or account IDs still be passed to the device?
• Does it work from every relevant application?
• What happens when a user works from a different Windows computer?
• Which party supports the complete workflow?

Do not treat “Mopria certified” as confirmation that every separate secure-release or print-management product is compatible.

The printer, Windows printing route and any third-party management platform must be tested together.

Check Department Codes and Print Accounting

Some organisations use user codes, client codes, project references or departmental accounts when printing.

These controls may be important for internal reporting, cost allocation or restricting access to colour output. They may traditionally have been added through the manufacturer’s driver.

Ask the supplier to show how the proposed Windows Ready Print configuration handles:

• user and department identification;
• mandatory account-code entry;
• default mono or duplex rules;
• colour restrictions;
• job reporting;
• rejected jobs;
• shared computers; and
• users working across more than one office.

A statement that the device supports accounting is not enough. The supplier should confirm that the feature works through the proposed Windows setup.

Do Not Forget Scanning

A multifunction printer may be compatible for printing without every scanning function being available through Windows Protected Print Mode.

Microsoft specifically warns that scanners on some otherwise compatible devices may be unavailable. It recommends checking that the scanning element of the device is also covered by Mopria certification.

Test any required scanning route separately, including:

• scanning from the Windows computer;
• scanning to email;
• scanning to a network folder;
• scanning to Microsoft 365 or another cloud service;
• searchable PDF creation;
• duplex scanning;
• address-book access;
• file naming;
• user authentication; and
• document-workflow software.

Some panel-based scanning functions operate independently of the Windows printer driver and may continue to work normally. Others may depend on desktop software or a specific scanning protocol.

The supplier should explain which part of each scanning workflow runs on the device, in Windows or through an external service.

Check the Existing Print-Server Arrangement

Businesses that currently distribute printers through a Windows print server should not assume that the same arrangement will continue unchanged.

Microsoft’s enterprise documentation warns that Windows Protected Print Mode uses Windows Ready Print and may not be compatible with servers that continue to rely on legacy drivers and protocols. It also states that a Protected Print Mode client cannot use Print Management to manage a server on which the mode is disabled.

Before replacing equipment, ask the internal IT provider or supplier to document:

• whether users connect directly to each printer;
• whether printers are distributed through a server;
• which drivers and protocols the server currently uses;
• whether Windows Protected Print Mode will be applied to users, servers or both;
• whether any cloud-printing service is involved; and
• who will test and support the revised arrangement.

The correct answer may differ between a small office with one network printer and an organisation managing many queues across several locations.

Run a Pilot Before Wider Deployment

Do not enable Windows Protected Print Mode across every computer merely to see what happens.

Enabling it can remove printers that currently depend on third-party drivers. Unsupported software printers may also be removed. Microsoft advises that compatible printers may need to be reinstalled after the setting is activated.

Use a controlled pilot involving a representative group of users and documents.

Test:

1. Installation of the exact quoted printer.
2. Printing from the applications staff use.
3. Colour, duplex and paper-tray settings.
4. Finishing functions.
5. Secure release and authentication.
6. Departmental or client-code entry.
7. Scanning.
8. Print-server or cloud-print integration.
9. Fault reporting and user support.
10. Removal and reinstallation of the printer.

Record any function that works differently from the existing setup.

Questions to Ask Before Accepting a Printer Quote

Ask the supplier:

1. Is the exact quoted model Mopria certified?
2. Is IPP enabled and supported?
3. Has the model been tested with Windows Protected Print Mode?
4. Can it be installed through Windows Ready Print without a traditional driver?
5. Is a manufacturer Print Support App available?
6. Which functions require that app?
7. Will stapling, folding, tray selection and specialist paper settings work?
8. Will secure print, user authentication and account codes work?
9. Is the scanner also compatible?
10. Does the setup work with our current print server or print-management software?
11. Which features have been demonstrated rather than assumed?
12. Who is responsible for Windows, network and printer configuration?
13. What support is provided if a future Windows change affects the workflow?
14. Will the agreed compatibility and required functions be recorded in the proposal?

Should You Reject a Printer That Needs a Traditional Driver?

Not necessarily.

Windows Protected Print Mode is currently optional, and Microsoft continues to allow separately supplied manufacturer drivers to be installed when the mode is not active.

A printer that depends on a traditional driver may still meet the organisation’s current requirements. The business should, however, understand that dependence before entering a long equipment or service agreement.

Consider:

• the expected life of the device;
• the organisation’s Windows upgrade plans;
• whether Protected Print Mode may be enforced by internal IT;
• the manufacturer’s support plans;
• the importance of specialist driver features; and
• whether an equivalent Windows Ready Print-compatible option is available.

The decision should be recorded rather than left as an assumption.

Confirm the Workflow, Not Just the Windows Logo

“Windows compatible” is no longer a sufficiently precise answer.

For a new office printer, confirm the exact model’s Mopria certification, Windows Ready Print support, scanner compatibility, Print Support App availability and ability to perform the business’s required tasks.

Then test the complete workflow using Protected Print Mode before committing to a wider rollout or a long-term agreement.

A successful test page proves that the printer can print. It does not prove that every tray, finishing option, security control, account code, scan route or management system will work as required.

Compare Printer and Photocopier Quotes

When requesting quotes, describe the Windows environment, required print functions, scanning workflows, security controls and any existing print-server or print-management arrangement.

Ask suppliers to confirm compatibility against the exact proposed model and configuration rather than relying on a general statement about the brand.