How to delete drivers from C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository

To delete drivers from C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository, particularly the leftover driver EuVKbd.sys from Avid EUCON Workstation, you can follow these detailed steps:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
   • Click on the Start menu, type cmd, right-click on "Command Prompt" or "Windows Terminal", and select "Run as administrator". This opens the Command Prompt with elevated privileges.
2. List Installed Drivers:
   • To find the exact name of the driver you want to delete, use the following command to list all installed drivers:

          pnputil /enum-drivers
     

   • Look through the output for the driver associated with EuVKbd.sys. You should see entries like oemXX.inf, where XX is a number.
3. Uninstall the Driver:
   • Once you have identified the driver name (e.g., oem42.inf), you can uninstall it using:

          pnputil /delete-driver oemXX.inf /uninstall
     

   • Replace oemXX.inf with the actual name of the driver you found in the previous step. This command will uninstall the driver from any devices currently using it and remove it from the Driver Store.
4. Ensure Permanent Removal:
   • To prevent Windows from automatically reinstalling the driver, you may need to adjust your Windows Update settings. This can be done by going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Advanced options, and then modifying the settings to prevent automatic driver updates.
5. Check for Dependencies:
   • Before deleting the driver, ensure that no devices are currently using it. If necessary, uninstall the device associated with the driver from Device Manager:
     • Right-click on the Start menu and select "Device Manager".
     • Locate the device that uses the driver, right-click it, and select "Uninstall device".
6. Reboot Your System:
   • After performing these steps, restart your computer to ensure that all changes take effect and that the driver is completely removed.
7. Troubleshooting Permissions:
   • If you encounter permission issues while trying to delete the driver, ensure that you are running the Command Prompt as an administrator. If the options are still greyed out, you may need to take ownership of the folder or files using the following command in an elevated Command Prompt:

          takeown /f "C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\euvkbd.inf_amd64_55a6ec03f824881e" /r
     

   • After taking ownership, try deleting the driver again.

By following these steps, you should be able to successfully remove the incompatible driver from your system. Always remember to create a system restore point before making significant changes to your system's drivers.

References:

• Delete a driver package from the driver store
• Remove drivers with PnPUtil