The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51, and 4.0
- Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51, and 4.0
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry.
Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it
if a problem occurs. For information on how to do this, view the "Restoring
the Registry" online Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry
Key" online Help topic in Regedt32.exe.
SUMMARY
When you remove a printer from the Printers folder in Windows NT 4.0 or
Print Manager in earlier versions of Windows NT, the printer driver file
is not removed from the hard disk drive. This article describes a
procedure you can use if you suspect a printer driver file is corrupt. The
following procedure removes and re-creates a printer so that the driver
file is reinstalled.
MORE INFORMATION
- Remove the printer using the Printers folder in Windows NT 4.0 or Print
Manager in Windows NT 3.5x.
- In Control Panel, double-click Services, and then stop the Spooler
service.
WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that
may require you to reinstall Windows. Microsoft cannot guarantee that
problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved.
Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And
Values" online Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and
Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" online Help
topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before
you edit it.
- Run Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe) and go to the following subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print
\Environments\Windows NT x86\Drivers\Version-x\<printer driver>
NOTE: The above registry key is one path; it has been wrapped for
readability.
NOTE: Version-1 is for Windows NT 3.51 and Version-2 is for Windows NT
4.0 and <printer driver> is the name of the printer you are removing.
- Note the values on the right and write down the file names.
- With the printer driver key selected, click Delete on the Edit menu.
- Go to the following directory and delete the printer driver files noted
in step 4:
%Systemroot%\System32\Spool\Drivers\<platform>
NOTE: <platform> is Intel, MIPS, Alpha, or PPC. See the following table
to match the folder with the version of Windows for which you installed
the printer driver:
w32x86\0 : Intel Windows NT 3.1 printer drivers
w32x86\1 : Intel Windows NT 3.5x printer drivers
w32x86\2 : Intel Windows NT 4.0 printer drivers
Win40\0 : Windows 95 printer drivers
NOTE: If you are unable to delete the files and folders in the above
directory structure after stopping the spooler service because of an
error message that the files are in use (such as, Rasddui.dll), set the
startup for the Spooler service to Disabled, restart your computer, and
then attempt to delete the files and folders again. After deleting the
files, restore the Spooler startup to Automatic.
- In Control Panel, double-click Services, and then start the Spooler
service.
- Shut down and restart Windows NT. Stopping and restarting the Spooler
service is not sufficient.
- Reinstall the printer using the Printers folder in Windows NT 4.0 or
Print Manager in Windows NT 3.5x.
NOTE: In addition to the steps listed above, it may be necessary to delete
the printer's associated unidriver (Rasdd.dll, Pscript.dll, or
Plotter.dll). If printing has been initialized or if a process is using
this file, it will be locked open and cannot be deleted. The file can be
renamed or the system can be restarted to free up the driver. Refer to the
Printer.inf file to see which unidriver is used by a particular printer.
NOTE: For Windows NT on Dec Alpha platforms, follow the steps for the X86
platform and replace all occurrences of the w32x86 directory with
w32Alpha.
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