ARM Surface issues

Question

When I bought my last Surface (my third) I had no idea I was buying an ARM equipped unit. Why doesn't Microsoft highlights the Surfaces that are ARM equipped.

I keep on having issues caused by the at times insufficient performance of the ARM processor. But the most annoying one is that I cannot reliably print on my Canon G3730 from my PC. Every time, and I mean every single time I have to remove the printer and add it back.

Sometimes I urgently have to print documents. And I can count on my PC to be an impediment in reaching my goal.

Microsoft should warn its customers that the ARM equipped Surfaces have clear drawbacks. Why doesn't Microsoft do it?

P.S. Initially I mistakenly wrote Canon 6300. The Actual model number is G3730

UPDATE

Here is what Copilot suggests, after a few interactions to clarify the issue, as a fix:

Got it, Andrea — the fact that your Surface shows the printer as “Canon G3030 series” is the key to the entire printing failure. This single detail explains exactly why scanning works but printing does not. Let me break it down cleanly and precisely.

🎯 Why “Canon G3030 series” means printing will fail

Your printer is a Canon G3730. But Windows ARM has installed it as Canon G3030 series, which is:

• the wrong model family
• the wrong driver package
• not ARM‑compatible
• not the IPP Class Driver required for printing on ARM
  This mis‑identification happens because Windows sometimes pulls the wrong metadata from Canon’s network broadcast.

✔️ Canon PRINT doesn’t care

Canon PRINT uses its own protocol for scanning, so it works.

❌ Windows printing does care

Windows tries to print using the G3030 driver, which is:

• designed for x64 Windows
• not compatible with ARM
• not compatible with the G3730
• not functional for printing on your Surface
  This is why scanning works perfectly but printing always fails.

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🛠️ The fix (specific to your situation)

You must remove the incorrect driver entry and force Windows to install the correct one.

Step 1 — Remove the wrong printer

Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners
Remove Canon G3030 series

Step 2 — Restart the Surface

This clears the spooler and cached driver.

Step 3 — Re-add the printer via Wi‑Fi

Make sure the G3730 is connected to your router. Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Add device → Add printer
Let Windows detect it automatically.

Step 4 — Confirm the correct driver name

It must appear as:

Canon G3730 series (Microsoft IPP Class Driver) If it shows G3030, WSD, or Canon Inkjet, remove it and try again.

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✔️ Bottom line

Your Surface is trying to print using a driver for the wrong printer model, and that driver is not compatible with ARM. Fixing the driver entry will immediately restore printing while keeping Canon PRINT fully functional for scanning and multi‑page PDFs. If you want, tell me what driver name appears after re‑adding the printer, and I’ll guide you through the next step.

Currently I am thousands of miles away from home. I will try this fix when I am back in about one week.

Will it work? I hope so, but I have my doubts. Specifically, I can't understand why when I remove the printer and add it back, the Canon G3030 driver designed for x64 Windows and not compatible with ARM works, albeit only temporarily, until the printer (or the Surface) go idle again.

Answer 1

If the printer worked normally for several months, Andrea GG, and only started behaving this way after an update, this may not be a simple case of an unsupported printer or a fundamental ARM limitation. That points more toward a driver, Windows update, or communication issue that developed later rather than an incompatibility that existed from day one.

This distinction is important, because based on what you've described, the printer and Surface were capable of working together at one point. If you still remember the time around the issue first started, you can check Settings > Windows Update > Update History. If there's an update correspond with the issue, see if you can uninstall it and maybe that can make a difference(?).

Still, I agree with your broader point. Whether the root cause ultimately lies with Windows, the printer driver, or the manufacturer, it is understandable to feel the need to be informed of all pros and cons before making a purchase for a premium device.

The timeline you've described suggests there may be a software or driver change involved, and hopefully that can be identified and corrected rather than requiring new hardware. Given that the printer worked correctly before, I would be hesitant to conclude that you need to replace the printer yet.

Answer 2

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post. My frustration was compounded by the fact that I asked Copilot for help. I went through several iterations, each time providing additional information, and each time I received verbose instructions on how to fix the problem, all of which ultimately turned out to be inaccurate and useless.

I think Microsoft should be concerned about compatibility with older products when launching a new Surface. I didn't expect to have to throw away a new printer when I changed PCs. But apparently I was wrong.

The funny thing is that, for a few months, everything worked perfectly. Then, I think after some update, the PC stopped connecting to the printer automatically, unless I remove and add it back.

Answer 3

Hi Andrea GG,

I can understand your frustration. When purchasing a device, it is reasonable to expect common tasks such as printing to work reliably without having to repeatedly remove and reinstall a printer. Running into compatibility issues after your purchase can certainly make you feel like you're not provided enough information beforehand.

The challenge with ARM-based Windows devices is that some hardware manufacturers have not fully updated their software drivers for the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. While Microsoft does publish information about ARM and application compatibility, I agree that it sometimes can be easy to overlook for common users.

While posting here may attract others who have the same idea with you, it is unlikely that this will be reviewed by the engineering team. So if you would like Microsoft to review how ARM compatibility limitations are communicated to customers, I would encourage submitting feedback through the official channel:

1. Press Win + F to open Feedback Hub > submit under Surface category.
2. Describe the issues you're facing with ARM, especially involving the printer.
3. Explain that you want any limitations to be mentioned before buying process.

Regarding your printer, you should check with Canon support to see whether they provide an ARM64-compatible driver for your specific model, as that can sometimes resolve the need to repeatedly remove and re-add the printer. If your Surface is a recent purchase, you can also consider a replacement to not-ARM device.

Thank you for taking the time to share, and I know this is probably not the direct response you were looking for. But Q&A is just a community support forum, contributors here unfortunately do not represent Microsoft, and cannot speak on their behalf.

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