Windows 8 Deleted network printer keeps reappearing

[Bin12]

I have two PCs connected via Ethernet. The "Home" PC runs Win 8.1 and the "Work" PC runs Win 8. I had a DeskJet printer that's trash now. Before it failed, I tried using the Home PC as a kind of "print server" for the Work PC (since the old DeskJet had no Ethernet connection -- just USB). Apparently that set up a "print queue" function on my Home PC that I can't get rid of now!

I've gone into Control Panel and deleted the printer on both computers. But it keeps reappearing on the Home PC after each reboot. Going into the "Events" tab shows these details in the "Information" window:

1. for when I deleted it, at 11:01 AM:
Device SWD\PRINTENUM\{F3C567DB-402F-4895-B181-5CB545F633BF} was deleted.
Class Guid: {1ED2BBF9-11F0-4084-B21F-AD83A8E6DCDC}

2. Then at 11:48 AM there's an entry for the (automatic) "Device configured (PrintQueue.inf)" :
Device SWD\PRINTENUM\{F3C567DB-402F-4895-B181-5CB545F633BF} was configured.
Driver Name: PrintQueue.inf
Class Guid: {1ED2BBF9-11F0-4084-B21F-AD83A8E6DCDC}
Driver Date: 06/21/2006
Driver Version: 6.3.9600.16384
Driver Provider: Microsoft
Driver Section: NO_DRV_LOCAL
Driver Rank: 0x1
Matching Device Id: PRINTENUM\LocalPrintQueue
Outranked Drivers: oem11.inf:hewlett-packarddeskj4ebe:00FF0002 c_swdevice.inf:SWD\GenericRaw:00FF3001
Device Updated: false

And that even is followed by the event "Device started", which shows:
Device SWD\PRINTENUM\{F3C567DB-402F-4895-B181-5CB545F633BF} was started.

Driver Name: PrintQueue.inf
Class Guid: {1ED2BBF9-11F0-4084-B21F-AD83A8E6DCDC}
Service:
Lower Filters:
Upper Filters:


Help! How do I get this thing to stop resurrecting itself?

 

[Trouble]

Have you double checked other user profiles (other users configured to logon to both computers) to confirm that you have emptied the print queue for all users and deleted the printer from all user profiles on both computers?
You may need to do this using the switch users option. It's a little different in Windows 8 and 8.1 just click your picture and the top right of the start screen and select another user (if multiple users are configured they should show up there).

 

[Bin12]

Have you double checked other user profiles (other users configured to logon to both computers) to confirm that you have emptied the print queue for all users and deleted the printer from all user profiles on both computers?
You may need to do this using the switch users option. It's a little different in Windows 8 and 8.1 just click your picture and the top right of the start screen and select another user (if multiple users are configured they should show up there).

Thank you. I tried that and found an account on the Work PC that still had the printer. But deleting it there didn't resolve the problem. (Sorry for the long post here, but I'm pulling my hair out). Now the zombie printer doesn't appear *anywhere* on the Work PC. But the problem persists on the Home PC.

This *must* be happening on the Home PC itself -- specifically, on the Admin account. The reason I say that is that if the Work PC is in sleep mode and I log in to the Admin account on the Home PC, the Work PC wakes up. No other account on Home PC does this. I've tried stopping printer and file sharing, but that didn't do it.

I think I've narrowed it down to the printer spooler on the Admin account (on the Home PC).

Here's the tip-off (and the brick wall I'm banging my head on)
1. Logged on the Admin account on the Home PC and went to Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
2. Selected the printer (the icon is usually grayed out, but I've caught it a couple of times when it's dark & get same results)
3. Click on "Print Server Properties" at the top of the screen.
4. In Print Server window, go to the Drivers tab and see all the different devices I can print to (fax, etc)
5. Select the rogue bastard from the list and click "Remove" button at the bottom.
6. Choose between two choices: (A) Driver only & (B) Driver and Package. I've tried both, but have tried "Driver and Package" more often, reasoning that if I delete more, there's less of a body to resurrect itself with.
7. Click "OK" and warning message says this will "Delete it from the system. Are you sure?" (Yes, you zombie demon, YES!)
8. Here's the resulting detailed message:

The following package(s) can not be deleted:

prnhp001.inf (x64)
This package contains the following driver(s) that are in use:
HP DeskJet 930C/932C/935C; This driver is used on:
\\WORK\HP DeskJet 930C/932C/935C

The following driver(s) can not be deleted:

Driver HP DeskJet 930C/932C/935C (x64) is in use. It is used on:
\\WORK\HP DeskJet 930C/932C/935C​

9. This message is a misdirection. I've looked on the Work computer for files (including hidden) with the name prnhp001, but there isn't anything. The Work PC doesn't even have to be turned on and I get the same message.

Anyone up to the challenge? If so, many thanks and good karma will be coming your way!

 

[Trouble]

If you are desperate enough you might want to check the registry here
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers
Under that Key you should see a list of printers. Perhaps the offender is there??
I suppose if you find it there you could delete it.

Boilerplate Disclaimer:
Using the Windows Registry Editor can cause serious, system-wide problems that may require you to re-install Windows to correct them. It cannot be guaranteed that any problems resulting from the use of the Windows Registry Editor can be solved. If you choose to edit the Windows Registry please understand that you do so at your own risk so unless you feel fairly comfortable and confident you should probably not use the Editor. Changes made to the Windows Registry can take effect immediately and those that do not will take effect following the next reboot of your computer, and a current backup is not automatically made for you....So manually create a system restore point, backup the registry and export the key you are editing for safe keeping before doing so.

 

[Bin12]

Finall

If you are desperate enough you might want to check the registry here
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers
Under that Key you should see a list of printers. Perhaps the offender is there??
I suppose if you find it there you could delete it.

Boilerplate Disclaimer:
Using the Windows Registry Editor can cause serious, system-wide problems that may require you to re-install Windows to correct them. It cannot be guaranteed that any problems resulting from the use of the Windows Registry Editor can be solved. If you choose to edit the Windows Registry please understand that you do so at your own risk so unless you feel fairly comfortable and confident you should probably not use the Editor. Changes made to the Windows Registry can take effect immediately and those that do not will take effect following the next reboot of your computer, and a current backup is not automatically made for you....So manually create a system restore point, backup the registry and export the key you are editing for safe keeping before doing so.

Thanks! I finally fixed it by {gasp!} going into the registry. This old printer had been set up using a homegroup. I had only set it up that way as a test to see if it would work with a homegroup, so having the damn thing persist like that was pretty irksome. It was pretty easy to use the registry's "Find" function to find and delete every entry for "DeskJet 930", and "WORK" (the homegroup location for the other computer, which as I said, no longer existed). The only registry entries I couldn't delete were under PRINTENUM (which was under SWD). The system wouldn't let me touch those, so they must've been live.

Just in case anyone else is reading this and taking courage to hack your way through the registry, deleting entries, let me round out the picture a little:

I used every precaution I could think of (backed up users' files, saved an updated restore image in multiple locations, had copies of the registry on both USB key and C: drive, *and* had instructions printed out and ready for every kind of re-set, re-boot and re-install I *may* have encountered). Thankfully I ended up not needing any of them. Whew! The new LAN printer still works like a charm and there's no trace of the pesky old one.

Problem solved.

 

[Trouble]

Excellent.... Good Job!!
Thanks for posting back and updating your thread with your resolution.
Always good to hear when someone has managed to resolve there problem successfully.
Regards
Randy