Can't remove printers previously deployed by Group Policy Printer Deployment

Question

Can't remove printers previously deployed by Group Policy Printer Deployment

JRV 561

Back in the good old days, before PrintNightmare patches in 4Q21, we pushed printers out by Group Policy Printer Deployment. (Clarifying: Not with Preferences, but with Policies, using the Print Management MSC.) At the site I'm working on now, they were all per-computer, but the same thing applies to per-user printers elsewhere.

PrintNightmare patches, as most admins know, thoroughly broke GPPD.

Now, all workstations have zombie printers hosted by now-decommissioned print servers, and we can't get rid of them. Even brand-new user profiles inherit them.

They are removed from the printer GPOs via Print Management MSC. But because the print CSE doesn't work anymore, neither does the printer removal.

PowerShell Get-Printer doesn't even list them.

Standard users can't remove them (and never could, which is by design). Admin users can remove them, but they return.

I'm guessing that resetting Windows would get rid of them, since there's no trace left of them in Policy. But that's pretty extreme.

There are dozens or maybe 100s of references to the old print servers in the Registry, but I'm hoping only 1 or 2 of them, or flags in the printer settings, actually need to be removed. I can probably come up with some PowerShell magic to get rid of all of them--if that will address it. But I'm hoping there's a simpler way.

Anyone know a surgical way to get rid of them?

NF 0 Reputation points

2024-05-06T16:48:24.84+00:00

JRV, did you ever find an answer to this issue. I'm experiencing the same problem.
David Hendy 0 Reputation points

2024-07-03T07:57:45.62+00:00

I need a solution too. this is lame

6 answers

Your answer

NF 0 Reputation points

2024-05-06T16:48:24.84+00:00

JRV, did you ever find an answer to this issue. I'm experiencing the same problem.
David Hendy 0 Reputation points

2024-07-03T07:57:45.62+00:00

I need a solution too. this is lame

Answer 1

JKruz 10

Ok, I have the exact same problem. Old Deployed Printers are unable to be removed.

I found that you can remove them from the hidden devices Printer Queues node of Device Manager (turn on Show Hidden Devices and expland the Print Queues Node) and they actually go away. I haven't tried scripting this with PowerShell yet but I see that it might be possible.

First, remove all references to the disconnected print server from the registry. I removed all references that included the old print server name. The printers now showed in the Printers and Devices list as Disconnected. I then opened Device Manager and removed the hidden print queues.

At this point, the printers disappeared from the list of Printers and Devices and did not return on reboots and logins.

Kathy 0 Reputation points

2024-02-12T14:51:17.14+00:00

This has worked for me. Thanks for posting!
spug 51 Reputation points

2025-03-13T21:42:01.0333333+00:00

thanks Alan. the registry entry removals worked for me! restarted the spool, and then could finally delete the offending printers!!
Alan Morris 1,351 Reputation points

2025-03-14T02:24:04.6433333+00:00

Great. I'm glad that worked for you

Answer 2

Alan Morris 1,351

Hi JRV,Add the Print Server Role to a machine with Group Policy Management Console. The policy module from Print Management will now be loaded by GPMC and you can remove the old objects. There is no need to run any scripts. I discuss this method in one of the Vista technology guides from Microsoft but even I no longer have a copy. Thanks

JRV 561 Reputation points

2023-05-09T20:54:06.1333333+00:00

@Alan Morris , thanks, but the Print Management MSC is installed and the old printers were removed from GP Printer Deployment many, many months ago. I know how it used to work, before PrintNightmare patches.

The problem is that the CSE no longer works after the PrintNightmare patches. It can't add printers anymore. It also can't remove printers added by GPPD before PrintNightmare patches were installed.

That last sentence is the subject of this entire thread, and I'm trying to find a scriptable solution.
Alan Morris 1,351 Reputation points

2023-05-10T00:31:07.1+00:00

I'm not sure what CSE is for you.

The Microsoft default for adding connection to shared printers when the printers use Type 3 drivers is that the users on the client system are required to have local administrative rights on the client systems.

If the user is admin, the connections should be added.

If the driver on the server is a Type 4, the connection should be added regardless of the client level of access to the system but the driver on the server is NEVER copied to the client system so the connection is created with a framework driver normally resulting in a degraded print experience.

You can change this default requirement by allowing non admins the ability to install the software from the print server, the software being the print driver.

The domain policy located in Computer \ Admin Templates \ Printers \ Limits print driver installation to Administrators

When you disable this policy a standard used can make the connection to a shared printer which uses a Type 3 driver.
Alan Morris 1,351 Reputation points

2023-05-10T01:05:13.4933333+00:00

You can surgically remove them by editing the registry.

As you stated, the user was not able to remove printer. That is a feature with Deployed Printer.

The printers are added with a flag so they can't be deleted so clearing them from the registry is the way to go.

