What Windows Ready Print Is and Why It Matters
Windows Ready Print is Microsoft’s updated Windows printing system that replaces the Modern Print Platform name and focuses on simpler, standards-based printing with clearer driver controls for users and IT admins. It is designed to reduce driver headaches, improve reliability, and give organizations a more predictable way to manage printers across modern Windows devices. Instead of juggling multiple vendor drivers and custom tools, Windows Ready Print aims to provide a consistent experience where most supported printers use the same modern approach. Microsoft describes it as a “streamlined, dependable printing experience built for modern Windows environments,” highlighting reliability and security as key goals. For home users, this means fewer pop-ups and smoother installs. For IT teams, it promises less time spent troubleshooting mismatched drivers and more time on higher-value work.
From Legacy Drivers to Modern Printing Drivers
At the heart of Windows Ready Print is a move away from legacy, third‑party, driver-heavy workflows toward modern printing drivers that use open standards. Instead of each printer model bringing its own complex driver, new installations will prefer the Windows inbox IPP printer driver when the device supports Internet Printing Protocol (IPP). This aligns with other modern technologies such as eSCL scanning and Universal Print, giving a consistent way to talk to printers whether they are local or networked. According to Microsoft’s Windows IT Pro Blog, starting in July 2026 new printer installations will default to Windows Ready Print where supported, which reduces the need for traditional driver management. Older OEM drivers and devices are not being removed, but they move into a secondary role behind this modern, standards-based printing path.
New Print Driver Selection Controls for Everyday Users
For everyday Windows users, the most visible change is the new print driver selection setting in the Printers & Scanners page. You can now choose whether Windows should “Default install printers using Windows Ready Print,” which tells the system to prefer the modern IPP driver whenever a printer supports it. Turn the setting off and Windows reverts to its traditional driver selection, which may include OEM drivers. This configuration affects only new printer installations, so your existing printers keep working as they are. The idea is to give you a clear choice: simpler, more consistent installs with modern printing drivers, or the flexibility of vendor-specific drivers when needed. If you later enable Windows protected print mode, the choice becomes stricter: only printers that support Windows Ready Print can be installed at all.
What Changes for IT Admins Managing Print Infrastructure
For IT admins, Windows Ready Print turns printing into something closer to a managed platform than a collection of one-off drivers. With driver selection controls exposed both in Settings and Group Policy, admins can standardize how new printers are installed across fleets. In Group Policy, the “Configure Windows Ready Print driver ranking” setting lets you enable or disable Windows Ready Print driver selection centrally, making it easier to enforce modern driver usage or allow OEM drivers where required. When Windows protected print mode is enabled, printers are installed exclusively with Windows Ready Print, and devices that do not support it are blocked, raising the security bar. This helps reduce the attack surface of legacy drivers, cut down on printer-related support calls, and bring print infrastructure in line with other standardized, policy-driven Windows services.
How to Prepare for the Shift to Windows Ready Print
With new printers set to default to Windows Ready Print from July 2026, both users and IT teams have time to prepare. Home and small office users can start by checking whether their existing or planned printers support IPP and, where possible, enabling the “Default install printers using Windows Ready Print” option to enjoy simpler installs. IT departments should audit their current print fleet, identify devices that already support IPP and eSCL, and plan upgrades or exceptions for legacy hardware. Testing Windows Ready Print in a pilot group—such as on Windows 11 Insider builds where the experience is already available—will surface compatibility issues early. From there, admins can define policies: when to enforce Windows protected print mode, where OEM drivers must remain, and how to communicate the new behavior to end users to avoid surprises.
