Removing a printer from the printer list does not always remove the driver package behind it. Old drivers can cause conflicts, leave duplicate printers, or keep showing up after the printer is gone.
Does this affect you?
Use this if a printer driver is corrupt, conflicts with a newer model, belongs to a printer you no longer own, or must be fully removed before a clean reinstall.
Remove the printer and driver on Windows
Remove the device entry first, then remove the driver package.
- Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. On Windows 10, open Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
- Select the printer and choose Remove device.
- Open Print Management with printmanagement.msc if you have Windows Pro, Enterprise, or Education.
- Expand Print Servers, your PC name, and Drivers.
- Right-click the matching driver and choose Remove Driver Package.
- If Windows Home does not include Print Management, open Print server properties from Printers & scanners or run printui /s /t2, then remove the driver from the Drivers tab.
Uninstall printer software on Mac
Remove the printer entry and then clean up the manufacturer utilities.
- Open Apple menu > System Settings > Printers & Scanners.
- Select the printer and remove it with the minus button.
- Open Finder > Applications and look for HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, or other manufacturer utilities.
- Run a dedicated uninstaller if the brand provides one. Otherwise move the app to Trash.
- Empty Trash when you are finished.
More control
Be careful choosing the driver package
Print Management lists drivers for printers that may still be used. Removing the wrong one can break another printer until you reinstall its driver.
If Windows says the driver is in use
Close printer utilities, cancel stuck jobs, restart the Print Spooler service, then try removing the package again.
Reinstall from the manufacturer
After removal, download the current full driver for the exact printer model instead of relying only on a generic driver.
Advanced removal
For stubborn Windows driver packages, pnputil can list and remove driver-store packages, but use it only when the normal tools fail.
Sources
- Microsoft Support – Remove a printer driver package (2025)
- Microsoft Support – Print Management console overview (2025)
- Apple Support – Remove a printer or scanner on Mac (2025)