The printer drivers move to Windows Update on Windows 10 October Update

Starting with Windows 10 version 1809, printer and scanner drivers are no longer part of the standard operating system image. This means that drivers for such hardware need to be installed from Windows Update, so an Internet connection is required to download the latest software. In a recent statement, Microsoft explained that the change was specifically made to make the Windows image lighter.

“Starting with Windows 10, version 1809, inbox print and scan drivers have moved to Windows Update. Prior versions of Windows included basic printer drivers that enabled simple printing when a full feature driver was not available. To reduce the Windows footprint and provide more storage space to users, these drivers no longer ship with the OS and instead are available through Windows Update.”

Although this method may cause problems in some cases, Microsoft said it would handle the update strategy of the printer and scanner drivers to make the implementation of the new system as smooth as possible.

Users who have upgraded from the old Windows 10 to the October 2018 update will not notice any differences because the hardware drivers are already installed.

If you can’t access Windows Update, for example, if there is no Internet connection, Microsoft says Windows 10 will install a Mopria-compatible printer without the need for additional drivers.

“Starting with Windows 10, version 1809, Windows has added support for Mopria-compatible Wi-Fi printers. When a driver is not available, Windows can install these printers without you needing to install any additional software or drivers.”

Via: Microsoft