============================================================ TITLE: Windows Protected Print (WPP) Readiness Checklist | Free Download TYPE: article VERSION: 1 VERSION_ID: 2e4892f6-9f85-41ed-a169-84e1f84069b7 GENERATED_AT: 2026-06-12T11:41:01.236Z SUMMARY: Free WPP readiness checklist for IT admins. Audit your fleet for Mopria, then see the driverless solution that makes any printer WPP-ready. READING TIME: 19 min WORD COUNT: 3740 KEYWORDS: Windows Protected Print (WPP) Readiness Checklist, Free Download, What You'll Learn:, Frequently Asked Questions SOURCE URL: https://www.ezeep.com/guides/windows-protected-print-checklist ============================================================ KEY TAKEAWAYS: * What You'll Learn: * What This Checklist Covers, and Why The 24H2 Risk Comes First * Frequently Asked Questions * Dive Into the World of ezeep * Simplify Printing Across Your Entire Organization # Windows Protected Print Mode: The IT Admin Readiness Checklist Microsoft is replacing the Windows print stack. This checklist helps you audit your environment, plan the transition, and avoid printer failures when Microsoft cuts off third-party driver support in July 2027. Windows Protected Print (WPP) is Microsoft's print mode for Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025. It blocks third-party printer drivers and routes printing through the built-in IPP Class Driver, so only Mopria-certified printers keep working without changes. This checklist walks IT admins through auditing, testing, and planning a WPP-ready rollout, and it covers the driverless solution that skips per-device remediation entirely. IT Administrators IT Managers Infrastructure Managers ## What You'll Learn: * Audit every printer by driver type (V3, V4, or IPP/Mopria) and flag what isn't WPP-compatible * The local-admin risk on Windows 11 24H2, where a single user can enable WPP and remove every managed print queue on that endpoint * How to pilot WPP through Group Policy and validate finishing, secure release, and quota systems before rollout * Whether to refresh non-Mopria hardware (20 to 50% of a typical fleet) or change your print architecture instead * A suggested cutover timeline mapped to Microsoft's deadlines, complete by Q1 2027 ## What This Checklist Covers, and Why The 24H2 Risk Comes First The checklist walks through three phases: audit your environment, test before you commit, and plan the migration path. Before any of that, there's an immediate risk to address. On Windows 11 24H2, any user with local administrator rights can enable WPP from Settings before the environment is ready. The moment they do, every managed print queue on that endpoint is removed. Audit local administrator rights on 24H2 endpoints first. The audit phase inventories every printer by driver type (V3, V4, or IPP/Mopria), flags devices not on the Mopria certified list, lists advanced features in use (finishing, stapling, secure release, watermarks, accounting codes), and documents print servers, GPO driver deployments, and Point and Print configurations. The test phase enables WPP on a pilot device, confirms which printers reinstall via the IPP Class Driver, validates secure release and quota systems, and documents broken workflows. The plan phase decides whether to refresh non-Mopria hardware (20 to 50% of typical fleets) or change the print architecture, updates deployment scripts and onboarding documents, and budgets for help desk volume during transition. ## Frequently Asked Questions Curious about how it all works? Here's everything you wanted to know about ezeep's cloud printing solution. ##### How do I know if my printers are WPP-compatible? Inventory every printer with its driver type (V3, V4, or IPP/Mopria), then check each model against the Mopria certified-products directory at mopria.org/certified-products. Mopria-certified models keep working under WPP through the IPP Class Driver. In a typical fleet, 20 to 50% of devices are not WPP-compatible today, so a full fleet audit and migration plan is where the work starts. ##### Do I need to buy new printers for WPP? Not necessarily. WPP requires Mopria-certified printers or an IPP-capable path, and 20 to 50% of a typical fleet is not WPP-compatible today. You can replace those devices, or you can keep them and move the print driver off the endpoint with cloud rendering. Cloud rendering makes any printer work under WPP, Mopria-certified or not, without a hardware refresh. ##### What is the best solution for Windows Protected Print? There are two broad approaches. One is to make the fleet WPP-native: refresh non-Mopria printers, manage a Print Support App for each manufacturer, and confirm the IPP Class Driver covers your finishing and secure-release needs. The other is to remove print drivers from the endpoint with cloud rendering, so printers work whether WPP is on or off. ezeep uses the second approach, which avoids a hardware refresh. ##### What is the deadline to be WPP-ready? Microsoft's driver-servicing plan runs on set dates. No new third-party drivers have reached Windows Update since January 15, 2026. Windows defaults to the IPP Class Driver from July 1, 2026, and Microsoft ends third-party driver support in July 2027. A practical target is to complete production cutover on eligible endpoints by Q1 2027. ##### What happens if a user enables WPP before we are ready? On Windows 11 24H2, any user with local admin rights can turn on WPP from Settings. The moment they do, every managed print queue on that endpoint is removed. Audit local admin rights on 24H2 devices before you start planning, because an early, unmanaged cutover is the failure mode most teams do not see coming. ##### Can I avoid the WPP migration entirely? Yes, if you remove print drivers from the endpoint. Cloud rendering keeps drivers off every device, so printing works the same whether WPP is on or off, with no hardware refresh and no per-manufacturer Print Support Apps to manage. ezeep works this way, which turns the WPP migration into a non-event. ##### How do I enable Windows Protected Print Mode via Group Policy? Enable WPP through Group Policy at Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Printers → Configure Windows Protected Print Mode. Apply the policy to a pilot OU first, not production. The equivalent path in Intune is a Settings catalog configuration profile under Printers. WPP is admin-controlled, so the policy is the only way to turn it on at scale, and turning it off is just as straightforward if a rollback is needed. ##### How do I pilot Windows Protected Print before rolling it out? Enable WPP on a small non-critical segment of Windows 11 24H2 endpoints with confirmed Mopria-only queues. Confirm which printers reinstall automatically via the IPP Class Driver, validate advanced print functions (secure release, pull printing, quota systems), apply patch KB5043178 for early known issues, and document any broken workflows before broad rollout. A 60-day pilot window catches most edge cases before they become production tickets. ##### What is a realistic timeline to complete a WPP migration? A practical sequence is: complete driver and Mopria inventory in the next 30 days, pilot WPP on a small non-critical segment in the next 60 days, finish the fleet audit and the refresh-versus-architecture decision by end of Q3 2026, begin production cutover on Mopria-ready endpoints in Q4 2026, and complete cutover on all eligible endpoints by Q1 2027. That sits ahead of Microsoft's July 2027 third-party driver end-of-support deadline with buffer. Related Articles ## Dive Into the World of ezeep #### Guide: WPP and Your Print Fleet (Practical Path) #### Guide: Windows Protected Print for Enterprise IT #### Learn: What is Windows Protected Print (WPP)? ## Simplify Printing Across Your Entire Organization Replace print servers, eliminate driver management, and give every user a consistent printing experience from any device. 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