In Windows 11, when you no longer connect to a printer, the device will remain available on the computer even if you remove it since the process does not remove the driver. The print drivers will remain on the computer in case they are needed again.
While this can be a great approach to reinstalling a printer without having to supply the controllers again, if you keep them on the computer, you’ll just waste hard drive space. And if any problem occurs and gets corrupted then it can lead to other issues as the system will try to use non-working drivers.
However, if you no longer need or want to remove a corrupt print driver, Windows 11 offers a way to completely uninstall it from the computer.
This guide will teach you the steps to remove or uninstall a printer in Windows 11.
Remove or uninstall a printer in Windows 11
Removing a printer and driver in Windows 11 is a two-step process. You must first use the Settings app to uninstall the printer, then the Print Management app or PowerShell (depending on whether you are using Windows 11 Pro or Home) to remove the driver package from the computer.
1. Delete the printer in settings
To remove a printer in Windows 11, follow these steps:
1. Open the settings on Windows 11.
2. Click Bluetooth and devices.
3. Click on the page Printers and scanners on the right side.
4. Select the printer to open its properties.
5. Click the button Remove.
6. Click the button Yes.
After the steps are completed, you can remove the driver from Windows 11.
2. Delete the printer driver in print management
To completely remove the printer driver from the device, follow these steps:
1. Open To start up.
2. Research Sign configuration and click on the top result to open the console.
3. Click System and security.
4. Click Windows tools.
5. Double click on the option Print Management.
6. Expand the branch Custom filters.
7. Click All pilots in the left navigation pane.
8. Right-click on the printer driver on the right side and select the option Remove.
9. Click the button Yes.
After completing these steps, the printer driver will no longer be available on the device. If you need to reinstall the device, Windows 11 will need to download the driver again or you will need to provide it manually.
3. Delete a Printer in Windows 11 with PowerShell
If you’re using the Home edition of Windows 11, you won’t have access to the Print Management app, but you can still use PowerShell commands to uninstall the driver.
To remove a print driver with PowerShell, follow these steps:
1. Open To start up.
2. Research PowerShellright-click on the first result and select the option Execute as administrator.
3. Type the following command to list all printer drivers installed on Windows 11 and press Hall :
Get-PrinterDriver | Format-List Name
4. Type the following command to remove the printer driver and press Hall :
Remove-PrinterDriver -Name "Your-Printer-Name"
In the command, update the printer name with the name that appears at step 3. Quotation marks are required if the name includes spaces.
5. For example, this command removes the “HP Officejet Pro 8620” from Windows 11:
Remove-PrinterDriver -Name "HP Officejet Pro 8620"
After completing the steps, the printer driver will be completely removed from the system. You may need to repeat the steps to uninstall other printers.
If you have any questions or suggestions, let us know in the comments. Also check this guide if you want to learn how to create a printer shortcut in Windows 11.
Leave a Reply