PC asking for driver update in non-admin account

The behavior is caused by the security changes to Point and Print introduced by updates released August 10, 2021 and later (CVE-2021-34481). By default, non‑administrator users can no longer install or update printer drivers from a remote print server without elevation, so Windows repeatedly prompts to install/update the driver even if it appears already installed.

To reduce or control these prompts while staying within the supported configuration, use Group Policy on the domain/OU that manages these PCs:

1. Ensure all print clients and the print server are fully updated
   • Install updates released October 12, 2021 or later on both print servers and clients. These updates fix a known issue where clients and servers in different time zones could cause repeated prompts.
   • If the problem persists, obtain and deploy the latest printer drivers from the printer OEM on both the print server and clients, and ensure the same driver version is used on both.
2. Verify driver consistency between server and clients
   • The client compares the driver files in the spool folder (for example, C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\x64\3) with the package offered from the server (C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\x64\PCC).
   • If these do not match, the client is prompted to install/update the driver each time it prints. Make sure the driver package in PCC corresponds to the same driver version that is installed in the server’s \3 folder.
3. Configure Point and Print Restrictions at the computer level
   • Open Group Policy Management Console (GPMC).
   • Navigate to the domain or OU that contains the computers/users.
   • Create and link a new GPO, then edit it.
   • Go to: Computer Configuration → Policies → Administrative Templates → Printers.
   • Open Point and Print Restrictions.
   • Set it to Enabled.
   • Select Users can only point and print to these servers and specify the fully qualified names (or, with newer updates, dot‑delimited IP addresses) of the trusted print servers, separated by semicolons.
   • For maximum security (recommended by KB5005652), set:
     • When installing drivers for a new connection: Show warning and Elevated Prompt.
     • When updating drivers for an existing connection: Show warning and Elevated Prompt.
4. Ensure the policy is applied in the correct location
   • Point and Print Restrictions must be configured under Computer Configuration. If only configured under User Configuration, Windows ignores them and continues to prompt for admin credentials.
   • For mixed client environments, configure the policy in both locations, but rely primarily on the Computer Configuration path.
5. As a less secure alternative (not recommended)
   • The prompts can be suppressed by disabling Point and Print Restrictions entirely:
     • Computer Configuration → Policies → Administrative Templates → Printers → Point and Print Restrictions → Disabled.
   • This removes the enhanced printer driver installation security and should only be used if the environment cannot operate with the default secure behavior.

If, after applying current updates and aligning driver versions, the prompts still occur, contact the printer manufacturer to obtain updated, package‑aware drivers that work correctly with the current Point and Print security model.

References:

• KB5005652—Manage new Point and Print default driver installation behavior (CVE-2021-34481)
• Point and Print Restrictions policies are ignored in Windows
• Managing network printing in a Windows environment
• Point and Print with Packages