Deleted printer instantly re-installs itself. How can I stop it?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ian Roberts
  • Start date Start date
I

Ian Roberts

Hi

A friend is running XP home and has 4 icons in the printers panel - all for
the same printer. One is for a networked printer, the other was for when it
was directly connected. The other two icons are copies of the first two.

The device is an HP allinone.

The printer used to be directly connected to his main PC via USB. It is now
connected to a second PC (via USB) and he can print to it via an Ethernet
router.

The problem is that the default printer is for the original installation
(when it was first connected directly) - no matter how many times we have
tried to remove the unrequired icons they just reappear straight away and
the default goes back to the original.

Although we can change the default to the networked printer as soon as we
re-boot its back to the original.

Any idea how we can kill the unwanted ones for good?

TIA

Ian
 
Ian Roberts said:
Hi

A friend is running XP home and has 4 icons in the printers panel - all for
the same printer. One is for a networked printer, the other was for when it
was directly connected. The other two icons are copies of the first two.

The device is an HP allinone.

The printer used to be directly connected to his main PC via USB. It is now
connected to a second PC (via USB) and he can print to it via an Ethernet
router.

The problem is that the default printer is for the original installation
(when it was first connected directly) - no matter how many times we have
tried to remove the unrequired icons they just reappear straight away and
the default goes back to the original.

Although we can change the default to the networked printer as soon as we
re-boot its back to the original.

Any idea how we can kill the unwanted ones for good?

TIA

Ian
Click to expand...

There is an option in XP for "automatically install network printers".
Turn that off.

Sorry, I'm not on an XP box right now, so I can't tell you exactly where.
 
Elmo P. Shagnasty said:
There is an option in XP for "automatically install network printers".
Turn that off.

Sorry, I'm not on an XP box right now, so I can't tell you exactly where.
Click to expand...

Hi Elmo

Thanks for replying.

Aha that could have something to do with it... although I'm not by the
machie just now so I cxant check immediatley either.

The irony is the one which keeps coming back is not on the network, its a
copy of when the printer was connected locally and even now it cant
communicate with the printer on the network anyway.

In fact only one of the four actually works and we cant make that one the
default.

What a pain.

Ian
 
Ian said:
Hi Elmo

Thanks for replying.

Aha that could have something to do with it... although I'm not by the
machie just now so I cxant check immediatley either.

The irony is the one which keeps coming back is not on the network,
its a copy of when the printer was connected locally and even now it
cant communicate with the printer on the network anyway.

In fact only one of the four actually works and we cant make that one
the default.

What a pain.

Ian
Click to expand...

Funny thing...happened to me the other day,too. I have Canon ip4000
installed about a week. Suddenly, i've had another printer (Canon ip4000
copy 1) there...and funny thing...original one was saying "no connection",
while copy 1 was OK...I was able to delete both of them, though. But i don't
imagine why would second one even appear... i do share it, though...i have
it connected to my PC and share it via home netrowk - via switch...
 
Go to "Start" -> "Settings" -> "Printers"

From "Printers Window"

Delete ALL printers.

then choose "File" and then "Server Properties"

From "Print Server Properties Window" choose the "Drivers Tab" and
remove them all.

Start a new printer install, choose next, and when it asks for port
remove the check from "Automatically Detect and Install.............",
but go one more next, then cancel, and close all windows.

Open "My Computer" and select "Tools" -> "Folder Options"

From this window choose the "Veiw" tab and from under "Folder and
File" remove the check mark from "Automatically search for network
folders and Printers"

Reboot as drivers are loaded into memory.

Reload the printer that you want.

HTH
mattd
 
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