Microsoft says that Windows 11 will retain legacy printer drivers

There was recent panic when it appears that Microsoft was deprecating legacy printer drivers in Windows 11. Users and organizations with older hardware were understandably concerned that the older hardware they were using was no longer going to work with the operating system.

There is some good news. While the original announcement about these drivers losing support came directly from Microsoft, the information was not in fact correct. So what is going on?

The company says that a notice posted to the Windows Roadmap last month was published in error – although it does not provide any explanation for how this could have happened.

Microsoft has issued a statement to Windows Central to try to clarify the situation and allay fears that have built up:

Windows has not ended support for legacy printer drivers. If your printer works with Windows today, it will continue to work, and no action is required. As of Jan 15, 2026, legacy drivers submitted to Windows Hardware Quality Labs and published to Windows Update will only be approved on a case-by-case basis, as described in the End of Servicing Plan for Third-Party Printer Drivers on Windows on Microsoft Learn.

Referencing the announcement that caused confusion and fear, Microsoft adds:

An update to the Windows Roadmap stated that Windows will no longer support V3 and V4 printer drivers—this update was inaccurate and has since been removed.

Windows Central suggests that it is the wording of the initial post that caused confusion, but this seems like a major slip up for Microsoft to have made.

While we have become used to the company releasing updates for Windows that cause problems, to publish announcements which are either misleading or just plain wrong is different territory.

The good news is, however, that your old printer should continue to work for the foreseeable future.

Image credit: Alexey Novikov / Dreamstime.com