Start with HKEY_USERS\USERSID\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\PushedConnections

There is also HKEY_USERS\USERSID\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\PushedPrinterConnectionStore

When a connection does exist this will be a per user registry key based on their SID.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Print\Providers\Client Side Rendering Print Provider

The connections also live under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Print\Providers\Client Side Rendering Print Provider\Servers\SERVERNAME\Printers

Restart the Print Spooler service after the key clean up.
JRV 561 Reputation points

2023-05-10T14:05:34.32+00:00

CSE = Client Side Extension. A part of Group Policy that reads HKLM\Software\Policies and HKCU\Software\Policies and does whatever the Policy is supposed to do.

I know about the Policy settings you mention, and the additions to them that PrintNightmare patches required. But disabling PrintNightmare patching is unacceptable, and I'm not trying to get point-and-print back. Just GPPD.

GPPD did not use point-and-print but its CSE was disabled by PrintNightmare patches none the less, and has so far not been fixed. At this point, not holding my breath that it will be. Lots of threads about this from angry sysadmins on the major message boards about it.

I guess I could try disabling PrintNightmare patches, refresh Policy on every workstation, and then re-enable the patches. Not sure whether re-enabling point-and-print will re-enable the CSE but that might be worth a try.
JRV 561 Reputation points

2023-05-10T14:17:42.9533333+00:00

Again, the printers are LONG gone from the ...\Policies... keys as they were removed via GPPD many months ago. They don't depend on the printer CSE. But everything else is left behind by the now-disabled CSE.

I have found there are 100s of entries on each computer in varying locations. PowerShell can probably do this job by searching recursively for the names of the decommissioned print servers, and I'm probably up to the task of scripting it...but the time involved and the risk of borking large numbers of computers is not justified. Really need something that can be applied through some API that can be called by PowerShell or WMIC or some other means. And I concede the possibility that there isn't one.

On a related topic, I've inquired about the flag that's set by GPPD before in another thread and no one knew the answer. I know there must be one but I've not been able to find it, either. That flag is key to another project, already completed: A PS script that allows GPPD to add and remove printers, with the biggest missing piece being raising the flag that prevents removal except by GPPD (or my script). If you know where that flag is set, I'd love to be able to add it to the script.
Gerald 21 Reputation points

2023-06-02T18:02:57.6666667+00:00

None of these answers are helpful.

The answer to modify registry keys starting with "HKEY_USERS\USERSID" this is dynamic and different for every user. As are many of the printer GPO registry entries, many have SID notations encoded into the location which is different per GPO.

None of this makes it possible (at least not without gargantuian effort) to remove only the neccessary keys in an "Automated Fashion" (automated being the key part). I have 1000+ machine domain with this problem, and these and many of the solutions I've read throughout the forums are a disaster for automation.

Is this truly this broken?!
Gerald 21 Reputation points

2023-06-02T18:03:40.8+00:00

@JRV did you ever find a solution?
JRV 561 Reputation points

2023-06-02T18:18:04.6933333+00:00

No, no solution yet, and at this point not expecting to find one. Although, as they say, hope springs eternal, so I do a web search or post a new thread from time to time when the issue pops up at yet another client.

But I do think I can answer whether this is truly broken: Yes, @Gerald , it is.
Ryan Arakaki 5 Reputation points

2023-07-20T23:36:25.5633333+00:00

I'm going through the same thing. Thankfully it's just a single workstation that was joined to a domain. Their DC and print server died. I tried all of the above and even searching for all traces of the registry for the printer name. I deleted all traces to no avail. Next step is to blow it all away. If you find anything, please reply to this.
Jon Agnew 0 Reputation points

2025-01-22T12:15:11.68+00:00

Thank you Alan - this has saved me a ton of time.
Alan Morris 1,351 Reputation points

2025-01-23T06:20:32.65+00:00

Hi Jon, you are welcome.
spug 51 Reputation points

2025-03-13T21:46:04.2266667+00:00

thanks Alan. the registry entry removals worked for me! restarted the spool, and then could finally delete the offending printers!!
Isaac Gonzalez 11 Reputation points

2026-05-03T18:10:00.8866667+00:00

hi @Alan Morris unfortunately they are not under Hkey_Users under policies(machines joined to different domain now) and removing registry items from those two other places and then removing from device manager won't prevent it coming back after a gpo update. They don't show up under devices and printers oddly enough but will show up if I try to print from an application sadly since they are printers in device manager. There may not be a way to permanently remove them in my case which is gpo deployed printers by computer.
Alan Morris 1,351 Reputation points

2026-05-03T22:26:51.5833333+00:00

Hi Isaac, you have Deployed Printers, correct? You had not set the connections using Group Policy Preferences, correct?

Can you send a gpresult report?

