Symptoms
- Same printer name appears more than once in Printers & Scanners
- Unsure which listed printer to select when printing
- Duplicates appeared after a driver update or reconnecting the printer
- One entry works while the other doesn't
Likely causes
- CommonPrinter added again after a network or driver change without removing the old entryReconnecting via a different method (Wi-Fi vs USB, or after an IP change) often creates a new entry.
- CommonPrinter re-detected automatically after a Windows/macOS updateSystem updates sometimes re-add a printer that was already installed.
- PossibleManual and automatic setup both added the same printer separatelyUsing both the manufacturer's software and the OS's automatic detection can create two listings.
What to do
- Open Printers & Scanners (Windows or Mac) and identify which listed entries are duplicates of the same physical printer.
- Print a test page from each duplicate entry to determine which one(s) actually work, since not all duplicates function identically.
- Right-click and remove the non-working or redundant duplicate entries, keeping only the one that prints successfully.
- Rename the remaining printer entry to something clear if needed, so it's easy to identify going forward.
- Set the correctly working entry as the default printer.
- Avoid re-adding the printer through multiple methods (manual IP setup plus automatic Wi-Fi discovery) going forward to prevent new duplicates.
Tools and parts
- None
When to call a pro
This is a cosmetic/organizational issue, not a hardware fault, and doesn't need professional repair; simply remove the non-functional duplicate entries.
Safety
Generally low risk
Generally low risk for a careful person. Stop if anything looks different from what this guide describes.