Easily Uninstall a Printer Driver in Windows 11 and 10

If you’ve ever dealt with printer issues on a Windows PC, chances are the root cause was not the printer itself but the printer driver. Drivers act as the communication bridge between your system and the hardware. When they get corrupted, outdated, or mismatched, things can go sideways fast. You might see printers not responding, stuck print queues, or even duplicate printer entries that refuse to go away.

On both Windows 11 and Windows 10, uninstalling a printer driver is not as straightforward as removing a regular app. That is because Windows often keeps a copy of the driver in its system repository, which can silently reinstall itself the next time you plug in the device.

This guide walks you through the complete process of removing a printer driver the right way. 

How to Easily Uninstall a Printer Driver in Windows 11 and 10?

To easily uninstall a printer driver in Windows 11 or 10, first remove the printer from Settings, then open Print Management or Device Manager to delete the driver package, and finally clear remaining files using the Control Panel or Command Prompt if needed. This ensures the driver is completely removed and does not reinstall automatically.

To completely uninstall a printer driver from your Windows device, follow these steps in detail!

Step 1: Remove the Printer from Windows Settings

Before dealing with the driver itself, you need to remove the printer from your system. This disconnects Windows from the device and prevents it from actively using the driver while you are trying to delete it.

Start by opening Settings using the Windows + I shortcut. Navigate to Bluetooth and devices, and then click on Printers and scanners. You will see a list of all printers currently installed on your system.

Click on the printer you want to remove. This opens its settings panel, where you will find the Remove button. Click it and confirm the action. Windows will immediately remove the printer from your system.

At this stage, the printer disappears from your device list, but the driver is still stored in Windows. This is why many users think they have uninstalled everything when in reality, the system still holds onto the driver package.

Removing the printer first is critical because Windows will not allow you to delete a driver that is currently in use.

Step 2: Open Print Management to Access Driver Settings

Now that the printer is removed, you need to access the backend where Windows stores all printer drivers.

Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box. Type printmanagement.msc and press Enter. This opens the Print Management console, which is one of the most powerful built-in tools for managing printers and drivers.

Inside Print Management, expand Print Servers and then select your computer name. Under that, click on Drivers. This section shows every printer driver currently installed on your system, including ones that are not actively being used.

Locate the driver that matches the printer you removed earlier. The list might include multiple versions of the same driver, so pay attention to the driver name and version number.

This tool gives you full visibility into what is installed, something the Settings app does not provide.

If you are using Windows 10 Home and do not see Print Management, do not worry. You can still remove drivers using Device Manager or Control Panel, which we will cover in the next steps.

Step 3: Delete the Printer Driver Package

Once you have located the correct driver in Print Management, it is time to remove it completely.

Right-click on the driver and select Remove Driver Package. You will be prompted with two options. Choose the one that removes both the driver and its package. This ensures Windows does not retain a cached version.

Confirm the removal. Windows may take a few seconds to process the request. If the driver is not in use anywhere else, it will be deleted successfully.

In some cases, you might get an error saying the driver is currently in use. This usually happens if a background service is still accessing it.

If that happens, restart your PC and try again. Alternatively, you can stop the Print Spooler service manually by opening Services, finding Print Spooler, and clicking Stop. After removing the driver, you can start the service again.

This step is where the actual cleanup happens. Skipping it means the driver will remain in your system and may reinstall automatically.

Step 4: Use Device Manager as an Alternative Method

If Print Management is not available or you prefer a different route, Device Manager offers another way to uninstall printer drivers.

Right-click on the Start menu and select Device Manager. Scroll down to Print queues or Printers, depending on your system.

Find your printer in the list, right-click on it, and select Uninstall device. A confirmation window will appear. Make sure to check the option that says Delete the driver software for this device if it is available.

Click Uninstall and let Windows process the removal.

Device Manager is slightly less thorough than Print Management, but it still works well for most users. It is especially useful if you are troubleshooting a driver that is actively causing issues.

Step 5: Remove Remaining Drivers Using Control Panel

Even after using modern tools, some printer drivers may still linger in the system. The classic Control Panel provides another layer of access to remove them.

Open the Control Panel and switch the view to Large icons. Click on Devices and Printers. At the top, you will see a menu option called Print server properties. Click it.

In the new window, go to the Drivers tab. This will show a list of all installed printer drivers.

Select the driver you want to remove and click Remove. Choose the option to remove both the driver and the driver package. Confirm your selection.

This method is particularly useful for older drivers or legacy printers that do not show up properly in newer tools.

Step 6: Clear Driver Files Using Command Prompt

For stubborn drivers that refuse to go away, the Command Prompt offers a more advanced solution.

Open Command Prompt as an administrator. Type the following command to list all printer drivers:

printui /s /t2

This opens the same driver management window you saw in Control Panel, but through a command-based interface.

From here, you can select and remove drivers manually.

If needed, you can also use PowerShell commands to remove drivers at a deeper level, especially in enterprise or network environments.

This step is not always necessary, but it is a powerful fallback when everything else fails.

Step 7: Restart Your Computer to Finalize Changes

Once you have removed the printer and its driver, restart your computer. This ensures all changes are applied, and any cached files are cleared.

Restarting also prevents Windows from holding onto temporary driver data in memory.

After rebooting, your system should be completely free of the old printer driver. If you reconnect the printer, Windows will treat it as a new device and install a fresh driver.

FAQs

Why does my printer driver keep reinstalling automatically?

Windows often stores driver packages in its internal repository. Even after removal, it may reinstall the driver when it detects the device again. To prevent this, make sure you remove the driver package completely using Print Management or Control Panel.

Can I uninstall a printer driver without removing the printer?

Technically, no. Windows requires that the printer be removed first because the driver is actively tied to it. Trying to delete the driver while it is in use will result in an error.

What is the Print Spooler service, and why does it matter?

The Print Spooler is a background service that manages print jobs and driver interactions. If it is running, it may lock the driver files. Stopping it temporarily allows you to remove stubborn drivers.

Is it safe to uninstall printer drivers?

Yes, it is completely safe. Removing a driver does not harm your system. You can always reinstall the correct driver later from the manufacturer.

What should I do if the driver will not uninstall?

Restart your PC and try again. If that does not work, stop the Print Spooler service and use Command Prompt or Control Panel to remove the driver manually.