User profile for user: Community User
Community User Author

Uninstalling printer software

Hello,

I am relatively new to the Mac family, so please excuse my newby question.

I had a Canon multi-function device that I had installed on my MBP. The printer/device is terrible so I bought a new printer, but wanted to get rid of all of the Canon software, drivers, references, etc. on the MBP. I was able to delete the printer (from the printer list in System Preferences). I moved all related folders & files that I could find that referenced Canon, to the Trash (then deleted the Trash items), but for some reason the scanner option still appears as a small icon in the top right corner of the display (near the time machine icon, in clock area).

Does anyone know how to thoroughly remove all of the remaining files, drivers, GARBAGE, etc. that is no longer needed? I looked for any available uninstallers that might have come with the Canon software bundle & had no luck locating anything of that nature (I did use Spotlight as well). Maybe I am not looking in the correct places....I am really not sure at this point. I love my Mac, but routine procedures like uninstalling software & drivers seems to be a frustrating process.

Any thoughts or ideas on how to remove this software would be greatly appreciated. I am dreading the thought of having to take the laptop into the Apple store to have a Genius work on it.....but will do have to as the last resort.

Thanks for your help!

SN

MBP 13", Mac OS X (10.6.2)

Posted on May 4, 2010 12:57 PM

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8 replies
User profile for user: Ferd II
Ferd II
User level: Level 10
104,871 points

May 4, 2010 1:21 PM in response to Community User

SN,

Welcome to Apple Discussions.

Sounds to me like you did a pretty thorough search, and I would not worry about any remaining minor remnants.

Read Uninstalling applications, by Dr. Smoke for additional suggestions.

To get rid of the icon in your menu bar, you should be able to use the (⌘ + Drag) keyboard combo on the icon to drag it out of the menu bar.

;~)

User uploaded file
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User profile for user: thomas_r.
thomas_r.
User level: Level 7
32,031 points

May 4, 2010 1:24 PM in response to Community User

Print drivers aren't really something you need to worry about uninstalling. They just take up a small amount of space and don't do anything when you're not using them. As to the menu item, try holding down the command key and drag it off the menu bar. If that doesn't work, as it doesn't with one of mine, check System Preferences -> Accounts -> Login Items and remove anything related to the printer. (You'd probably want to do this anyway, even if you can remove the menu item.)

Of course, if you installed the printer software using an installer, there should also be an uninstaller that will remove everything without you having to do all this.
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User profile for user: Community User
Community User Author

May 23, 2016 8:44 AM in response to Ferd II

Thank you for the Uninstall doc! I am printing this out now & will take it home to give it another try tonight.
Also, I did not realize that I could (possibly) drag the icon out of that toolbar.

Thanks for the info! I really hope something will work for me tonight!
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User profile for user: Community User
Community User Author

May 23, 2016 8:44 AM in response to thomas_r.

Thomas,
Thanks for the info. I think the actual driver file was the least of my worries, but there was a software bundle that was installed & obviously something is still on the machine if the scanner keeps showing up on the toolbar at the top. So that was what I wanted to eliminate....along with any other references to that Canon device.

I did not realize that there would be references to the printer in the System Preferences - Accounts area. I will definitely check it out to make sure that the printer has been removed!

Thanks a bunch!
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User profile for user: R C-R
R C-R
User level: Level 6
17,794 points

May 4, 2010 4:16 PM in response to thomas_r.

Thomas A Reed wrote:
Assuming that by "toolbar" you mean "menu bar" (the bar of menus at the very top of the screen), the instructions I gave tell you how to do that.


If the icon is for the Canon IJ Network Scan Utility, your method will not work. (It is a status item, not a menu bar extra.) The utility itself is (was) at path /Library/Printers/Canon/BJPrinter/Utilities/Canon IJ Network Scan Utility.app. I think the preference file that controls the appearance of the status item in the menu bar is (was) at path ~/Library/Preferences/jp.co.canon.canon ij_network_scanutility.plist.

Unfortunately, I have no idea how to remove the status bar item if you have already removed the bulk of the Canon software. But FWIW, the Canon printer/scanner support that is built into Snow Leopard & the subsequent updates that Software Update will offer for it work perfectly for me, so the problem may have been with Canon's stand-alone installer software, some of which is known to have problems with Snow Leopard.
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Uninstalling printer software

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