Fix Printer Driver Error 0X00000BC7 Package in Use

I know that error is maddening. You're just trying to clean up an old printer driver and Windows yells "still in use" — but nothing is printing. I've seen this on Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 11 23H2. Here's the real fix.

Quick Fix: Force Delete the Driver Package

Skip all the GUI menus — they won't help here. We're going in through the back door.

1. Stop the print spooler service. Open Command Prompt as Administrator (search "cmd", right-click, Run as administrator).

net stop spooler

2. Delete the driver package folder. Go to:

C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\x64\3

Look for a folder with the printer name or a random GUID folder. Delete it. If you can't find it, run this command to list all driver packages:

pnputil /enum-drivers | findstr "printer"

Find the exact driver name, then remove it with:

pnputil /delete-driver oemXX.inf /force

(replace oemXX.inf with the actual file name from the list).

3. Restart the spooler.

net start spooler

Why This Works

The error 0X00000BC7 happens because Windows keeps a reference count on driver packages. Even after you delete the printer from Devices & Printers, the driver's file lock doesn't release. This is a known bug in the print spooler — it's been there since Windows 8.1.

Stopping the spooler breaks all file locks. Then you can delete files manually. The pnputil /force flag overrides the "package in use" check entirely.

My take: Microsoft should have fixed this years ago. But they didn't, so we have to do it ourselves.

Less Common Variations

Sometimes the error pops up when you try to install a new driver — not just remove an old one. Here's what else might cause this:

• Third-party anti-virus locking spooler files. I've seen McAfee and Norton do this. Temporarily disable the AV, then try again.
• Share printer on a network. Another computer might still be connected to a shared printer using that driver. Check the Printers & Scanners panel and remove any shared printers first.
• Corrupt driver package INF files. Run this to check for bad files:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Then reboot and try the steps again.

If the spooler won't stop (gives you access denied), you need to boot into Safe Mode with Networking. Then stop it there.

How to Avoid This Error Going Forward

I use this rule: never delete a printer from Devices & Printers while a print job is queued. Always check the print queue first — even if you think it's empty.

Also, when uninstalling a printer driver, use the Print Management console (printmanagement.msc) instead of the regular panel. It handles driver removal more cleanly.

1. Press Win + R, type printmanagement.msc, hit Enter.
2. Go to Print Servers → your PC name → Drivers.
3. Right-click the driver → Delete. Check "Remove driver package from server".

That won't always work either — but it fails less often than the standard UI.

If you're really unlucky and the error keeps coming back, a Windows repair install (keep your files) might be the nuclear option. But I'd only go there after trying pnputil with force.