How to turn of protected printer mode

[Mairnly]

Accidentally turned on protected printer mode. My printer isn't compatible, so now I can't print at all. How do I get rid of protected mode?

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @Mairnly 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

Thanks for sharing the issue. It’s understandably frustrating when Protected Printer Mode gets enabled by mistake and blocks all printing—especially if your HP printer isn’t compatible with that security feature.

Here’s exactly how to turn Protected Mode off and restore normal printing:

How to Turn Off Protected Printer Mode

Method 1: Turn It Off via Print Server Properties

Press Win + R, type control printers, and press Enter.
This opens the Devices and Printers window.

Click on any printer just once to select it.

At the top menu bar, click Print Server Properties (you may need to press Alt to show the menu bar).

Go to the Drivers tab.

For your printer's driver, double-click it or select it and click Properties.

If you see a checkbox for “Isolated (Protected) Mode”, uncheck it.

Click OK, then restart your computer.

Method 2: Uninstall and Reinstall the Printer Driver

If the above methods don’t work or the driver is stuck:

Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.

Select your printer and click Remove device.

Open Device Manager, expand Print queues, and uninstall the driver (if it’s still listed).

Restart your PC.

Download the latest driver from:
HP Printer Drivers

Reinstall without enabling Protected Mode during installation.

Let me know your printer model and Windows version if you’d like step-by-step help specific to your system.

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Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye