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    How to reinstall novaPDF on client computers and on the server?

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    This article applies only to novaPDF. If you don't have it yet, you must download it first.

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    Nov 09, 2023
    novaPDF 11.x, 10.x, 9.x, 8.x
    Windows 11, 10, 8, 7
    We strive to keep our articles as accurate as possible. If you notice any inconsistencies or outdated info please let us know.
    If you want to reinstall novaPDF on the client computers and on the server itself, these are the steps you should follow to make sure you succeed with the reinstallations. Instructions remove all the previous installations / versions completely.
    • if you have public profiles configured, export them in a file using the Export profiles feature from novaPDF's Profiles page.
    • uninstall novaPDF from the server by running its uninstaller (or remove it from Control Panel - Add/Remove Programs).
    • install novaPDF using its setup and make sure to use the same printer name as you had before. Normally, the installation does not require a computer restart. But in some situations, when the driver files from the previous installations could not be removed because they were loaded in some programs, the installation will require a computer restart. In this case, a restart is necessary, otherwise the new driver will not be loaded.
    • after the installation (and restart if asked) check the novaPDF version on the About page to make sure it's the one you installed.
    • import profiles that you saved from previous installation by using the Import profiles feature from novaPDF's Profiles page.
    • the client computers take automatically the new driver from the server when the client computer restarts or the user logs off/on (this is done by the Point and Print Windows technology).
    • after you log off/on or restarted the client computer, check the novaPDF version on the client computers too by going to the About page.
    If the above steps didn't work (you still show an older version of novaPDF after reinstalling a newer version, or there's a problem with the printing), then another solution would be to perform a total uninstall of novaPDF and reinstalling it after. In order to do so, follow the steps below:

    Reinstalling novaPDF on the Server computer

    1. Uninstall all novaPDF versions from your server computer (don't just delete them from Printers and Faxes, but uninstall from Control Panel\Add or Remove Programs)
    2. Restart the server computer and log on with an user that has administrative privileges
    3. Manually delete the following files (if any):
      • nova*.exe
      • nova*.dll
      • nvactx*.dll
      • nvimg*.dll
      • nova*.clg
      • nova*.chm
      • nova*.ctm
      • nova*.lng
      • nova*.nvp
      • nova*.lic
        from all these folders:
      • C:\WINDOWS\system32\
      • C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86 (for 32-bit systems) or C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\x64\ (for 64-bit systems)
      • C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3 (for 32-bit systems) or C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\x64\3\ (for 64-bit systems)
        Now novaPDF is completely removed from your server. If for some reason you see that novaPDF doesn't get removed from the list of printers, you can perform the above mentioned steps (to completely uninstall it) in Safe Mode.
    4. Install novaPDF again (and share it if your users connect to it as a shared network printer)

    On the Client computers (in case your users use novaPDF as a shared network printer)

    1. Delete the novaPDF network printer from Printers and Faxes
    2. Restart the client computer and log on with an user that has administrative privileges
    3. Manually delete the following files (if any):
      • nova*.exe
      • nova*.dll
      • nvactx*.dll
      • nvimg*.dll
      • nova*.clg
      • nova*.chm
      • nova*.ctm
      • nova*.lng
      • nova*.nvp
      • nova*.lic
        from all these folders:
      • C:\WINDOWS\system32\
      • C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86 (for 32-bit systems) or C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\x64\ (for 64-bit systems)
      • C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3 (for 32-bit systems) or C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\x64\3\ (for 64-bit systems)
        Now novaPDF is completely removed from the client computer.
    4. Add a printer connection to the newly installed shared novaPDF printer on the server.
    Note: After the printer connection is added, open "Printing Preferences" for the novaPDF printer and check the version on the About page. There should be the same version on the server and on the client.
    If removing/uninstalling the printer driver does not work from the client computers, there is a way you can force it by removing the printer driver from the command line. The script below is an example on how to remove the printer driver called "novaPDF 11". This script does the following: it deletes the printer, restarts the printspooler service, it deletes the printer driver, and installs the printer.
    You can copy and add the code below in a .bat file. Before you run it you should:
    • modify the server name and printer name if necessary, add more lines, one for each printer make the same changes at the end of the script where the printers are added back
    • enable the 32 bit code if you are running on a 32 bit OS (comment the 64 bit code in this case)
      Once the changes done just double-click the batch file (or you can run the code directly through command line).
    @echo off

echo delete printer...  
RUNDLL32 PRINTUI.DLL,PrintUIEntry /dn /n "\\\\server-name\\novaPDF 11"

echo restart printspooler...  
net stop spooler&net start spooler

echo delete printerdriver 32 bit ...  
echo RUNDLL32 PRINTUI.DLL,PrintUIEntry /dd /m "novaPDF 11" /h "x86" /v "Type 3 - User Mode"

echo delete printerdriver 64 bit...  
RUNDLL32 PRINTUI.DLL,PrintUIEntry /dd /m "novaPDF 11" /h "x64" /v "Type 3 - User Mode"

echo install printer...  
rundll32 printui.dll PrintUIEntry /in /n "\\\\server-name\\novaPDF 11"