Windows/CUPS printer driver

Prerequisites

• Windows 2000 or higher.
• CUPS installation with a printer not using Foomatic filters.

Install

GUI

1. Download the CUPS Windows Driver source package. Either the .bz2 or the .gz will do.
2. Extract the content cups-windows-<Version>\i386\ to a directory of choice.
3. Open the Windows control panel and open Printer and Faxes. Choose File->Server Properties
4. Navigate to the [Drivers] Tab and click on [Add Printer]
5. Then click on [Have Disk...] and navigate to the previously extracted CUPS Driver.
6. Choose the cups<Version>.inf file.
7. Finalize the driver installation accepting defaults.

CLI

1. Download the CUPS Windows Driver source package. Either the .bz2 or the .gz will do.
2. Extract the content cups-windows-<Version>\i386\ to a directory of choice.
3. In a command prompt issue the following command:

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /ia /m "CUPS Test Driver v<Version>" /f <FullPath>cups<Version>.inf /l <Path2Files>

Uninstall

GUI

1. In the Control Panel open Printers and Faxes
2. Goto File -> Server Properties.
3. Navigate to the [Drivers] tab, select the CUPS Test Driver v<Version> and hit the [Remove] button.

Manually

This method is not recommended!

1. Navigate to %WINDIR%\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3
2. Delete these files CUPS6.INI CUPS6.BPD CUPS6.PPD CUPSPS6.DLL CUPSUI6.DLL
3. Delte the registry key HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Environments\Windows NT x86\Drivers\Version-3\CUPS Test Driver v<Version>

or run this script script: uninstall-cups6-driver.cmd

set CUPSVER=6
set DRIVER_DIR=%WINDIR%\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3
set FILES=CUPS%CUPSVER%.INI CUPS%CUPSVER%.BPD CUPS%CUPSVER%.PPD CUPSPS%CUPSVER%.DLL CUPSUI%CUPSVER%.DLL
set REG_PATH="HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Environments\Windows NT x86\Drivers\Version-3\CUPS Test Driver v%CUPSVER%"

for %%i in ( %FILES% ) do (
   if exist %DRIVER_DIR%\%%i (
       echo Deleting %DRIVER_DIR%\%%i
       del %DRIVER_DIR%\%%i
   ) else (
      echo File %DRIVER_DIR%\%%i not found. Skipping.
   )
)

reg delete %REG_PATH% /f >nul 2>&1

Note: After running the manual uninstall or the script a reboot may be required.

CLI

There is of course a more elegant way then the above mess.

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /dd /m "CUPS Test Driver v<Version>" /v 3

References

• CUPS download page
• How to uninstall printer drivers in Windows XP
• How to add Windows printers without user interaction