How to remove the printer driver from the system?

Today we will learn with you how to remove 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. Otherwise, it will not be possible to complete the process. So let's try to solve the task set 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 does not matter. The important thing is that the first stage is getting 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 removed permanently.

How to get rid of specialized content? Go to "Control Panel", select "Add or Remove Programs". Now you should see what is called your equipment. In the list that appears, find the name of the printer, and then select the data for the row. There can be several. Practice shows that there are usually 2-3 of them. How do I uninstall the printer driver? Simply right-click on each line pertaining 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 installation of the driver the computer in parallel puts also a software for processing of documents. And from this kind of content, too, need to get rid of. It is often not displayed in the Control Panel. What should I do in this case?

Go to "Start" and select "All Programs". In the appeared list it is necessary to find applications for printing (they usually have the name of your printer in the name). Go into the properties and go to the specified installation path. Ready?

Then, once and for all to understand how to remove the printer driver from the system, select the root folder with the "editor". Hold Shift on the keyboard and press Del. You will receive a message that will inform you of the irreversibility of the process. The folder from the program will not be placed in the "Trash", it just disappears 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's not enough to get rid of all the content that was installed on the computer. You need to do a few simple steps so you can understand how to remove the printer driver 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, you must take and remove the printer directly from your computer. This is especially true when you do not re-install the driver on a printing device.

To remove the printer driver in Windows 7, look in the "Control Panel". But now you should pay attention to the service called "Equipment". In it, search for "View devices and printers." Click on this line. You will be taken to the window, which displays all the equipment for printing documents.

The list will have to find the model of our device. Select the appropriate shortcut, click the right mouse button. You will get a shortcut menu. In it, you should pay attention to the parameter "Delete device". Click on it. Most likely, the system will request administrator rights. Agree with this message and confirm your actions. To do this, click "Yes" as soon as you have a small window popping up asking 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 clean the list of equipment. If you do the opposite, then the driver does not disappear completely. When reinstalling, the application will change, and not reconnect the devices.

Working with the print server

Well, we're 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 worth looking into a service like a print server. Not all users do this when they get rid of the printer on the computer. Step is optional, but it is desirable to do it.

Press the keyboard shortcut Win + X. A long list of possible actions appears on the screen. Here it is necessary to pay attention to "Execute". Also, you can immediately pinch the Win + R keypad. You will be taken to the desired service.

How to remove the printer driver from the system once and for all? In the appeared line it is necessary to type some command. In our case, this is printui / s. Click "OK" or Enter. We will be in the properties of the print server. Next, 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, it is necessary to find the printer with which we worked before. Now select the desired row and click 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 parameter. It's called "Uninstall driver and driver package". And then, as in all past cases, you just have to agree with all the changes. Press OK several times. The process is completed.

Garbage cleaning

In principle, all actions are completed. The printer drivers have been removed. But sometimes there are cases that in the operating system there are some documents and files from the device. It is desirable to get rid of them. Especially if the cause of the removal of the printer were printing problems.

How to do it? Search the computer for folders with the name of your printer, and then delete them. Most often they are located in the hard disk sections of the Program Files. Get rid of everything found is the same as in the case of applications - holding Shift or clearing the basket at the end of all manipulations. This is what helps to permanently remove the printer driver from the operating system.

Registry

The next step is also not necessary. But make it desirable. After all, it not only helps to get rid of the residual files of the printer, but also normalizes the operation of the operating system. We need to clean up the computer registry. For this, it is preferable to use CCleaner.

Install the application 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 absolutely sure that we are able to answer how to remove the printer driver from the computer.

Possible problems

But there are some exceptions. Sometimes, due to unforeseen circumstances, you can not remove the printer driver. What should I do in this case? There are several options for the development of events.

First, make sure that the computer does not have a print queue. If you have them, you will either have to print the files, or refuse them at all.

Second, scan the operating system for viruses. Sometimes Trojans and spyware can block the removal of drivers.

Third, run all services with administrator rights. This helps in many cases. If none of the above did not save, then you can either forget about the idea, or reinstall the operating system. True, the latter option is used in exceptional cases.