Is anyone deploying Windows Protected Print (WPP) / Windows Ready Print in their environment yet?

[Jaan]

Hi everyone,

With Microsoft pushing hard on Windows Protected Print (WPP) to modernise the Windows print spooler architecture and mitigate legacy print vulnerabilities, I’m looking into what the migration path looks like for our environment.

We currently rely heavily on PaperCut for our print management (Find-Me printing, tracking, and secure release).

I know PaperCut published a comprehensive guide on WPP (https://www.papercut.com/discover/the-complete-guide-to-windows-protected-print-wpp/), but I wanted to check in here and see if anyone has actually started testing or deploying WPP alongside PaperCut in production or a staging lab yet?

Specifically, I'm curious about a few things:

1. Compatibility & Reliability: Have you run into any quirks with PaperCut tracking, hardware checking, or secure release when enforcing WPP on Windows 11?

2. Find-Me Printing: How are you handling queue redirection/Find-Me workflows with WPP’s strict Driverless/IPP-only requirements?

3. End-User Experience: Did your users notice any disruption during the transition?

If you’ve already taken the plunge or are actively testing this setup, I’d love to hear your thoughts, lessons learned, or any gotchas we should watch out for.

Cheers in advance!

[itskdog]

If I can't get the RISO drivers working with Mobility Print/Print Deploy over the summer, I'll probably try switching that on for a few machines.

 

When I tested it on my machine, I did run into a few hiccups when turning it back off to get the ID badge printer working again (as IDP don't have PPM support).

 

For the few weeks I did have it enabled (as part of troubleshooting issues with the Mobility Print drivers), however, the drivers that Print Deploy used did improve things and the printers even used my UPN rather than display name when releasing. Didn't enable it on the server - that's a 2016 server (our old AD server) so isn't supported. Still using the OEM drivers there.

 

If you're already using Mobility Print and/or Print Deploy, I don't see there being too many issues. If you're using SMB, I'm afraid that I have no experience to offer on that front as we moved to Windows 11 at the same time as moving to Entra and Intune.

[chazzy2501]

I tried and failed, it didn't support pin codes..

[pete]

Not yet, so I'm watching this with interest.  It'll cost me 3 ancient laserjets but the print volume on them is so low I can't really justify replacing them.

 

@chazzy2501 for print release on the copier?  Or to assign a cost centre to a print job while printing?

[itskdog]

37 minutes ago, chazzy2501 said:

I tried and failed, it didn't support pin codes..

 

Is that PIN codes in individual jobs or on the user account to sign in to the MFD?

 

I assume it's the former rather than the latter, as that should be independent of the print spool file and just authentication between the MFD's OS and PaperCut.

[chazzy2501]

pin codes for accounts

[itskdog]

A print spool file format shouldn't be affecting the login process - I assumed it did everything over PaperCut's API which would be independent of the print spooler, given it can work across Windows, macOS, and Linux servers.

 

Might be worth reaching out to your support contact on that one.

[chazzy2501]

ah my mistake, we don't use papercut, we print using PINS so we can track the accounting on the printer/s. (Not a great solution but free) The printers are set, No PIN, no print. Only the old V3 drivers allows for PIN entry. 

 

We could've setup AD accounting but that is per user! We want Per department.  Anyhow our model is stupid and the result of penny pinching. But the new model printing doesn't work for us.