How to Remove or Uninstall Printer Driver in Windows 10 – Get Rid of Stubborn Printer Drivers

Uninstalling and Reinstalling Printer Drivers in Windows 10

As computer enthusiasts, we’re often faced with the task of uninstalling or reinstalling printer drivers on our Windows 10 machines. Whether we’ve switched printers, encountered driver conflicts, or simply need to refresh buggy software, managing drivers is a key skill.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the various methods for completely removing and then replacing printer drivers on Windows 10. By the end, you’ll have an expert-level understanding of how to painlessly uninstall and reinstall drivers.

Why Uninstall Printer Drivers?

Before jumping into the how-to, let’s briefly go over some reasons you may need to uninstall a printer driver in the first place:

• Switching to a new printer: When getting a new printer, you’ll likely need to uninstall the old printer driver before installing the new one.

  How do I remove a print spooler from Windows 10?

  In the Services window, locate the Print Spooler service. Right-click on Print Spooler and select Stop. Minimize the Services window. Now open the Windows Settings pane l, go to Bluetooth & devices > Scanners and Printer, and try to remove your printer device. Once the printer is removed, go back to the Services window.

  How do I uninstall a driver on Windows 11?

  Before you begin, you might want to find out the Driver version of the existing driver on your computer.. While on the Windows 11/10 desktop, open the WinX Menu and select Device Manager to open it. Locate the driver, and right-click on it. You will see options to: Uninstall Driver Software. If you wish to uninstall the driver, click on Uninstall.

• Fixing driver conflicts: Sometimes printer drivers can become corrupt or conflict with other drivers. Uninstalling them remedies issues.

• Troubleshooting problems: If your printer is buggy, uninstalling the driver and doing a fresh install often fixes things.

• Clearing out clutter: Over time, you may accumulate outdated printer drivers that are just taking up space.

As you can see, there are plenty of good reasons to periodically clean out your old printer drivers. Now let’s look at the various ways to do it in Windows 10.

Uninstalling Printer Drivers in Windows 10

Windows gives you a few options for getting rid of printer drivers. Here are some of the top methods:

Method 1: Use the Settings App

The Settings app provides the simplest way to remove a printer and its associated driver:

1. Open Settings and go to Devices > Printers & Scanners.
2. Under "Printers & scanners", select the printer you want to remove.
3. Click Remove device.
4. In the list of installed drivers, select the printer driver and click Remove.
5. Select "Remove driver and driver package" and confirm.

This will strip out the printer driver so it’s no longer on your system.

Why can’t I set up a printer in Windows 10?

In the case that Windows 10 isn’t able to set up a printer automatically, and you can’t find the correct drivers online, you can use the Windows Update Catalog to obtain a suitable driver that you can install manually using Device Manager or Printer & scanners settings.

How do I remove a device from Windows 10?

Select Add or remove programs. If the device or driver package that you wish to remove appears in the list of programs, select uninstall. If your device or driver package does not appear in the list, you’ll need to use Device Manager to uninstall the device.

How do I remove a driver package from Windows 10?

If that device is the only device using the driver package, then the driver package can also be removed via Device Manager. To launch Device Manager, select the Start button, type Device Manager, and press Enter. Select the View menu and turn on Show Hidden Devices.

Method 2: Use Print Management

The classic Print Management console also allows deleting drivers:

1. Open printmanagement.msc.
2. Go to Print Servers > Drivers.
3. Right click the driver you want to uninstall and select Remove driver package.
4. Confirm removal of the driver and associated files.

Method 3: Use PowerShell

For advanced users, PowerShell commands can uninstall printer drivers as well:

1. Open an elevated PowerShell prompt.
2. Run "Get-PrinterDriver -Name "DriverName" | Remove-PrinterDriver.
3. Confirm the driver removal.

This automates the deletion process with one simple command.

Method 4: Use Device Manager

Finally, Windows’ Device Manager can also uninstall printer drivers:

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Under Printers, right-click the printer and select Uninstall device.
3. Make sure Delete the driver software for this device is checked.
4. Confirm the uninstallation.

