Windows 11 and your Office Printer

Microsoft will officially end support for Windows 10 on 14th October 2025, and many businesses are now transitioning to Windows 11 to stay secure and up to date. 

After this date, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates, patches, or technical support for Windows 10. This leaves systems increasingly vulnerable to cybersecurity risks, software compatibility issues, and compliance concerns. 

To ensure your printing and scanning services continue running smoothly after this change, we want to highlight a few important considerations that could affect your office printers:

     1. Scan to Email  

Microsoft, Google and other major providers have phased out traditional password-based email logins for added security. This means: 

• Devices using basic username/password authentication for scan-to-email may stop working. 
• To avoid disruption, we recommend setting up modern authentication methods such as a service like our Hosted Scan to Email.

     2. Scan to Folder 

Windows 11 disables guest account access by default, which many printers rely on to scan to shared folders on a PC. 

• If this setting is not updated, you may experience a loss of scan-to-folder functionality. 
• We recommend configuring user-authenticated shared folders or using a scan to cloud service (such as OneDrive or Google Drive).

     3. Scanning to your printer’s Hard Drive

• When using Windows 11, due to security of the 3rd party device this function is disabled. Previously, this would allow access to anyone on the same network. 
• To continue scanning to a shared location, we recommend switching to a secure cloud service (such as OneDrive or Google Drive).

     4. Use of the correct Print Driver

• When you get your new computer, you will need to re-install the correct print driver. Using Window’s default driver could result in errors, incorrect formats and failure to print. 
• Our support team can help with reconnecting your printer to your new computer, including setup and printer preferences. 

What You Need to Do Next 

• Check how you currently send scanned documents (Email, Folder, Hard Drive). 
• Speak with us if you need help configuring updated settings. 

 We’re here to help make the switch easy. If you’d like our support team to discuss this with you then please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 01322 643826 or contact us.