I want to remove/delete printer/driver from Windows 7, and unable to find any documentation.

Anonymous
2010-05-27T13:20:50+00:00

New DELL computer Windows 7 (less than 30 days old), and want to remove/delete persistant printer/driver.

Was not able to find any documentation on the issue, and neither DELL nor Microsoft are willing to provide any kind of support unless its paid for a product/service that is less than 30 days old.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2011-06-19T11:22:13+00:00

OK, I have found the solution to this problem... the info above is correct as far as it goes, but in my case there was (a) no option to clear the print queue on two 'ghost' printers because they were disconnected and unavailable, so no option for the print queue was displayed, and (b) one was shared on the network and had a TCP/IP printer port assigned to it.

Here's how I did it, step-by-step:

  1. right-click on desktop, create a new shortcut with target as 'cmd.exe'.
  2. right-click on the shortcut, "Run as Administrator"
  3. Run the printui tool:  printui /s /t2
  4. Try deleting the printers. If that doesn't work...
  5. CLick Start > Run > Services.msc
  6. Locate the Print Spooler service, and right-click > Properties > stop service.
  7. Open My Computer and browse to c:\Windows\System32\spool\Printers

(you will need to say "oK" to get access to the folder).

  1. DELETE the contents of that folder.
  2. Restart the Print Spooler service.
  3. Go back into the printui utillity (might need to restart it using same method as above) and try removing printers again. This time it should work. If necessary, check the "Ports" tab and remove any TCP/IP ports that are associated with the old printer.
  4. Last but not least, I checked other computers on my home network to see if any of those had mapped to the old printer, and I removed those mappings, as the date of spooled documents suggested it was printed to long after it was physically removed.

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Anonymous
2010-06-02T22:13:48+00:00

You can remove print drivers that are not associated with a local printer or connection using the printui.exe tool

in an admin elevated command prompt type

printui /s /t2

Be sure to remove the driver AND the package.

Alan Morris Windows Printing Team; Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here: http://support.microsoft.com/search/Default.aspx?adv=1

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-08-12T10:31:08+00:00

    in windows 7, go to the control panel and enter the administrative tools. the use the printer manager, go to the driver packages and right click the select remove driver package. you can only do this once the printer has been uninstalled and the machine has been restarted otherwise the driver will still be displayed as in use.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-07-18T15:23:37+00:00

    Does using BartHenrick's 11 step procedure remove the driver from the W7 "resident"/pre-installed (or maybe pre-available is a better word) drivers, or just from the existing printers?

    I'm trying to delete the printer, but leave the drivers on the machine for later use (in case I don't have internet access to download the driver). I just don't want the drivers "active", looking for the printer which has been removed.

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-07-18T14:49:39+00:00

    BartHenrick, in step 11 you said "to see if any of those had mapped to the old printer, and I removed those mappings".

    What procedure did you use to remove those mappings (in W7)?

    Where/how are the mappings maintained?

    As I re-read this, you're talking about other computers, so my question may not apply - right? (Just use steps 1-10 again on each computer.)

    On the other hand, when I last mapped a new printer I picked Local port and selected a TCP/IP address for another previously added computer, and changed the IP in the next screen for the new printer, however it printed to the originally selected port/printer not the new one.

    Is that the mapping you're talking about, and what procedure is used to fix the new printer with its proper IP?

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