Reinstalling Printer Drivers in Windows 10

Once you’ve cleaned out the old driver, it’s time to reinstall a fresh copy:

Method 1: Install Drivers Manually

For maximum control, you can manually install the printer driver you download from the manufacturer:

How to remove printer driver Windows 10?

You can remove the driver using the Apps & feature tab in Windows 10 and 11. Press Win + I to open Settings. Click on the Apps tab in the left pane. The app list may take a few seconds to populate, so wait till all the apps are listed. Under the App list, you can scroll through or search for the printer driver.

How do I remove printer drivers from Windows 10?

Open Print Management via Start Search. Or run the command printmanagement.msc to launch Print Management. Select the All printers section. Right-click on the old printer if listed in the right pane, and choose Delete. Select All drivers. Right-click on the old printer, and click on the option Remove driver package or click Delete.

How do I install a printer driver in Windows 10?

Some driver packages may include drivers for more than one model or variant, select the correct model from the list, then click Next. Click Finish to complete the Add Printer Driver Wizard. Confirm that the driver has installed, then click Close. Switch the printer on. Windows should automatically detect and install the printer.

How do I find a printer in Windows 10?

Click the “Add a Printer or Scanner” button to search for nearby printers, whether they’re hooked up to your PC or connected to the network. You should see your printer’s name appear here. If Windows doesn’t find your printer automatically, click the “The printer that I want isn’t listed” link that appears.

1. Download the latest driver from the manufacturer.
2. Run the driver installer and follow the prompts.
3. Restart your computer if prompted.

Method 2: Use Windows Update

Alternatively, you can try letting Windows Update install the driver:

1. Go to Windows Update and check for updates.
2. If a driver update is found, click to download and install it.
3. Restart once it’s complete.

Method 3: Use the Add Printer Wizard

Finally, the Add Printer Wizard can install drivers too:

1. Open Devices > Printers & Scanners in Settings.
2. Click Add a Printer or Scanner.
3. Select your printer manufacturer and model if detected.
4. If not detected, select The printer that I want isn’t listed.
5. Choose your printer from the options.
6. Follow the prompts to add the printer and install its driver.

Tips for Managing Printer Drivers

Here are some advice for keeping your printer drivers optimized in Windows 10:

• Update to the latest driver versions using Windows Update or the manufacturer’s website. Outdated drivers cause problems.

• Only keep printer drivers for printers you actively use. Remove old unused ones.

  How do I remove printer drivers in Windows 10?

  These are a few of the ways you can remove printer drivers in Windows 10: Uninstall printer software using Settings. Remove printer driver from Print Server Properties. Uninstall printer driver using Control Panel. Use Print Management to remove old printers. Delete old printers via Registry Editor. Uninstall printer using Command Prompt.

  How do I install a printer driver on Windows 10?

  To install a printer driver from scratch on Windows 10, use these steps: Open Settings. Click on Devices. Click on Printers & scanners. Click the Add a printer or scanner button. Click the The printer that I want isn’t listed option. Select the Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings option. Click the Next button.

• If facing driver issues, don’t hesitate to uninstall and reinstall for a fresh start.

• When switching printers, uninstall the old driver before installing the new printer’s driver.

• Use a Driver Update utility to automatically update all your drivers.

Following these tips will keep your printers running their best!

Conclusion

As you can see, Windows 10 provides several straightforward methods for completely removing and reinstalling printer drivers.

The key is to fully delete the existing driver using the Settings app, Print Management, PowerShell, or Device Manager. Then install a fresh driver using manual installation, Windows Update, or the Add Printer Wizard.

With this comprehensive guide, you now have in-depth knowledge of managing printer drivers. So the next time you need to troubleshoot printer issues or install a new model, you’ll know exactly what to do.

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References

1. https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-manually-uninstall-a-printer-driver-in-Windows.html
2. https://pureinfotech.com/remove-printer-driver-windows-10/