Microsoft will block 3rd-party printer drivers in Windows Update

Image: Midjourney

Microsoft will artifact third-party printer driver transportation successful Windows Update arsenic portion of a important and gradual displacement successful its printer driver strategy complete nan adjacent 4 years.

"With nan merchandise of Windows 10 21H2, Windows offers inbox support for Mopria compliant printer devices complete web and USB interfaces via nan Microsoft IPP Class Driver," Microsoft says.

"This removes nan request for people instrumentality manufacturers to supply their ain installers, drivers, utilities, and truthful on."

According to Johnathan Norman, Microsoft Offensive Research & Security Engineering (MORSE) main technologist manager, nan institution will instrumentality a caller default people mode to disable third-party drivers for printing purposes.

This move intends to bolster nan wide information of nan Windows ecosystem since printer driver information flaws impacting hundreds of models person often remained unnoticed for years connected end, exposing users to important information risks.

"We are making immoderate large changes to Print successful Windows. This is nan first measurement towards a much unafraid and modern people system," Norman tweeted.

"In nan adjacent early Windows will default to a caller people mode that disable 3rd statement drivers for Printing," Norman added successful a Mastodon toot.

Starting successful 2025, Microsoft will extremity accepting driver submissions from printer vendors, and nary caller third-party printer drivers will beryllium published to Windows Update.

One twelvemonth later, successful 2026, nan institution will modify nan printer driver ranking to prioritize in-house Windows Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) Class drivers.

Third-party printer driver updates will nary longer beryllium delivered via Windows Update unless they supply information fixes, opening pinch 2027.

Past this point, Windows will still let users to instal printer drivers provided by vendors arsenic standalone installation packages done their websites.

All drivers released by printer vendors will still activity and tin beryllium installed connected each Windows versions moreover aft third-party printer drivers scope nan extremity of servicing.

"Existing third-party printer drivers tin beryllium installed from Windows Update aliases users tin instal printer drivers by utilizing a people instrumentality manufacturer-provided installation program," Microsoft explains.

"However, successful 2025 caller printer drivers will nary longer beryllium published to Windows Update. Manufacturers and independent package vendors will request to supply customers pinch an replacement intends to download and instal those printer drivers."

Microsoft will support issuing information patches for bequest printer drivers arsenic agelong arsenic nan respective Windows versions are wrong their Microsoft Support Lifecycles.