Printer won't delete

I'm sure I'm missing something simple, but...I have 2 XP pro machines
used by our Controller and Payables person. The Controller prints to
an HP LJ5 that's shared off the payables computer. He was having
problems printing so I tried deleting and re-installing the printer.
(It was also on the machine twice, so I am trying to delete both.)
However, the printer won't delete. It says "Deleting" but is not going
away. The user does have admin rights.

To make matters worse, every time I open the Printers and Fax folder
XP shifts 98% of CPU resources to the process explorer.exe causing
other apps to lock up or go at a snail's pace. Of course when I
terminate the explorer process the other apps go back to normal, but
there's no start menu, desktop, task bar, etc.

So...is there any way to force a printer uninstall? Maybe from dos?

TIA
-john smith

Step a) Stop the printer spooler on the PC to which the printer is
attached... ie Payables. From the command prompt, type
net stop spooler
(and hit enter)

Now go to the other PC and follow Bruce Sanderson's instructions to
uninstall the printer completely.
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm

Reboot the other PC.

Go back to the Payables PC and restart the printer spooler. From the
command prompt, type:
net start spooler
(and hit enter)

Go back to the other PC. In Windows Explorer, from the Toolbar, select,
Tools, Folder Options and look in the Views tab. If the first box
"Automatically search for Network Folders and Printers" is checked, the
Payables PC should automatically find and install the printer.

--
Cari
MS-MVP Windows Technologies - Printing/Imaging/Hardware
www.coribright.com
"John Smith" wrote in message
om...
I'm sure I'm missing something simple, but...I have 2 XP pro machines
used by our Controller and Payables person. The Controller prints to
an HP LJ5 that's shared off the payables computer. He was having
problems printing so I tried deleting and re-installing the printer.
(It was also on the machine twice, so I am trying to delete both.)
However, the printer won't delete. It says "Deleting" but is not going
away. The user does have admin rights.

To make matters worse, every time I open the Printers and Fax folder
XP shifts 98% of CPU resources to the process explorer.exe causing
other apps to lock up or go at a snail's pace. Of course when I
terminate the explorer process the other apps go back to normal, but
there's no start menu, desktop, task bar, etc.

So...is there any way to force a printer uninstall? Maybe from dos?

TIA
-john smith