| If you no longer use a hardware device, or if you have an older hardware device that you want to upgrade, you need to remove the hardware device drivers and related software before you remove the physical hardware device from your computer. With the Device Manager, you can quickly and easily remove hardware devices and any related device drivers. Before you remove a legacy device, printing the device settings is a good idea in case you need to reinstall the device later. Remove a Hardware Device -
| | Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel. | -
| | Double-click the System icon in Classic view. | -
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| | Click the plus sign (+) next to the hardware category you want to expand. | -
| | Click the device you want to remove. | -
| | Click the Uninstall button on the toolbar, and then click OK. | -
| | Click the Close button, and then click OK. | -
Did You Know? You can quickly delete a printer . Click the Start button, click Printers And Faxes, right-click the printer you want to delete, click Delete, and then click Yes. You can safely unplug or eject plug and play hardware from the notification area . If the Safely Remove Hardware icon appears in the notification area on the taskbar, double-click it, select a device, click Stop, click Close, and then unplug or eject the device. | |