Thanks
Isaac Gonzalez 11 Reputation points

2026-05-03T22:51:34.66+00:00

@Alan Morris yes correct, deployed computers via print management on old domain, not gpp and they remain even when unjoining and rejoining new domain. Did not use GPP. The GPP ones I use are user based and are easier to deal with. Actually one thing I didn't try to do was log out completely and I just did that and logged back in and they are gone! In addition a gpupdate /force doesn't put them back in. Keep in mind that it is updating Group policy from new domain which definitely doesn't have that policy that adds them via print mgmt. I've moved away from doing that because it's so hard to remove and just use gpp now on the users/groups. I'll try another workstation and let you know if I have success still. Really it was removing the server connection from registry besides removing printers and print queue from device manager is what I did...
Isaac Gonzalez 11 Reputation points

2026-05-04T09:03:21.19+00:00

hi @Alan Morris ok a couple of machines will just keep applying the printers and when I do gprsesult it contains the policy from the old domain.... Here it is under printer connections...so basically removing it from registry and device manager gpo has it cached and just keeps bringing it back. It's not under Hkey_users\ either I check...
Alan Morris 1,351 Reputation points

2026-05-04T14:27:12.6166667+00:00

Search for those GUIDs in the registry. Your printer server name and printer name should be there as well. I won’t have access to a Windows system for 6 days or I would provide the precise registry location.

These are machine connections, correct?
Isaac Gonzalez 11 Reputation points

2026-05-06T07:04:09.9433333+00:00

I found those Guids in the registry they are all under:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy\DataStore\Machine

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy\SID

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy\State\SID\GPLink-List\ and GPO-list

and then same ones for

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node

Going to blow them out of

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy\DataStore\Machine and the Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy\DataStore\Machine and see what happens(i'll make a backup beforehand of course... There are a ton of entries for the SID History, Shadow, and State @Alan Morris
Isaac Gonzalez 11 Reputation points

2026-05-06T07:14:51.7366667+00:00

That didn't work, printers just keep coming back every time gpupdate is forced since that gpo is basically forever stored on the machines...gah so frustrating I don't think i'm ever going to deploy printers via Print Management GPO ever since they are so tricky to remove if migrating machines to different forest/domain or removing from domain period....I see the only way is to join them back to original domain, update that gpo to remove printers, and then join them all back but even with Powersyncpro that is still a bunch of work and disruption :( @Alan Morris

Answer 3

Matt H 0

Here is what I did:

I look at which printers are there for a logged in user by running

wmic printer get name

Then I stop the print spooler (need to be elevated)

net stop spooler

Then I delete a couple registry entries per printer:

REG DELETE "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Devices" /v "\\PRINTSERVER\Office Copier" /f

REG DELETE "HKCU\Printers\Connections\,,PRINTSERVER,Office Copier" /f

Then I start the print spooler (need to be elevated)

net start spooler

Then I confirm that those printers are gone by using the above WMI command

JRV 561 Reputation points

2023-08-24T14:43:27.16+00:00

In this system, the only printers in those registry keys are current, valid printers. None of the now-obsolete printers originally created by Group Policy Printer Deployment and still visible in the GUI are there.

Too bad, because that would be easily scripted in PowerShell.

Answer 4

Adam Burton 0

Hi all

I'm having a similar problems and I have thrown everything at it, I'm not sure what/if is working yet but below is what I am trying....

Oh, one thing what has worked, 'fax' has been removed on all the computers I checked :)

GPO with identical settings for both User and Computer:

powershell script containing all the printer names and sharenames, e.g:

Remove-Printer -Name "EPSON WF-C869R Series - Sales"

Remove-Printer -Name "clientservices (WF-C869R Series)"

Remove-Printer -Name "Fax"

User's image

JRV 561 Reputation points

2023-08-23T16:01:26.8566667+00:00

Sadly, you'll find that what you're describing will not work for printers originally pushed by Group Policy Printer Deployment.

If you find a surgical, scriptable method that does work, by all means let us know! You'll be a hero to all of us. (Wiping the disk and reinstalling Windows doesn't count!)

Answer 5

Limitless Technology 45,226

Hello

Thank you for your question and reaching out.

Please create script or startup GPO using below command to delete unwanted or orphaned printers.

wmic printer where (name like '%%(copy %%') delete

--If the reply is helpful, please Upvote and Accept as answer--

JRV 561 Reputation points

2023-05-05T14:25:08.47+00:00

Thanks, but that didn't work either. And I found WMIC PRINTER LIST BRIEF (like PS>Get-Printer) doesn't list the orphaned printers, so it makes sense it also can't delete them.

My hypothesis, is that the Policy is still present because the printer CSE is no longer capable of removing it, post-PrintNightmare patches. There are dozens or maybe 100s of printer-related registry entries containing the names of the decommissioned print servers & their printers. Probably, removing them will solve the problem, hopefully without causing other problems. But I'm not sure how to accomplish that across a single computer, let alone the whole domain.

Settings/Devices/Printers and Scanners appears to be building its list in part from that Policy, but the printers themselves are not enumerated by Windows for PowerShell, WMIC, or whatever because they're no longer there to enumerate.

If true, the focus needs to be removing orphaned Policy, not orphaned Printers. Haven't figured out how to do that.

The printers are no longer in HKLM or HKCU\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\PushedPrinterConnectionStore, so Group Policy is being pushed to the machine correctly. But the printer CSE is failing to take over from there and work its magic on the Registry.

Share via

Can't remove printers previously deployed by Group Policy Printer Deployment

6 answers

Your answer