Third-party printer drivers will go the way of the dodo, Microsoft warns

[Alfonso Maruccia]

The big picture: Microsoft is preparing a big change in how printer manufacturers and customers interact with Windows. In a few years from now, Redmond's operating system won't provide any "official" means for third-party driver distribution. Security and reliability for printing operations will improve as a result, hopefully.

Microsoft has just announced a somewhat revolutionary change for the whole Windows-based printing ecosystem. The company decided to put an end to the official servicing operations provided through Windows Update, essentially turning third-party printer drivers into a kind of endangered software. Manufacturers and users will have plenty of time to adapt to the new normal, however.

Redmond is seemingly aware of the fact that the end of servicing plan for third-party printer drivers on Windows is a substantial change in how things work in the printing world. The plan begins in September 2023, but it will go on until 2027,and third-party companies will still be able to provide whatever kind of software support they want to customers.

Microsoft's new support document states that no new printer drivers will be provided to users through the Windows Update service by 2025. Existing printer drivers will still be updated. In 2026, printer drivers will have a lower ranking order than Windows official IPP class driver. Finally, in 2027, third-party drivers will no longer be allowed on Windows Update except for important security-related fixes.

Windows 10 21H2 introduced support for Mopria-compliant printer devices over network and USB interfaces via the Microsoft IPP Class Driver, Microsoft explains. Mopria is an industry standard conceived to provide seamless printing and scanning operations on PCs and mobile devices, while the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) manages communications between client devices (PCs, smartphones) and printers via an IPP port.

Microsoft suggests that thanks to Mopria support and its IPP native driver, Windows doesn't need third-party drivers to properly manage printers, scanners and multi-function devices anymore. Manufacturers will need to provide their own UWP app through the Microsoft Store if they want to customize users' printing experience, and moving customization from the Win32 framework to UWP will seemingly improve reliability and performance for everyone.

Even after 2027, Microsoft confirms, Windows will still allow third-party software and drivers to run on customers' PCs. Stubborn manufacturers will be able to provide their own installation packages, with printer drivers, custom Win32 applications and everything else, outside of the Windows Update infrastructure.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/100081-third-party-printer-drivers-go-way-dodo-microsoft.html

 

[Uncle Al]

"hopefully", that's a constant theme of an equally constantly failing of MicroSludge. I hope the 3rd party people out there are prepared to step in and "fix" the MicroSludge fixes ....

 

[madboyv1]

So nothing really changes for my work environment, since outside the HP Universal Print Driver I still rely on manufacturer install packages/driver downloads. Not because I'm old fashioned, but because the drivers provided by WU were usually very out of date or just did not work...

 

[human7]

It sounded fine until this line: "Manufacturers will need to provide their own UWP app through the Microsoft Store if they want to customize users' printing experience".

UWP apps are so slow and finicky, I try to avoid them. Hoping for the best, I guess.

 

[OortCloud]

It sounded fine until this line: "Manufacturers will need to provide their own UWP app through the Microsoft Store if they want to customize users' printing experience".

UWP apps are so slow and finicky, I try to avoid them. Hoping for the best, I guess.

You wont need to install a Store App to get normal printer/scanner operations though. So it should be fine.

 

[amghwk]

Oh yeah? (Asks a Linux user)

 

[human7]

You wont need to install a Store App to get normal printer/scanner operations though. So it should be fine.

I don't trust printer companies enough to believe that, but I can hope.

 

[StupidPeopleSuk]

If only they could stop HP/Canon etc from bricking their printers unless branded ink carts are used, as well as allowing scan & fax operations to occur without any ink installed....

That, IMHO, would be a far greater/better use of their (MS) engineering talents

 

[trgz]

What's a printer? After going as paperless as possible around 15 years ago, I ditched my personal one about 8 years ago, and my work printer/scanner 4 years ago.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Windows Update hardly ever finds drivers for the printers at work, despite them being there, its like a 15% success rate. And if your organization has firewall controls, good friggin luck.

Maybe MS should be focusing on de bloating windows instead of screwing with drivers? Last time they did that it took half a decade to fix. We dont want to use your bloated garbage store MS! Figure it out already.

 

[p51d007]

Can't remember the last time Windows EVER found an updated print driver, even when I knew there were updated drivers available.

 

[Gezzer]

What's a printer? After going as paperless as possible around 15 years ago, I ditched my personal one about 8 years ago, and my work printer/scanner 4 years ago.

I'd be right there with you. But I need my printer for D&D hand outs and other TT stuff. And yes I do use a HDTV, but it's amazing how much moaning I get if I don't supply personal copies...

 

[hwertz]

Yeah, I'm not sure what has changed here either. The windows machines I've used, they got a printer driver from HP or Canon or whoever, and Windows update did not update it. And the UWP thing? Well, they've tried that for, what was it? Video drivers? And basically, nvidia, etc. all provide a non-UWP package anyway, since UWP is crap.

 

[mbrowne5061]

I know everyone is going on about broken printer drivers updates on Windows, but I suspect that is what is driving that change:

Microsoft is probably trying to force printer companies to support the built-in printer drivers in Windows natively, rather than brew their own each time. I'm sure HP will still try to force/trick their customers into downloading an executable to handle printing, but I am betting that Microsoft is hoping they can force HP to provide basic support for the built-in print drivers. And hopefully some built-in scanning drivers, too.