ezeep & Windows Protected Print (WPP)
Windows Protected Print Mode (WPP) is a security feature in Windows 11 (version 24H2 and later) and Windows Server 2025 that routes all printing through the modern IPP stack and blocks legacy third-party printer drivers. This guide walks you through installing the ezeep Print App for Windows, enabling WPP, and confirming your ezeep printers keep working.
Install ezeep first. Confirm your printers appear. Then enable WPP. When WPP turns on, Windows permanently removes any printer that isn't IPP-compatible — and turning WPP off again does not restore them.
Before you begin
- Windows version. WPP requires Windows 11 version 24H2 or later, or Windows Server 2025. On older builds the option won't appear.
- Administrator rights. You need local administrator access to install the print app and change the WPP setting.
- Windows edition. The WPP toggle in Settings is available on Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education. On Windows 11 Home, use the registry method described below.
- An ezeep account with printers assigned. Your printers should be connected to ezeep and assigned to you in the ezeep Portal before you start.
- ezeep Print App for Windows (May 2026 or later). This is the build that maps ezeep printers on WPP-enabled machines. Older versions don't support WPP.
- IPP not blocked. WPP uses the Internet Printing Protocol. Make sure no firewall or endpoint policy is blocking IPP.
Warning: When you turn WPP on, Windows permanently removes printers and ports that aren't IPP-compatible. Turning WPP back off does not restore them. Write down any local printers you need before you proceed. Printers managed through ezeep are not affected — the May 2026 Print App maps ezeep-managed printers as native IPP queues even when WPP is active.
How ezeep works with WPP
WPP requires IPP-only printing using Microsoft's own IPP class driver. ezeep already works this way: the May 2026 Print App maps your ezeep printers as native IPP queues using Microsoft's own IPP class driver, so no local drivers are required. Print jobs render in the cloud and deliver over IPP. That's exactly what WPP enforces — ezeep doesn't work around it, it works with it natively.
If you can't install anything on the device, ezeep also offers PrintNow: a browser-based print workflow in the ezeep Portal that prints without a local driver and without a Windows printer object. It works on any WPP-enabled or locked-down machine.
Part 1: Install the ezeep Print App for Windows
- Sign in to the Windows machine as an administrator.
- Log in to the ezeep Portal and open the download section, or go to ezeep.com/download. Under Print App for Desktops, choose Microsoft Windows.
- Right-click the installer and run it as administrator.
- Pick your language and accept the defaults at each prompt.
- Click Finish. Click Yes when prompted to reboot.
- After the machine restarts, the ezeep login page opens in your browser. Sign in with your ezeep credentials. Your assigned printers will appear in the print dialog of any application.
Part 2: Turn on Windows Protected Print Mode
Through Settings (Pro, Enterprise, Education)
- Press Win + I to open Settings.
- Go to Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
- Scroll to Printer preferences and find Windows protected print mode.
- Click Set up.
- Click Yes, continue at each prompt.
WPP is now active. The machine uses only the modern IPP print stack, and the print spooler runs with user privileges instead of system privileges.
Through Group Policy (for managed fleets)
- Open the Start menu, type Edit group policy, and press Enter.
- Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Printers.
- Double-click Configure Windows protected print.
- Set it to Enabled and click OK.
Part 3: Confirm ezeep printing still works
- Open any application and press Ctrl + P.
- Look for your ezeep printers in the printer list.
- Send a test page.
If it prints, you're done. WPP is active and ezeep is handling your printing through the cloud.
Troubleshooting
An ezeep printer is missing after enabling WPP.
Confirm you're on the May 2026 or later ezeep Print App. Reinstall as administrator and reboot. Then check that the printer is still assigned to your account in the ezeep Portal.
WPP was already enabled before ezeep was installed.
Install the May 2026 Print App as administrator and reboot. The app maps ezeep printers as native IPP queues on WPP-enabled machines — it doesn't need to have been installed before WPP was turned on.
Nothing prints and there's no error.
Check that IPP isn't blocked by a firewall or endpoint policy.
You need print logs.
Open Event Viewer and go to Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > PrintService.
You can't install anything on the device.
Use PrintNow from the ezeep Portal to print from the browser without a local driver.
FAQ
Does enabling WPP stop ezeep from working?
No. The May 2026 ezeep Print App maps ezeep-managed printers as native IPP queues on Windows 11 24H2 and Windows Server 2025 with WPP enabled. No local drivers are required. ezeep's cloud rendering handles print job conversion, so printing continues without disabling WPP.
Do I need to replace my printers because of WPP?
No. Because ezeep renders jobs in the cloud and installs no drivers on the endpoint, your existing printers stay usable after WPP is on — including older hardware that isn't natively Mopria-certified.
Should I install ezeep before or after enabling WPP?
Install ezeep first. Set up the Print App and confirm your printers appear, then enable WPP. That avoids a window where WPP is active but ezeep isn't yet mapped. If WPP is already on, see the troubleshooting section above — you can still install the May 2026 app and it will map your printers.
Can I turn WPP off again?
Yes, through the same Settings, Group Policy, or registry method you used to enable it. Printers and ports that Windows removed when WPP was turned on are not restored automatically. You'll need to add them back.
Is WPP on by default?
On physical Windows machines, no. As of mid-2026, it requires manual enablement via Settings, Group Policy, or the registry. If your organization manages Windows 365 Cloud PCs or Azure Virtual Desktop host pools, check with your Microsoft administrator — Microsoft has been tightening default printing restrictions on cloud-hosted Windows environments as part of its security baseline changes.
What is IPP and why does WPP require it?
IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) is an open, cross-platform standard for print communication that doesn't require device-specific drivers on the endpoint. WPP allows only IPP-based printing, which removes the attack surface that legacy print drivers created.