Uninstalling a "phantom" printer

[Jeff Layman]

Win7HPx64.

This may be of use when you need to uninstall a "phantom" printer.

I used Canon Easy Photoprint on my old XPH desktop with a Pixma iP3000
inkjet until the machine died a few weeks ago. I have the original CD,
but the program won't install on Win7. I downloaded the latest version
(4.10) from Canon and installed it without problem on my laptop. It
runs, but if I select the photoprint function an error message appears
to the effect that no compatible printer is installed (other functions
appear to work ok). According to the Canon website, the iP3000 is
compatible. Someone in this NG stated that they used Canon's MP610
inkjet successfully with the program, so I decided to install that. As
I don't have the install disk for the driver, I installed it by:

Devices and printers | Add a printer | Add a local printer | Use an
existing port (USB001 Virtual printer port for USB selected) | Install
the printer driver (Canon MP610 selected) | Windows Update.

That seemed to work ok, and if I try to print from any program the MP610
appears as an installed printer (on USB001). But Easy Photoprint still
tells me that no compatible printer is installed!

As it was no help, I decided to uninstall the MP610. But although it
could be found in any program's printer list when selecting "Print", it
didn't appear in Control Panel | Devices and Printers! So how do you
uninstall something which isn't there?

I removed it by chance. In the dialogue which appears when printing
from Notepad, a list of all installed printers appears. If, instead of
left clicking to select that printer, you right-click and select
"Delete", upon confirmation the printer will be removed from the list.

Before I did that, after I clicked on the printer, I clicked on "Find
printer". Along with my other two printers (the iP3000 and a Samsung
laser) it was in the "Network" folder! I am not connected to any
network, so why do the printers appear there?

 

[charlie]

Win7HPx64.

This may be of use when you need to uninstall a "phantom" printer.

I used Canon Easy Photoprint on my old XPH desktop with a Pixma iP3000
inkjet until the machine died a few weeks ago. I have the original CD,
but the program won't install on Win7. I downloaded the latest version
(4.10) from Canon and installed it without problem on my laptop. It
runs, but if I select the photoprint function an error message appears
to the effect that no compatible printer is installed (other functions
appear to work ok). According to the Canon website, the iP3000 is
compatible. Someone in this NG stated that they used Canon's MP610
inkjet successfully with the program, so I decided to install that. As
I don't have the install disk for the driver, I installed it by:

Devices and printers | Add a printer | Add a local printer | Use an
existing port (USB001 Virtual printer port for USB selected) | Install
the printer driver (Canon MP610 selected) | Windows Update.

That seemed to work ok, and if I try to print from any program the MP610
appears as an installed printer (on USB001). But Easy Photoprint still
tells me that no compatible printer is installed!

As it was no help, I decided to uninstall the MP610. But although it
could be found in any program's printer list when selecting "Print", it
didn't appear in Control Panel | Devices and Printers! So how do you
uninstall something which isn't there?

I removed it by chance. In the dialogue which appears when printing
from Notepad, a list of all installed printers appears. If, instead of
left clicking to select that printer, you right-click and select
"Delete", upon confirmation the printer will be removed from the list.

Before I did that, after I clicked on the printer, I clicked on "Find
printer". Along with my other two printers (the iP3000 and a Samsung
laser) it was in the "Network" folder! I am not connected to any
network, so why do the printers appear there?

Windows actually has networking built in.
The path(s) to a printer are "logical", and, within windows,
there is more than one possible path.

Local
Remote
Default
Legacy
USB
Parallel
Serial
LP(number), or sometimes LPT
and so on

The names are intended to be conceptual rather than literal, although a
given one might be literal as well. It's possible, following sometimes
obscure rules, to have one point to another.

There is also a concept of "pipes" that can come into play.

A common situation might be that the default printer can also be
referred to as a USB printer, the default printer, LPT1, or a "network"
printer. This is intended to illustrate a sort of principle,
and not to be taken as technically accurate.


A given application program might be able to use a limited number of the
possible "paths" to a printer(or FAX or Scanner).

For some time, until more recent versions of View Scan were available, I
used ethernet networked multifunction printers also as scanners by
"tricking" View Scan into thinking that the networked printer was
locally connected. (Typically WinXP and previous versions) The general
scheme worked even with earlier windows versions on a somewhat flaky
basis as far back as 1999 or so, and with multifunction printers that
had a "Twain" driver for the scanner/Fax.

In some cases, the printer was actually a locally connected printer via
a parallel port, and the windows networking functionality used to
isolate different drivers for the same hardware. I've never seen a lucid
and complete description of how this windows functionality actually
works. It's always been trial and error for me. In early windows
versions (3.x), we also used the capability with laser printers that had
multiple "emulation" capabilities. For example, A HP laser printer might
be an ascii printer, a postscript printer, an Epson printer, or a "raw"
bitmap printer, depending on which driver was used. By setting up
different printer "queues" the appropriate driver was tied to the queue.
The queues all pointed to the same printer.

