When attempting to manually delete and move a printer driver and/or its driver package from Windows operating systems, including Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, from Print Management, Devices and Printers or Printers & Scanners of Settings, the printer driver deletion and removal process may failed with one of the following error messages:
Failed to remove driver <Printer Name>. The specified printer driver is currently in use.
Failed to remove package <driver.inf>. Driver package is in use.
The selected driver cannot be deleted.
The specified printer driver is currently in use.
Unable to remove <Printer Name>x64, Type 3 – User Mode Driver. The specified printer driver is currently in use.
To ensure successful deletion of the printer driver and its associated package, please follow the steps outlined below:
- Remove the printer from the system in Control Panel or Settings.
- Open Print Management.
- Go to Print Servers > <Computer Name>(local) > Drivers
- Right click on the printer driver that you want to delete, and select Remove Driver Package. DO NOT click on Delete yet.
- Open Services administrator tool in Control Panel.
- Stop the Print Spooler service.
- Start the Print Spooler service, and while the service is starting, immediately click on Delete button on the Remove Driver Package window in Print Management.
- Restart the computer if the removal of printer is successful.
