2y ago

Microsoft to kill off third-party printer drivers in Windows

www.theregister.com

Microsoft to kill off third-party printer drivers in Windows::Go native or go home: End of servicing plan rolled out for legacy printer drivers in fresh update

29 comments

Huh. Will this stop HP no ink no scan tomfoolery?
- If you can print without installing hp software, yes.
  I been amazed by epson. Bought an ecotank, with scanner and use it through the network. I didnt had to install epson software for use either the printer or the scanner.
  
  Doesn’t that mean they just need to move their bullshit into the printer firmware rather than in their driver bloat software?
  Or if they decide not to use the standard drivers and keep things customer-hostile, maybe their printer won’t work at all without their own software package.
  I’m in the Brother laser printer gang, so I don’t know how egregious they are with this stuff already.
  
  ? there's nothing about this that would stop the hp no ink no scan thing. the drivers just talk to the printer/scanner, the scanner can still refuse to do things if it wants to.
  
  They'll just bake that logic into the printer directly
- No.
  -- According to the article, it’s just removing them from Windows Update. Microsoft doesn’t want the hassle. Vendors could still make you use them
  — I like the description of a new printing standard Microsoft will directly support, but since it’s owned by the vendors, they can probably require customer-hostile “features”--
- No that won't be done by the pc software most likely.
So Microsoft is no longer sending third party printer drivers thru Windows Update. You'll have to download the drivers yourself from the manufacturer, or hope the printer supports PCL/PS generic drivers (which they all should, but often don't).
If your first response is "but Linux", remember that PCL, PS and TXT drivers are the majority of printer support in Linux, seconded by the HPLIP driver.
Brother products will work 100% as always though. 👍
- Unless your my wife who complains about it because it doesn't print neatly on her crazy sticker paper
To be clear, the end of servicing applies to drivers provided via Windows Update. Manufacturers will, according to Microsoft, "need to provide customers with an alternative means to download and install those printer drivers."
So what does this mean for my old laser printer dating back to the early 2000s? Will I not be able to use that anymore?
It's still perfectly functional, so it would be a bit of a shame and a waste of money to have to replace it.
- from the article:
  "To be clear, the end of servicing applies to drivers provided via Windows Update. Manufacturers will, according to Microsoft, "need to provide customers with an alternative means to download and install those printer drivers."
  so no, this is click bait for what amounts to a nothingburger
- linux
  
  If it's supported on Linux, A Pi Zero 2 W print server would be a cheap path forward.
For a moment I thought this was a great decision. Forcing printer manufacturers to use single protocol and unifying the whole thing. But naaah, Microsoft just doesn't want to deal with it.
Sounds like someone at Microsoft finally got fed up with the "fix my printer" jokes
Microsoft Cups-365^tm

29 comments