As Microsoft continues to update Windows 11, one item that it’s dropping support for are V3 and V4 printer drivers. This move was advertised back in September 2023, as Microsoft claimed these printer drivers to be deprecated. As of January 2026, Microsoft has implemented a process to review new printer driver submissions to make sure they’re not these old models, and possibly not provide support if they are.
To explain what’s happening here, let’s give a bit of background information. A driver is a piece of software that acts like a translator between your computer and your printer. When you click to print on your computer, the driver converts your document into instructions the printer understands, including page layout, page size, and more. Windows has previously used Version 3 and Version 4 printer drivers, also known as V3 and V4. These versions now can be quite old depending on when you bought your printer, such as a decade or more. As such, they’re known as legacy drivers.
Microsoft wants to use modern printer drivers for Windows 11, which many printers today come with. While Windows 11 may be a broken mess, some users feel this is the right move to focus on more modern architecture.
What this means for your printer
First off, if your printer has a V3 or V4 driver, it will continue to work. It won’t suddenly stop and not allow you to print anything else. However, this could mean your printer stops installing Microsoft updates and may not get Windows support.
Does that mean it won’t function correctly? Not necessarily. Though a lack of updates and a lack of help from support if you run into trouble could mean a printer that eventually gives up and dies. It depends a lot on the age of your printer and how well you’ve taken care of it over the years. The end of support by itself, though, doesn’t automatically equal a bricked printer.
If you’re looking to buy a new printer — and if so, you may want to avoid these least reliable printer brands — you’ll want to ensure it isn’t V3 or V4. This is because starting in January 2026, Microsoft stopped publishing new V3 and V4 printer drivers through a Windows Update for Windows 11 and newer systems, meaning if a printer maker releases an updated legacy driver after that date, Windows Update won’t automatically deliver it. Chances are that if you have a new printer, you’ll be fine. It’s still worth checking, however, to make sure you know what to expect.
What users think about this Windows move
General user feedback has been positive regarding this move by Microsoft. On a Reddit thread discussing the update, posts say “I’m not gonna fault MS for this”, that there “are known vulnerabilities with such printer drivers that cannot be patched any more via Windows Update”, and a more sarcastic “Jokes on them, printer drivers never worked in the first place”.
However, there’s concern from some about having to rely on printer manufacturers to make the change to updated drivers, causing unnecessary difficulties for people who’ve bought relatively new printers, even after the 2023 announcement that V3 and V4 would be deprecated. One sentiment on another Reddit thread pointed out how this can affect offices, and that “Microsoft deprecated these drivers years ago and has given manufacturers and corporate IT plenty of time to prepare for this”.
It’ll be interesting to see how things play out as support is dropped for these old drivers and what problems it causes, if any. Windows 11 is the new standard for Microsoft now, and it has secret features worth exploring. Its compatibility with both legacy and new drivers will certainly be scrutinized in the years to come.
