Skip to main content
Available 24/7 for Emergency Support
(727) 230-8000
Geeks in Sneaks
How to Fix Driver Conflicts After Installing Multiple Printers
Printer IssuesIntermediate20-30 minutes

How to Fix Driver Conflicts After Installing Multiple Printers

Difficulty
Intermediate
Time
20-30 minutes
Category
Printer Issues

After installing multiple printers, you're experiencing conflicts, crashes, or printers not working correctly, and we'll help you clean it up.

💡What's Happening

You've installed several printers—maybe you have a home printer, an office printer, and a portable printer, or you upgraded and didn't properly remove the old one. Now Windows is confused, print jobs go to the wrong printer, you get driver error messages, or printing doesn't work at all. Multiple printer drivers can conflict with each other, especially if they're from the same manufacturer or if old drivers weren't properly removed before installing new ones. Let's sort out this mess.

✓Quick Checks (Do These First)

  • Identify which printers you actually use – Make a list of which printers are physically present and which are old/disconnected
  • Check default printer – Windows may be sending jobs to the wrong one automatically
  • Test each printer individually – Try printing a test page to each to see which ones work
  • Look for error messages – Note any specific driver or spooler errors you're seeing

🔧Step-by-Step Fixes

Fix 1: Remove Old and Unused Printers

Clean out printers you don't use anymore.

  1. Open Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners
  2. Review the list of installed printers
  3. For each printer you no longer use or that's no longer connected:
  4. Click the printer name
  5. Click Remove device
  6. Confirm removal
  7. Repeat for all old printers, including "Copy 2" or "Copy 3" duplicates

Also remove any "Fax" printers you don't use and redundant print-to-PDF options.

Fix 2: Delete Old Printer Drivers Completely

Removing the printer doesn't always remove the driver.

  1. Press Windows + R
  2. Type printui.exe /s /t2 and press Enter
  3. This opens Print Server Properties
  4. Click the Drivers tab
  5. You'll see all installed printer drivers
  6. Select a driver you no longer need
  7. Click Remove
  8. Choose Remove driver and driver package
  9. Click OK
  10. Repeat for all unused drivers
  11. Restart your computer

Note: Only remove drivers for printers you've already deleted. Keep drivers for printers you're still using.

Fix 3: Stop and Restart Print Spooler

The print spooler service can get confused with multiple drivers.

  1. Press Windows + R
  2. Type services.msc and press Enter
  3. Scroll down and find Print Spooler
  4. Right-click it and select Stop
  5. Open File Explorer and navigate to: C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS
  6. Delete all files in this folder (these are stuck print jobs)
  7. Go back to Services
  8. Right-click Print Spooler and select Start
  9. Try printing again

Fix 4: Reinstall Printers One at a Time

For the cleanest setup, reinstall your current printers from scratch.

  1. Make a list of printers you need
  2. Remove all printers from Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners
  3. Remove all drivers using the printui.exe method above
  4. Restart your computer
  5. Install your primary printer first (use latest driver from manufacturer website)
  6. Test it thoroughly
  7. Then install your second printer
  8. Test again
  9. Continue one at a time

This isolates any problematic drivers and ensures clean installations.

Fix 5: Use Different Driver Versions to Avoid Conflicts

Sometimes newer and older drivers from the same manufacturer conflict.

  1. If you have two HP printers (for example), check which driver package each is using
  2. Go to Settings > Printers & scanners > click printer > Manage > Printer properties
  3. Check the Driver field
  4. If both printers show the same exact driver version, this may cause issues
  5. For one printer, try using Windows' generic driver instead:
  6. Remove the printer
  7. Add it back using Add a printer
  8. When prompted for driver, choose Windows Update or Generic/Text Only

This is especially helpful for older secondary printers where you don't need all features.

Fix 6: Set Correct Default Printer

Prevent Windows from auto-switching printers.

  1. Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners
  2. Turn off Let Windows manage my default printer
  3. Click your main printer
  4. Click Manage
  5. Click Set as default

Now print jobs will always go to this printer unless you manually select a different one.

⚠️If Nothing Worked

If you still have conflicts after removing old drivers, there may be registry entries or system files left behind. Microsoft's Print Management troubleshooter can sometimes identify issues: go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Printer. For stubborn issues, third-party driver cleaners like Driver Fusion or Display Driver Uninstaller (used carefully) can remove traces of problematic drivers. As a last resort, creating a new Windows user account gives you a clean printer setup without affecting other system settings.

📞When to Call a Pro

If you're managing printers for a business and need centralized configuration, print servers, or policy-based driver deployment, professional IT management is essential. If driver conflicts are causing system crashes or Blue Screens of Death, improper removal could make things worse. If you're dealing with specialized printers (large format, label printers, check printers) that require specific driver configurations, expert setup ensures everything works together without conflicts.

Need Professional Help?

If you're in the Tampa Bay area and need hands-on assistance, Geeks in Sneaks provides friendly, on-site tech support in Clearwater, Clearwater Beach, and Dunedin.

Schedule a Visit

Related Topics

driversconflictswindowsmultiple-printersdriver-cleanup

Need Professional Help?

If you're still having trouble, our expert technicians can help.

Learn about our printer support service