Troubleshooting Guide: How to Force Remove Canon Printer Drivers with Pending Jobs

The scenario described involves the need to uninstall Canon printer drivers, specifically for the Canon IR1025n model. The challenge arises when attempting to remove the drivers due to reported pending print jobs, even after manually deleting the printer. This situation prompts the user to seek guidance on potential solutions or utilities to manually remove the drivers.

When encountering such issues, it's crucial to follow a systematic approach to troubleshoot and resolve the issue effectively. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you address this problem:

1. Verify Pending Print Jobs: Before proceeding with driver removal, ensure there are indeed no pending print jobs. Even though you've deleted the printer manually, there might still be lingering print tasks in the print queue. To check for pending jobs:
   • Navigate to Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
   • Locate your Canon printer and double-click to open the print queue.
   • Cancel or delete any pending print jobs in the queue.
2. Use Print Management Console (Windows): Windows provides a Print Management Console utility, which offers advanced printer management options, including driver removal. Follow these steps:
   • Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
   • Type "printmanagement.msc" and press Enter to open the Print Management Console.
   • Navigate to "Custom Filters" > "All Printers."
   • Right-click on your Canon printer driver and select "Delete."
3. Driver Cleanup Utility: Canon may provide a dedicated driver cleanup utility designed to remove their printer drivers completely. Visit the official Canon website or search for the specific utility related to your printer model. Follow the instructions provided by Canon to use the utility effectively.
4. Manual Registry Cleanup (Advanced): Warning: This step involves editing the Windows registry, which can cause system instability if done incorrectly. Proceed with caution and consider creating a backup of your registry before making any changes.
   • Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
   • Type "regedit" and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
   • Navigate to the following registry key:

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     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Print\Printers
     
     

   • Locate and delete any registry entries related to your Canon printer.
   • Also, navigate to:

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     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Environments\Windows x64\Drivers\Version-x\YOUR_PRINTER_DRIVER
     
     

     Delete the registry entries associated with your Canon printer driver.

5. Restart Your Computer: After completing the driver removal process, restart your computer to apply the changes fully. This step helps ensure that any residual configurations or processes are cleared from memory.

By following these steps, you should be able to effectively remove the Canon printer drivers from your system, resolving the issue of pending print jobs hindering the uninstallation process. Remember to exercise caution, especially when dealing with manual registry modifications, and consider seeking professional assistance if needed.

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