2023-09-08 13:59:33
Updating third-party printer drivers through Windows Update will no longer occur, according to Microsoft. On the support page, the user Barry Goldenfrom GitHub, published a document explaining the end of “third-party driver maintenance” in Windows Update and now supporting Mopria-compatible printers on network and USB interfaces using the “Microsoft IPP Class” driver.
In practice, ending support for third-party printer driver updates in Windows Update will eliminate the need for printer manufacturers to provide users with dedicated drivers, in addition to offering the ability to customize printing through Microsoft Store applications. This change will also bring improvements in terms of performance, reliability and greater compatibility with Windows editions and versions.
This change in support for printer drivers will happen gradually, in waves. According to Microsoft, the changes will happen as follows over the years:
2025: Manufacturers can no longer publish new printer drivers on Windows Update. However, they can still maintain and update existing drivers.
2026: Microsoft changes the printer driver sort order to make Windows favor the Inbox IPP class driver.
2027: Third-party printer driver updates are no longer available except for security-related fixes. However, existing third-party drivers remain accessible.
According to Microsoft, printer manufacturers may continue to provide “alternative means” for downloading product drivers. With this, customers will be able to choose to download drivers from official or third-party websites. Furthermore, the Windows developer makes it clear that it will not prevent users from using separate installation packages or removing features from the currently existing v3 and v4 printer drivers.
Which Windows will be affected?
According to Microsoft, its new printer driver support policy will affect all versions of Windows. In addition, it will be mandatory to have Mopria certification for the Hardware Lab Kit (a certification that guarantees a printer’s compatibility with a wide range of devices, including PCs, smartphones, tablets, etc.). If you want to know more details regarding this change, just access this document.
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