 

[Jeff Layman]

Windows actually has networking built in. The path(s) to a printer
are "logical", and, within windows, there is more than one possible
path.

Local
Remote
Default
Legacy
USB
Parallel
Serial LP(number), or sometimes LPT
and so on

The names are intended to be conceptual rather than literal, although
a given one might be literal as well. It's possible, following
sometimes obscure rules, to have one point to another.

There is also a concept of "pipes" that can come into play.

A common situation might be that the default printer can also be
referred to as a USB printer, the default printer, LPT1, or a
"network" printer. This is intended to illustrate a sort of
principle, and not to be taken as technically accurate.


A given application program might be able to use a limited number of
the possible "paths" to a printer(or FAX or Scanner).

For some time, until more recent versions of View Scan were
available, I used ethernet networked multifunction printers also as
scanners by "tricking" View Scan into thinking that the networked
printer was locally connected. (Typically WinXP and previous
versions) The general scheme worked even with earlier windows
versions on a somewhat flaky basis as far back as 1999 or so, and
with multifunction printers that had a "Twain" driver for the
scanner/Fax.

In some cases, the printer was actually a locally connected printer
via a parallel port, and the windows networking functionality used
to isolate different drivers for the same hardware. I've never seen a
lucid and complete description of how this windows functionality
actually works. It's always been trial and error for me. In early
windows versions (3.x), we also used the capability with laser
printers that had multiple "emulation" capabilities. For example, A
HP laser printer might be an ascii printer, a postscript printer, an
Epson printer, or a "raw" bitmap printer, depending on which driver
was used. By setting up different printer "queues" the appropriate
driver was tied to the queue. The queues all pointed to the same
printer.

Interesting. I particularly like your comment " I've never seen a lucid
and complete description of how this windows functionality actually
works". What makes me think that probably nobody at Microsoft knows that
either? I wonder if the development was done by different teams, and it
just sort of came together at the end?

While fiddling around I came across something I've never noticed before.
That is the print dialogue box which appears when you choose "Print"
is different for Microsoft software and non-MS software. I would not be
surprised at minor differences, but there is a world of difference. With
the MS programs, you get the right-click option I mentioned in my OP,
and there is also a "Find printer" button (which is how I found the
MP610 was in the "Network" folder). This is far more useful than the
non-MS printer dialogue boxes, where these are absent.

Have you noticed this before, or, like me, just used those dialogue
boxes as an interface to a printer? Are these differences documented
anywhere?

 

[charlie]

Interesting. I particularly like your comment " I've never seen a lucid
and complete description of how this windows functionality actually
works". What makes me think that probably nobody at Microsoft knows that
either? I wonder if the development was done by different teams, and it
just sort of came together at the end?

While fiddling around I came across something I've never noticed before.
That is the print dialogue box which appears when you choose "Print"
is different for Microsoft software and non-MS software. I would not be
surprised at minor differences, but there is a world of difference. With
the MS programs, you get the right-click option I mentioned in my OP,
and there is also a "Find printer" button (which is how I found the
MP610 was in the "Network" folder). This is far more useful than the
non-MS printer dialogue boxes, where these are absent.

Have you noticed this before, or, like me, just used those dialogue
boxes as an interface to a printer? Are these differences documented
anywhere?

Those aren't the only differences.
Functionality differences are common
MS has established a "mini driver" scheme that seems to allow a MFR to
write software? that more or less just describes the printer to MS
software. Obviously, there can be extensions as the mfr chooses.

In the past there was a horrible (my opinion) "Microsoft Printing
System" driver that was furnished with some of the Canon and HP color
inkjet printers.
I suspect that experience with this eventually led to the mini driver
concept/scheme.

When I use some of the Epson Workforce series printers with a built in
USB and Ethernet interface - -

There can be large differences (Dependent on using the USB port or the
Ethernet port) and MS vs Epson drivers, and at what level they are used.
It can be really wild, since windows also has a printer management
package intended for use with/on server windows versions.
Some or all of it can be used with a home network, even without a
dedicated P/C running windows server versions. I can easily get totally
different driver setup/mode windows, depending on exactly how a printer
was "connected" via the different schemes.

My home server is older, second hand HP Server hardware using win server
2002. It's a version or so older than the version fully compatible with
the printer management package I mentioned, and later win server ops
systems.
One of these days, I'll get around to thinking seriously about
replacement. (Or if I can find all the Linux drivers, convert it.)

Some of this and other "nonsense" is why I can justify paying MS about
$400 a year for access to Technet and MSDN and use of various windows
"flavors" on multiple systems.