Strategies for Eliminating Printers in Windows 10 & 11

Dealing with redundant printers on your Windows PC? Learn various methods to efficiently remove unwanted printers and maintain an organized list of connected devices in Windows 10 and 11.

1. Utilizing Settings for Printer Removal:
   • Open Settings by pressing Win + I.
   • Navigate to Bluetooth & devices and select Printers & scanners.
   • Choose the printer to be removed, click "Remove" in the top right, and confirm by selecting Yes.
   • In case of an error, halt the Print Spooler service in the Services snap-in and retry.

   Halting the Print Spooler Service:

   • Open Run with Win + R, type services.msc, and click OK.
   • Locate Print Spooler, right-click, and select Stop.
   • Minimize the Services window and attempt printer removal from Settings.
   • After removal, right-click on Print Spooler in Services and select Start.
2. Uninstalling Printer Software to Eradicate the Printer:
   • Access Settings (Win + I) and go to the Apps tab.
   • Wait for the app list to populate, find the printer driver, click the three-dots menu, and select Uninstall.
   • Ensure removal of associated drivers and software.
   • Restart your PC after successful uninstallation.
3. Control Panel for Printer Removal:
   • Open Run (Win + R), type control, and click OK.
   • Navigate to Hardware and Sound, then Devices and Printers.
   • Right-click on the targeted printer under Printers, choose Remove Device, and confirm with Yes.
4. Print Server Properties for Thorough Printer Deletion:
   • If printer device removal doesn't eradicate drivers completely, access Print Server Properties.
   • Open Run (Win + R), type control, go to Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers.
   • Click on Print server properties, open the Drivers tab, select the printer driver, and click Remove.
   • Choose Remove driver and driver package, confirm with OK, and restart your PC.
5. Device Manager Approach:
   • Open WinX menu with Win + X and select Device Manager.
   • Click on View, choose Show hidden devices, expand the Printers section, and right-click on the printer.
   • Select Uninstall device, opt for deleting the driver software, and click Uninstall.
   • If Printers section is inaccessible, expand Print queues, repeat the steps, and restart your PC.
6. Command Prompt for Printer Uninstallation:
   • Type cmd in Windows search, right-click on Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
   • Execute the command "wmic printer get name" to view installed printers.
   • Delete a printer using the command "printui.exe /dl /n "Your_Printer_Name"".
7. Printer Driver Removal via Print Management:
   • Open Run (Win + R), type printmanagement.msc, and click OK.
   • In Print Management, expand Print Servers, select your Local Printer server, and choose Printers.
   • Right-click on the printer to remove, select Delete, and confirm with Yes.
8. PowerShell for Printer Driver Deletion:
   • Type powershell in the Windows search, right-click on PowerShell, and select Run as administrator.
   • Execute "Get-PrinterDriver | Format-List Name" to view installed printers.
   • Remove a printer driver with "Remove-PrinterDriver -Name "Printer-Name"".

These methods offer diverse approaches to removing printers on Windows 10 and 11, ensuring a streamlined and organized list of connected devices.