Windows 11 "Printer Protection Mode" (also called Windows Protected Print Mode, or WPP) can be turned off as follows:

Via Settings:

  1. Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners
  2. Look for "Windows protected print mode"
  3. Toggle it Off

Via Group Policy (Pro/Enterprise):

  1. Open gpedit.msc
  2. Navigate to Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Printers
  3. Find "Configure Windows protected print mode"
  4. Set it to Disabled, then apply

Via Registry:

  1. Open regedit
  2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\WPP
  3. Set (or create) DWORD WindowsProtectedPrintGroupPolicyState to 0
  4. Restart

Note: WPP only supports printers that use the Mopria/IPP standard. If you're disabling it to use an older printer that relies on a third-party (V3) driver, that's the usual reason. A restart is recommended after changing the setting.

If the toggle is greyed out, it's being enforced by policy (Intune/Group Policy) — given your Opticare environment, it may be managed through Intune, in which case you'd adjust it via a configuration profile rather than locally.