Today we will learn with you how to uninstall the printer driver once and for all. This question, to be honest, is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance. In general, getting rid of any driver requires the right approach. After all, otherwise it will not be possible to complete the process. So let's try to solve the task before us today.
Control panel
How do I uninstall the printer driver? XP, 7, 8, 10, Vista or any other operating system you have installed - it doesn't matter. The important thing is that the first step is to get rid of the application created by your printer during installation. This process is the basis of all work. Without it, the driver will not be permanently removed.
How to get rid of specialized content? Go to the "Control Panel", select "Add or Remove Programs" there. Now you should look at the name of your equipment. In the list that appears, find the name of the printer, and then select these lines. There may be several. Practice shows that usually there are about 2-3 of them. How to uninstall printer drivers? Justright-click on each line related to your printing equipment, and then select the "Delete" option. All this will help to cope with the task.
Programs
By the way, sometimes during the installation of the driver, the computer also installs software for processing documents. And you need to get rid of this kind of content too. It often does not appear in the "Control Panel". What to do in this case?
Go to "Start" and select "All Programs" there. In the list that appears, you should find applications for printing (usually they have the brand of your printer in the name). Go to properties and go to the specified installation path. Ready?
Then, in order to figure out once and for all how to remove the printer driver from the system, select the root folder with the "editor". Hold down Shift on your keyboard and press Del. You will receive a message that will inform you that the process is irreversible. The folder from the program will not be placed in the "Trash", it will simply disappear from the hard drive. This is exactly what we need! We agree with the warning and look at the result. But that's not all. It is not enough to get rid of all the content that was installed on the computer. There are a few more simple steps to follow so that you can figure out how to uninstall the printer drivers once and for all.
Device
Next, you have to worry about getting rid of the operating system from the printing equipment connected to it. That is, it is necessary to take and removeprinter directly from the computer. This is especially true in cases where the printer driver will not be reinstalled.
To uninstall the printer driver in Windows 7, check the "Control Panel". But now it is worth paying attention to the service called "Equipment". In it, find "View devices and printers". Click on this line. You will be taken to a window that displays all the equipment for printing documents.
You will have to find the model of our device in the list. Select the appropriate shortcut, right-click. You will have a context menu. In it, you should pay attention to the "Remove device" option. Click on it. Most likely, the system will ask for administrator rights. Agree with this message and confirm your actions. To do this, click "Yes" as soon as a small window pops up asking you if you really want to get rid of the installed printer.
Important: You must first delete the content and programs related to the device, and only then clear the hardware list. If you do the opposite, then the driver will not disappear completely. Reinstalling will change the app, not reconnect devices.
Working with the print server
Well, we are almost done with you to consider how to completely remove the printer driver from the operating system. Now that the bulk of the work is done, it's worthlook into a service such as a print server. Not all users do this when they get rid of the printer on the computer. The step is optional, but it is desirable to do it.
Press the keyboard shortcut Win + X. A long list of possible actions will appear on the screen. Here you will have to pay attention to "Run". You can also immediately hold down Win + R on the keyboard. You will be taken to the desired service.
How to remove the printer driver from the system once and for all? In the line that appears, you will have to type some command. In our case, this is printui /s. Click OK or Enter. We will find ourselves in the properties of the print server. Next, you will have to go to the "Drivers" tab. You will see a small list of print devices that have ever been connected to the operating system. To rid the computer of the driver, you need to find the printer with which we worked before. Now select the desired line and click on the "Delete" button at the bottom of the window.
You will have a small choice of actions: either you get rid of only the driver, or from it but with a special package. Choose the second option. It's called "Remove driver and driver package". And then, as in all past cases, you just have to agree with all the changes. Click "OK" several times. Process completed.
Trash Cleanup
In principle, all actions are completed. Printer driversremoved. But sometimes there are cases that some documents and files from the device remain in the operating system. It is desirable to get rid of them. Especially if the reason for uninstalling the printer was a printing problem.
How to do it? Search your computer for folders with the name of your printer, and then delete them. Most often, they are located in the Program Files partitions of the hard drive. Getting rid of everything found is the same as in the case of applications - by holding Shift or by emptying the trash at the end of all manipulations. This is what helps to permanently remove the printer driver from the operating system.
Register
The next step is also optional. But it is desirable to do so. After all, it not only helps to get rid of residual printer files, but also normalizes the operation of the operating system. We need to clean up the computer's registry. For this, it is preferable to use CCleaner.
Install the app and run it. Now in the window that appears, click on "Analysis", and then click on "Cleanup". A few minutes of waiting - and all problems are solved. You can be sure that we are able to answer how to remove printer drivers from your computer.
Possible problems
But there are some exceptions. Sometimes, due to unforeseen circumstances, the printer driver cannot be uninstalled. What to do in this case? There are several options for the development of events.
Firstly, make sure that there is no queue of documents for printing on the computer. If available, you will eitherprint files, or refuse them altogether.
Second, scan your operating system for viruses. Sometimes trojans and spyware can block the removal of drivers.
Third, run all services as an administrator. This helps in many cases. If none of the above helped, then you can either forget about the idea, or reinstall the operating system. True, the latter option is used in exceptional cases.
