Epson Status Monitor
Why does it sometimes feel like everything you install on or plug into a Windows 10 machine just takes over?
For the first time in months I went to print something today from my work computer, to our Epson WorkForce 645 which is attached to our home network. Windows 10 found it no problem, and helpfully offered to find and install the necessary drivers.
But then it kept going, installing shitty Epson software that I didn’t ask for and don’t need. And everyone knows how much I love unnecessary background processes and notification icons…
To disable Epson Status Monitor 3, you’ve got to dig deep into settings. This was with Windows 10 Pro, and version 1.31 of whatever the hell Epson stuff Windows installed:
- Crack open Devices and Printers
- Select “Printing preferences” from the context menu for the printer in question
- Select the “Maintenance” tab
- Select “Extended Settings”
- Un-check “Enable EPSON Status Monitor 3”
- “OK” your way back to sanity
This removes the relevant item from Windows start-up (which can be viewed in Task Manager), and a restart is needed to cleanly kill of any associated background processes that were started before following the steps above.
While you’re at step number 3, by the way, you might want to open “Monitoring Preferences” and turn off “Display Epson Offers”. Bad enough this software is being forced upon us without having fucking Epson advertisements in your face if you do ever use Status Monitor.