The Print Purge: Microsoft Officially Kills Legacy V3 and V4 Drivers in Windows 11

Microsoft is retiring legacy V3/V4 Windows print drivers—already withdrawn in late-January optional Windows 11 updates—and will disable them by default starting with February 2026 cumulative updates, affecting Windows 11 24H2/25H2 and Windows Server 2025+. Positioned as a security and stability move to shrink attack surface, the change should be transparent for most modern printers but may disrupt older devices; users are advised to seek updated drivers/firmware or shift to IPP, with uninstalling the update only a temporary workaround.