Epson reset tool can't find the printer on Windows 11? Turn off Windows protected print mode and Windows Ready Print

The symptom

• The PC runs Windows 11.
• The Epson printer still prints, or Windows lists it under Printers & scanners.
• A reset tool cannot find it over USB. It cannot check the waste ink counter, and it cannot reset it. VNIT Reset Tool says it cannot find the printer, or that Windows is using a different driver.
• Changing the USB cable or the USB port does not help.

The cable and the printer are usually fine. The cause is how Windows 11 now installs printers.

What has to be true for the reset tool to work: Windows must have a printer called “EPSON (your model) Series” that uses Epson’s own driver on a USB port. Turning off Windows protected print mode and Windows Ready Print is only what lets Windows install that Epson driver. On its own, it is not the fix. In the reports our app sends back, the PCs that got stuck almost always had no Epson-driver copy of the printer on USB, and most PCs that got through did have one, whether or not Ready Print was off.

Why it happens

Two newer Windows 11 settings change which driver runs your printer:

• Windows Ready Print. Windows installs printers with Microsoft’s own built-in driver (the IPP class driver) instead of the maker’s driver. Epson says this feature “may interfere with the installation of your Epson printer driver”. Epson recommends the full Epson driver and recommends keeping Windows Ready Print off even after the Epson driver is installed.
• Windows protected print mode. This is a security mode that blocks third-party printer drivers. When it is turned on, Windows uninstalls printers that use third-party drivers and deletes those drivers. Microsoft says protected print mode “exclusively uses Windows Ready Print”, so while it is on, you cannot get the Epson driver back.

VNIT Reset Tool talks to the printer through the standard Windows USB Printing Support connection. When Windows runs the printer through Microsoft’s driver instead, the printer may no longer appear on that connection, and the tool cannot reach the counter. Printing still works, because Microsoft’s driver can print.

Other reset tools also need a direct USB link to the printer. If one of them suddenly stopped seeing your printer after a Windows 11 update, check these two settings first.

Fix: turn both off, then reinstall the printer

Do the steps in this order. Windows Ready Print cannot be switched back while protected print mode is on.

1. Turn off Windows protected print mode

1. Open Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Scroll down to Printer preferences.
3. Under Windows protected print mode, select Turn off, then Yes.

If the button is greyed out, a policy manages the setting:

• Work or school PC: your IT administrator set it. Ask them. Microsoft says it cannot be turned off from Settings in that case.
• Your own PC on Windows 11 Pro: press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc and press Enter. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Printers. Open Configure Windows protected print, set it to Disabled, click OK, then restart the PC.

2. Turn off Windows Ready Print

On the same Printers & scanners page, under Printer preferences, turn off Default install printers using Windows Ready Print.

This setting only affects printers installed from now on. The printer that is already installed keeps Microsoft’s driver until you remove it (next step).

3. Remove every Epson printer and reinstall with Epson’s driver

Do step 2 first. Otherwise Windows adds a Microsoft copy again as soon as you plug the cable back in.

1. Unplug the USB cable.
2. Press Windows + R, type control printers and press Enter.
3. Remove every EPSON printer you see (right-click it > Remove device), including copies ending in (FAX) or (Copy 1), (Copy 2)… Do not keep any of them. You do not need to work out which copy uses which driver: the installer adds the right one back.
4. Download the driver installer for your exact model from Epson’s support website and run it. Plug in the USB cable when the installer asks for it, straight into the PC, not through a hub. If it never asks, plug the cable in when the installer finishes.

It is done when EPSON (your model) Series appears in control printers.

4. Restart the printer, then check again

Switch the printer off with its power button, wait about 30 seconds, and switch it on again. Then press Check Printer in VNIT Reset Tool. It should now read the waste ink counter. The Windows step-by-step guide covers the rest, from the free counter reading to the reset.

Can I turn protected print mode back on afterwards?

Yes. The waste ink counter is stored in the printer, so a finished reset stays. If you turn protected print mode on again, Windows removes the Epson driver again and prints through Microsoft’s driver. The next time you need to read or reset the counter, turn it off again first. On a work PC, follow your IT department’s policy.

Still not found?

• Try another PC first, or a Windows 10 PC. If the printer is found there right away, the printer is fine and the problem is the first PC’s printer setup.
• Make sure the printer is on and not printing. Cancel any print job that is waiting in the queue.
• Use a USB cable and a USB port on the PC itself. Most models cannot be reset over Wi-Fi.
• Check the two things below. If either is wrong, do step 3 again.
• Still stuck? Press Chat with support in VNIT Reset Tool. The app sends its report with the message, so we can see which driver Windows is using on your PC. You can also contact us.

Check the Epson printer is on a USB port

1. In control printers, right-click EPSON … Series and choose Printer properties.
2. On the Ports tab, the ticked port must be USB001, USB002 or similar, not WSD, an IP address or “Virtual printer port”.
3. On the Advanced tab, the Driver must be Epson’s driver, not Microsoft IPP Class Driver.

Check that Windows uses the USB printing connection

1. Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
2. Open Universal Serial Bus controllers.
3. With the printer switched on and plugged in, you should see USB Printing Support. Unplug the cable and it should disappear.

If the printer shows up somewhere else with a different driver, right-click it and choose Update driver > Browse my computer for drivers > Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer. Choose USB Printing Support, click Next, then unplug and replug the USB cable.