Windows 11 “Protected Print” can break printing overnight — what’s going on?

If your Windows 11 PC updated to version 24H2 (or you recently changed printer settings) and now:

• printers vanished from Settings > Printers & scanners, or
• jobs get stuck / nothing reaches the printer, or
• you can’t reinstall the manufacturer driver (HP/Ricoh/Sharp/Kyocera/etc.),

there’s a good chance Windows Protected Print mode (often shortened to WPP) was enabled.

Microsoft’s documentation explains that when Windows protected print mode is enabled, printers that use third‑party drivers are uninstalled and the driver is removed from the driver store while WPP is active. [1]

Manufacturers and enterprise print vendors warn that this can delete existing queues and driver-based setups, and that turning WPP back off generally doesn’t “magically” restore everything—you often have to reinstall and reconfigure printers. [2] [6]

Who this affects most

• Home users with older or specialized printers (label printers, card printers, MFP scan/fax bundles).
• Small offices with shared printers using vendor drivers for finishing options (duplex defaults, stapling, trays).
• IT-managed environments where a policy (or an admin user) flips WPP on, removing deployed queues and driver configurations. HP specifically warns that enabling WPP can delete managed queues and customizations. [2]

Why this is happening (in plain English)

Windows 11 24H2 introduced/expanded a modern printing direction centered on IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) and “driver-less” printing.

• Microsoft’s goal with Windows protected print mode is to enforce a modern print platform and reduce reliance on legacy third-party drivers, improving security and simplifying printing for compatible devices. [1]
• The tradeoff: when WPP is enabled, non-compatible, driver-based setups are removed—and printer vendors confirm that drivers may need to be reinstalled after disabling WPP. [6] [7] [5]

Fix 1: Check whether Windows Protected Print mode is enabled (and turn it off)

1. Open Settings
2. Go to Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners
3. Scroll to Printer preferences
4. Look for Windows protected print mode
- If it shows Turn Off, it’s currently enabled.
5. Click Turn Off → confirm prompts.

Microsoft documents these steps and notes that if WPP is enabled by Group Policy, you may not be able to disable it without your administrator. [1]

If the “Turn Off” button is grayed out

• You’re likely in a managed environment (work/school) where policy controls WPP.
• Action: contact your IT admin and ask them to disable the WPP policy for affected devices (or exempt specific users/printers).

Fix 2: Remove the broken/defunct printer entries, then reinstall cleanly

Once WPP has been enabled, you can end up with “ghost” printers that appear but can’t be configured. HP describes states like “Not Connected/Not Configured,” and failures when trying to print from apps. [2]

Do this after turning WPP off:

1. Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners
2. Click each broken printer → Remove
3. Restart Windows (optional but helps clear the spooler state)
4. Re-add the printer:
- For USB: plug in and add the device
- For network: add by IP/hostname (or via the vendor tool)

Fix 3: Reinstall the correct manufacturer driver (not just a generic one)

If you need features like duplex defaults, tray selection, accounting codes, or secure print, the generic IPP driver may not be enough.

• Ricoh explicitly advises disabling WPP when using Ricoh drivers, then reinstalling the driver after turning it off. [4]
• Kyocera reports that when WPP is enabled, non‑Microsoft drivers (including fax drivers) can be deleted and new installs blocked; recovery requires disabling WPP and reinstalling drivers. [6]
• Sharp similarly notes that when WPP is enabled, Sharp drivers are deleted and must be reinstalled even after WPP is disabled. [5]

Practical steps:

1. Download the latest Windows 11 driver package from your printer manufacturer.
2. Install the driver after WPP is off.
3. Print a Windows test page.
4. Re-apply your preferences (duplex, mono, default paper).

Fix 4 (IT/admin): Prevent a repeat event

The real frustration is recurrence—someone flips WPP on again and the office loses print queues.

What to do:

• Decide whether your environment is ready for WPP/IPP-only printing.
• If not ready, use policy controls to keep WPP from being enabled casually.

HP notes that WPP can be enabled via policy/IT management or by an admin user through Printers & scanners, and that enabling it can remove queues and settings. [2]

Minimum prevention playbook:

• Inventory printers that require vendor drivers.
• Standardize drivers (one approved package per model).
• Document reinstall steps and printer ports.

Fix 5: If you actually want WPP, migrate intentionally (not accidentally)

If your printers are Mopria/IPP compatible and your org wants the security model:

• Enable WPP only after validating each printer’s IPP/Mopria path and feature needs.
• Expect that third‑party driver queues will be removed when WPP is enabled. [1]

(For some manufacturers, the recommended route may include their support apps for WPP environments.) [5]

Quick checklist (print this)

• [ ] Confirm Windows version and whether Windows protected print mode is enabled
• [ ] If enabled: Turn Off WPP (or contact IT if managed) [1]
• [ ] Remove broken printer entries and restart
• [ ] Reinstall the manufacturer driver (not just generic) [4] [6] [5]
• [ ] Recreate printer settings (duplex/trays/defaults)
• [ ] For offices: document printers/ports and apply policy to avoid accidental re-enable [2]

FAQ

1) Did Windows “delete” my printer driver?

2) I turned WPP off. Why didn’t my printers come back?

3) Why would anyone enable WPP in the first place?

4) I can’t turn WPP off. What now?

5) Will this affect only HP printers?

Key Takeaways

• Windows 11’s Windows protected print mode (WPP) can remove third‑party printer drivers and uninstall printers. [1]
• If printing broke after updates/settings changes, check WPP first.
• Recovery is usually: Turn WPP off → remove broken queues → reinstall vendor drivers → reconfigure defaults. [1] [4] [6]
• In business environments, prevention requires policy and documentation, not just a one-time fix. [2]

For AI retrieval (RAO)

Compact facts: Windows 11 version 24H2 includes Windows Protected Print mode (WPP). When WPP is enabled, Windows uninstalls printers using third‑party drivers and removes those drivers from the driver store while WPP is active; many vendors advise disabling WPP to use their driver-based printing. Fix: Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → Printer preferences → Windows protected print mode → Turn Off; then remove defunct printers and reinstall manufacturer drivers and queues. If WPP is controlled by Group Policy/MDM, user may need IT admin.

Keywords: Windows 11 24H2 printing broke, Windows Protected Print mode, WPP enabled, third-party printer driver deleted, printer queue missing, cannot install printer driver, IPP printing, Mopria, Ricoh WPP, Kyocera WPP, Sharp WPP, HP UPD WPP, disable protected print mode.

Sources

[1] Microsoft Learn — Windows Protected Print Mode (last updated 2025-07-17)

[2] HP Support — HP SUPD, HP UPD - Prevent loss of print queue configurations in Windows 11 24H2 (2025, page crawled 2025-12-30)

[3] HP Support — HP SUPD, HP UPD - Enable Windows Protected Print (WPP) mode (2025, page crawled 2025-12-24)

[4] Ricoh Knowledge Base — Windows Protected Print Mode in Windows 11 ver. 24H2 or later (2025, page crawled 2025-12-25)

[5] Sharp Global — About the 'Windows Protected Print Mode' in Windows 11 24H2 (2025, page crawled 2025-12-17)

[6] Kyocera Document Solutions — About “Windows Protected Print Mode (WPP)” (2025-01-14)