Is your Windows 11 PC showing multiple entries of the same printer in the installed printers list in the Print dialog? Are you seeing duplicate or ghost printer entries on your Windows 11 PC? If yes, here is how to remove duplicate or ghost printers from your Windows 11 PC.
Duplicate or ghost printer entries generally do not appear unless the user manually tries to add the same printer multiple times. That said, Windows 11 might add ghost printer entries automatically for various reasons.
If you have one or more ghost printer entries, you can remove them the same way you remove normal printer entries in Windows 11.
Method 1 of 2
Remove the ghost/duplicate printer from Windows 11 via the Settings app
Step 1: Open the Windows 11 Settings app using search or any other method.
Step 2: On the left pane of the Settings app, click Bluetooth & devices.
Step 3: Now, on the right side, look for the Printers & scanners option and then click on it.
Step 4: The resulting page shows all printers and scanners installed. Find the ghost or duplicate printer entry and then click on it.
Step 5: Finally, click the Remove button to remove the ghost printer. That’s it!
If you have multiple duplicate or ghost printer entries, please repeat the directions in Step 4 and Step 5 to remove all of them.
Method 2 of 2
Remove a duplicate or ghost printer from Windows 11 via the Control Panel
Step 1: Right-click the Windows logo (Start button) on the taskbar and then click Run to open the Run dialog. Users who prefer keyboard shortcuts can use the Windows logo key + R to open the Run dialog.
Step 2: Copy and paste the following path into the field and then press the Enter key to open the Devices and Printers window.
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Step 3: Here, look for the ghost printer entry. Right-click the ghost printer and then click the Remove device option.
Click the Yes button when you see the confirmation prompt.
Remember that you need to repeat this step for all ghost printers if you have multiple ghost or duplicate printer entries.
Our guide on how to update printer drivers in Windows 11 might also interest you.
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