Windows Wants to Phase Out Third-Party Printer Drivers

Over the next four years, Microsoft will slowly wean Windows off of third-party printer drivers. Manufacturers will lose the ability to publish printer drivers in Windows updates, and the Windows operating system will mainly rely on Microsoft's IPP Class Driver, which offers native support for Mopria-compliant printer devices. The transition may not be smooth for everyone, but it should streamline printer usage and development, as manufacturers won't need to tailor drivers to each Windows release.