Windows Protected Print Mode: The IT Admin Readiness Checklist

Inventory every printer with its driver type (V3, V4, or IPP/Mopria), then check each model against the Mopria certified-products directory at mopria.org/certified-products. Mopria-certified models keep working under WPP through the IPP Class Driver. In a typical fleet, 20 to 50% of devices are not WPP-compatible today, so a full fleet audit and migration plan is where the work starts.

Not necessarily. WPP requires Mopria-certified printers or an IPP-capable path, and 20 to 50% of a typical fleet is not WPP-compatible today. You can replace those devices, or you can keep them and move the print driver off the endpoint with cloud rendering. Cloud rendering makes any printer work under WPP, Mopria-certified or not, without a hardware refresh.

There are two broad approaches. One is to make the fleet WPP-native: refresh non-Mopria printers, manage a Print Support App for each manufacturer, and confirm the IPP Class Driver covers your finishing and secure-release needs. The other is to remove print drivers from the endpoint with cloud rendering, so printers work whether WPP is on or off. ezeep uses the second approach, which avoids a hardware refresh.

Microsoft's driver-servicing plan runs on set dates. No new third-party drivers have reached Windows Update since January 15, 2026. Windows defaults to the IPP Class Driver from July 1, 2026, and Microsoft ends third-party driver support in July 2027. A practical target is to complete production cutover on eligible endpoints by Q1 2027.

On Windows 11 24H2, any user with local admin rights can turn on WPP from Settings. The moment they do, every managed print queue on that endpoint is removed. Audit local admin rights on 24H2 devices before you start planning, because an early, unmanaged cutover is the failure mode most teams do not see coming.

Yes, if you remove print drivers from the endpoint. Cloud rendering keeps drivers off every device, so printing works the same whether WPP is on or off, with no hardware refresh and no per-manufacturer Print Support Apps to manage. ezeep works this way, which turns the WPP migration into a non-event.