Tech Tips / Windows NT / Printing
You've probably had to troubleshoot a problem printer more than once. Typically you're told by the printer's manufacturer to uninstall and reinstall the printer driver. You've probably found, however, that this doesn't always fix the problem. Sometimes you have no choice but to remove a printer, but doing so isn't always as simple as it sounds.
When you use the Remove or Delete Printer options in Print Manager, the printer connection in NT disappears immediately; however, the spooler simply marks the printer for deletion—NT doesn't actually delete the printer until you reboot the system (i.e., when the spooler service stops and restarts).
You can try to stop and restart the spooler service via the Services applet in Control Panel and then reinstall the printer, but if this approach doesn't work, you'll have to edit the associated registry key prior to the reinstall. After you make the registry change, stop and restart the spooler service.
Run Regedt32. If you installed the printer locally (My Computer), go to the following registry keys and delete the respective <Printer Name> entries:
If you installed the printer as a network printer (network printer server or \\<server name>), go to the following registry keys and delete the respective <Server Name> and <Printer Name> entries:
At this point, you'll be able to reinstall the printer driver correctly.
Note: We'll remind you as always that registry editing can be risky, so be sure you have a verified backup before you begin.
If you're an experienced IT professional and would like to share your expertise with other Setup32.com readers, why not submit a new tip to our Tech Tips area?
Certification Links