Windows Ready Print Is Here: What Changed and What to Check

A quiet Windows milestone arrived last Wednesday. July 1, 2026 is the date Windows' printer-driver ranking switches to prefer Microsoft's own built-in printer driver over the one your printer's manufacturer supplies, according to Microsoft's end-of-servicing plan for third-party printer drivers. Microsoft now calls this built-in approach Windows Ready Print.

For most offices, nothing visible happened on July 1, and that's worth knowing before anyone panics. Printers that already work keep working. The change shows up the next time a PC adds a printer: a new laptop, a rebuilt workstation, or a copier re-added after a swap. Here's what changed, what didn't, and what to check. For the longer backstory, see our January post on Canon's vulnerability and Windows' driver changes, which flagged this date back then.

What changed on July 1, 2026?

Under Microsoft's plan, Windows now ranks its built-in IPP class driver first when it chooses a driver for a printer that supports IPP. Microsoft's published timeline lists July 1, 2026 as the date the printer driver ranking order is "modified to always prefer Windows IPP inbox class driver," and Neowin and Windows Latest reported the same date.

In plain English: IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) is a standard way for computers to talk to printers, and an "inbox class driver" is a generic driver that ships inside Windows. When a printer supports it, Windows now reaches for its own generic driver first instead of the manufacturer's.

What is Windows Ready Print?

Windows Ready Print is Microsoft's new name for its modern, driverless print platform. According to Microsoft Learn, it covers IPP printing through the built-in class driver, plus eSCL scanning and Universal Print, and it doesn't require installing third-party drivers. Microsoft says it's designed to work with Mopria-certified printers and that many existing printers are already compatible. Petri and Redmond Magazine describe the same move away from manufacturer drivers toward standards-based IPP printing.

What did the June 23 preview update add?

It brought the new default and a switch to control it. Microsoft's optional preview update for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2, KB5095093, released June 23, makes new printer installations use IPP by default when the printer supports it, a change Windows Report also covered. Microsoft lists that change under the update's gradual rollout, so it doesn't reach every PC at once.

The same update added a toggle at Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Default install printers using Windows Ready Print, as Redmond Magazine also noted.

Will my existing printers stop working?

No. Microsoft's FAQ says existing printer drivers can still be installed even after the end of servicing, vendor-supplied driver packages can still be installed, and there are no plans to disable print features tied to the older driver platform. The new default applies to new printer installations, according to Microsoft's KB5095093 notes, and Windows Latest and Petri likewise report that printers already set up keep working.

So if your front-desk printer and your copier print fine today, July 1 didn't touch them. There's no reason to reinstall a working printer just to move it to the new driver.

Can I still choose the manufacturer's driver?

Yes. Microsoft lets you choose between installing a printer through Windows Ready Print or through the manufacturer's (OEM) driver, acknowledging that not every environment can switch right away, as Neowin and Petri reported. Microsoft's Windows Insider release notes explain the toggle: when it's on, Windows installs supported printers using IPP by default; when it's off, Windows may use other available installation methods.

You can also still install a manufacturer's driver package downloaded from its website, which BleepingComputer noted when Microsoft first announced the plan.

What features might you lose with the built-in driver?

Possibly the extras your office relies on. HP's Windows Protected Print whitepaper says Microsoft's IPP class driver "offers a minimal set of features intended to meet most users' needs for basic print." Canon warns that with Microsoft's driver instead of its own, advanced layout and finishing features may be unavailable, and device monitoring and maintenance features may be limited.

Both companies offer Print Support Apps through the Microsoft Store to add brand-specific settings on top of the built-in driver, including HP's Print Support Application for select HP models. According to Microsoft, Windows Ready Print works with these print support apps to customize the print experience. Microsoft's Universal Print documentation also notes that some printer functions are only available through the manufacturer's driver or app, and suggests checking Printing Preferences to confirm the options you need are there.

For an office, the features worth testing are the ones nobody notices until they're gone: tray selection, two-sided printing, stapling and hole-punching, secure or PIN release, and department or accounting codes.

When is the next deadline?

July 1, 2027. After that date, Microsoft's timeline says third-party printer-driver updates will no longer be allowed except for security-related fixes. Existing third-party drivers can still be installed from Windows Update or from the manufacturer's installation package. Neowin and BleepingComputer reported the same milestone.

That makes the next 12 months a sensible planning window. A printer that only works properly with its maker's driver will keep printing, but after July 1, 2027 Microsoft's timeline allows only security-related updates to third-party printer drivers.

What this means for San Fernando Valley offices

Because the change only bites when a printer is added, Valley offices will meet it one PC at a time: when a new hire's laptop arrives, when a workstation is rebuilt, or when a leased copier is swapped and re-added. An office with a mix of new and older PCs could even see the same copier offer different options on different desks.

The businesses most likely to notice are the ones that lean on copier extras. For example, a law office that sends out stapled, hole-punched filings, a medical office that uses secure release so patient paperwork doesn't sit in the output tray, or an accounting firm that tracks printing by client code should test those features on every new PC. Our guides for medical offices and law firms cover the setups where these features matter most, and we work with offices across the San Fernando Valley communities we serve.

What to do now

1. Leave working printers alone. The July 1 change doesn't alter printers that are already installed.
2. Check the driver on every newly added printer. On a Windows 11 PC, open the printer's properties and look at the driver name on the Advanced tab. If it names Microsoft's IPP class driver rather than your printer's brand, Windows chose its built-in driver.
3. Test the features your office depends on. Before handing a new PC to its user, print a job that uses the trays, two-sided printing, finishing, secure release or accounting codes you rely on.
4. Fill any gaps. If something is missing, install the manufacturer's Print Support App from the Microsoft Store, or turn off "Default install printers using Windows Ready Print" and install the manufacturer's driver package.
5. Be consistent. Decide printer by printer whether your office uses the built-in driver or the maker's, and set up every PC the same way. Our printer driver management guide covers how.
6. Buy with the change in mind. When buying or leasing, ask whether the model is Mopria-certified and whether its maker offers a Print Support App. Our recommended printers are a good starting point.
7. Put July 1, 2027 on the calendar. List any printer that only works properly with its maker's driver, and plan its replacement before driver updates become security-only.

Not sure which driver your printers are using, or whether a copier will lose features on new PCs? Book a free virtual consultation and we'll check it with you.

Update (September 30, 2026)

Since this post was published, the new default has moved from an optional preview into Windows' regular monthly security update. According to Microsoft, the July 14, 2026 security update for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2, KB5101650, includes the improvements from the June 23 preview (KB5095093). BleepingComputer and Windows Latest both reported that KB5101650 brings IPP-by-default printer installations. On PCs with July's security update or later, newly added printers may default to Windows Ready Print when the printer supports it, so the checklist above applies to every new setup.