This printer is enabled by default both in Windows 10 as in Windows 11, which is a great advantage since it will not be necessary to download any other type of program to be able to use it. However, and despite being a very practical tool, we may prefer to deactivate it or eliminate and use other types of PDF printers.
What is Microsoft Print to PDF
This function that came under the arm of Windows 10 and that remains in Windows 11 can be tremendously useful, since it will allow us to save and convert any document, web page or images into a PDF document. By using this virtual printer, we can print any PDF file, being very easy to use. Any .pdf file that we have created with Microsoft Print to PDF can be opened with any program that supports this format such as Adobe Reader, Foxit Reader, etc.
One of the possibilities it offers is convert a web page to a PDF file. To do this, we will only have to click on the Print section of our browser and it will show us a window where it will indicate all the printing options that we have available. When selecting the printer we must use Microsoft Print to PDF and we can configure the basic printing options, such as the paper size or the distance of the margins when printing.
Now we just have to click on the “Print” button so that our file is automatically converted into a PDF document, which we can give a name, save and use whenever we want.
Ways to delete, activate or deactivate
Next, we tell you different ways we have to be able to eliminate, enable or disable the Microsoft Print to PDF printer. This is something we can do from the Windows Features, the Control Panel, the Settings menu, as well as PowerShell or the Command Prompt.
From Windows Features
We can activate or deactivate this utility from the Control Panel. To access it directly, just press the keyboard shortcut “Windows + R” to bring up the Run command. Here, we type Appwiz.cpl and hit Enter. We can also directly access the Control Panel, click on “Programs” and “Programs and Features.” Once here, click on the “Activate or deactivate Windows features” section, which we find in the upper left.
This will bring up a new “Windows Features” window, where a list of system features will be shown. Here we must scroll through its different options until we find the Microsoft Print to PDF printer that will show us how Print to Microsoft PDF.
If the box is not checked, all you have to do is click on it to check it and save the changes by clicking on the “OK” button to make it available again. If what we want is disable it, just uncheck it. In this case, when we press the print option or the keyboard shortcut “Ctrl + P” we will see that this option does not appear within the printers available in Windows.
This change should be reflected instantly as soon as we check or uncheck the box, but in case some reason does not happen, we must try to restart the Windows Explorer process, close the session or restart the system completely.
Using the Settings menu
We can also use the Windows Settings menu to be able to enable or disable This function. To do this, we must press the key combination “Windows + I”, so that it automatically takes us to Settings. Later we click on the “Devices” icon and click on the “Printers and scanners” section that we find in the left panel.
Next, in the right panel we click on Microsoft Print to PDF which will bring up a menu. Here we will click on «Remove device» to remove it. A window will appear where it will ask us if we are sure we want to delete it, click on «Yes» to confirm and close the Settings menu.
From Devices and Printers
Another option that we have available is to eliminate this function from the “Devices and printers” section that we find in the Control Panel in both Windows 10 and Windows 11. To access, press the keyboard shortcut “Windows + R” to launch the command run. Here we write «Control Panel» and press Enter.
In the new screen, in the Hardware and sound section, we click on «See devices and printers». Next, we right-click on Microsoft Print to PDF and select «Remove Device». For this it will be necessary that we have administrator rights. Finally, a confirmation window appears, where we click on “Yes” to confirm the changes.
Using PowerShell
This command line console interface is designed so that it can be used by system administrators, in order to automate tasks or perform them in a more controlled way. From here we can both delete, how to deactivate and activate Microsoft Print to PDF printer.
To do this we must write powershell in the search box of the Start menu and click on Run as administrator. In the new window we write the following command and press Enter.
To eliminate it we write:
Remove-Printer -Name "Microsoft Print to PDF"
If what we want is to enable it we write:
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "Printing-PrintToPDFServices-Features"
On the other hand, if what we want is to deactivate it we write:
Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "Printing-PrintToPDFServices-Features"
Using Command Prompt
It is a command-line utility used to run commands and perform advanced-level administrative functions, or it can also be used for troubleshooting. From here we will be able enable, disable, or remove the printer Microsoft Print to PDF at our convenience.
To do this we write cmd in the search box of the Start menu and execute the Command Prompt with administrator rights. In the new window we write the following commands depending on the operation to be performed.
To eliminate it we write:
printui.exe /dl /n "Microsoft Print to PDF"
In the case of wanting to deactivate it, we write:
dism /Online /Disable-Feature /FeatureName:"Printing-PrintToPDFServices-Features"
To reactivate it we write:
dism /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:"Printing-PrintToPDFServices-Features"
