When Windows 11 Decided I Didn’t Need Printers Today

Ran into a strange printer issue the other day that had me mutter a few things I probably shouldn’t repeat here. Thought I’d share it, just in case it saves someone else the same hassle.

Everything Worked—At First

I was setting up two network printers on a Windows 11 machine. Nothing fancy—just your standard TCP/IP installs. They tested fine, so I handed the machine off and went on my way.

Not long after, I checked in—and both printers were showing as offline. No changes made, nothing unplugged, just… not working.

Manual Printer Setup Was Locked Down

I went to remove and re-add the printers like I’ve done a hundred times before. But when I got to the install screen, the usual options—manual setup, finding older printers—were all greyed out.

That’s when I knew something odd was going on.

The Fix: Turn Off Protected Print Mode

After a bunch of digging, I found a setting under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners called Windows Protected Print Mode. It was turned on.

I switched it off—and boom, everything started working again. The manual printer options came back, and I could reinstall both printers without any issues.

What Is Protected Print Mode?

Basically, it’s a newer Windows security feature that blocks most third-party printer drivers and only allows Microsoft’s built-in print driver.

The idea is to make printing more secure—but the tradeoff is that you lose a lot of useful features like:

• Tray selection

• Advanced print settings

• Some multifunction options

For most users, that’s a pretty big limitation.

Microsoft Plans to Make This the Default by 2027

Yep, this setting isn’t just some random toggle—it’s part of Microsoft’s longer-term plan. Protected Print Mode is expected to be the default print setup starting sometime around 2027.

We’ll see if that timeline sticks, but it’s something IT folks should start getting familiar with now.

Final Thoughts

I’m still not sure how the setting got turned on—could’ve been a Windows update, a vendor tool, or maybe I just clicked too fast. But if your printers randomly stop working and the manual install options are missing, check that Protected Print Mode setting. It might be the culprit.