Microsoft walks again its risk to older printers
Abstract created by Sensible Solutions AI
In abstract:
- Microsoft reversed its preliminary plan to deprecate legacy V3 and V4 printer drivers, clarifying that present older printers will proceed functioning usually.
- PCWorld stories that whereas producers can’t submit new drivers for older printers, present drivers stay unaffected and operational.
- Safety issues persist for legacy printers since they might not obtain new patches, although Home windows 11’s Protected Print Mode gives further safety.
Microsoft has walked again a controversial change to its characteristic roadmap that might have put hundreds of thousands of older printers in danger.
Earlier this month, Microsoft’s characteristic roadmap web page had indicated that older “V3” and “V4” printer drivers could be deprecated, or ended. If a consumer’s printer relied on these drivers, it might stop to work, supposedly. However as we famous then: “To be clear, which means legacy V3 or V4 printers will proceed to work as regular, however gained’t obtain new drivers by way of Home windows Replace.”
That’s the idea of an replace that Microsoft has made to the roadmap web page, and a clarification it additionally offered to Home windows Central.
“Home windows has not ended assist for legacy printer drivers. In case your printer works with Home windows at the moment, it should proceed to work, and no motion is required,” a Microsoft spokesperson informed the positioning. Primarily, nothing’s modified.
Microsoft continues to say that producers of older printers gained’t have the ability to submit new, up to date drivers for these older printers. However in my expertise, the older a {hardware} machine will get, the less updates {that a} machine maker will publish, anyway. The priority right here isn’t that the printer gained’t work — it should — however that its software program drivers are correctly patched to stop exploits. One of many best methods onto your community is by way of a legacy network-connected printer.
In 2025, for instance, researchers found that Brother printers have been open to hacks that allowed outdoors hackers to guess the default password on 689 Brother printer fashions. Printers from different producers have been rapidly discovered to be susceptible, too. (Ensure to alter your default passwords!) In July 2025, nonetheless, Microsoft applied Protected Print Mode inside Home windows 11 to assist intercept these assaults; our story tells you easy methods to flip Protected Print Mode on. It’s a useful instrument for securing these older, in any other case unprotected printers.
