Connected Devices to This Computer: Remove, Unpair and Clean Up Old Ones

To see the connected devices to this computer in Windows 11, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices. To remove one, click the three-dot menu next to it and choose Remove device; for old devices that no longer appear there, use Device Manager with View > Show hidden devices and uninstall the greyed-out entries.

This guide focuses on what to do after you have found the list: removing, unpairing, ejecting and cleaning up devices you no longer use, plus stopping unwanted devices from reconnecting. It covers Bluetooth gear, USB drives, printers, phones linked to your PC and the “ghost” devices Windows quietly remembers.

Where to See Connected Devices to This Computer

On Windows 10, the equivalent page is Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices. The legacy Devices and Printers window still exists in Windows 11; open it from Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices > More devices and printers settings, since the Control Panel link may redirect to Settings.

How to Remove a Bluetooth or Wireless Device

1. Open the device list. Press Win + I, select Bluetooth & devices, then Devices. This page lists mice, keyboards, audio devices and other peripherals, grouped by type.
2. Find the device. If the list is long, look under Other devices for things like controllers and adapters.
3. Remove it. Click the three-dot menu (⋯) to the right of the device and choose Remove device, then confirm with Yes. This deletes the pairing keys on your PC.
4. Clear it on the other side too. For headphones and phones, also “forget” the PC on the device itself. Otherwise the device may keep trying to reconnect.
5. Restart Bluetooth if it reappears. Toggle Bluetooth off and on in the same Settings page. If a removed device comes back automatically, it is still paired at the other end.

When “Remove device” fails

If Windows shows “Remove failed” or the device returns after a restart:

1. Turn off the device or take out its battery, so it cannot reconnect while you work.
2. Open Device Manager (right-click Start), expand Bluetooth, right-click the device and select Uninstall device.
3. Press Win + R, type services.msc, find Bluetooth Support Service and choose Restart.
4. Restart the PC, then check Settings again. Updating the Bluetooth adapter driver from your PC maker’s support page fixes many stubborn cases.

How to Safely Remove USB Drives and External Disks

Since Windows 10 version 1809, external drives use the Quick removal policy by default, which disables write caching so you can unplug a drive once nothing is copying. Ejecting first is still the safe habit because an app may be writing in the background.

1. Close any files open from the drive.
2. In File Explorer, right-click the drive under This PC and choose Eject. Alternatively, click the USB icon in the taskbar’s hidden icons area and choose the drive.
3. Wait for the “Safe to remove hardware” message, then unplug.
4. If Windows says the device is in use, close File Explorer windows and apps like photo importers or backup tools, then try again.

How to Remove a Printer or Scanner

Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, select the printer and choose Remove. Windows can re-add network printers automatically. To stop that, open Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Advanced sharing settings and turn off “Set up network connected devices automatically” under Network discovery.

How to Clean Up Ghost Devices in Device Manager

Windows remembers every device it has ever seen: old USB drives, monitors, docking stations and adapters. These hidden entries are harmless most of the time but can cause driver conflicts, wrong COM port numbers or audio devices that show up twice. Cleaning them is also a quick fix when a new device refuses to install because an old driver entry is in the way.

1. Open Device Manager. Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
2. Show hidden devices. Click View > Show hidden devices. Greyed-out icons are devices that are not currently connected.
3. Uninstall what you no longer own. Right-click a greyed-out entry and choose Uninstall device. Tick “Attempt to remove the driver for this device” only if you will never use that hardware again.
4. Leave system entries alone. Do not remove greyed items under System devices, Software devices or Processors unless you know what they are.

Command-line option for many devices

Advanced users can open Terminal (Admin) and run Get-PnpDevice | Where-Object Status -eq ‘Unknown’ in PowerShell to list disconnected devices, then remove one with pnputil /remove-device “InstanceID”. Copy the instance ID exactly from the list output.

How to Unlink a Phone or Remove a PC From Your Microsoft Account

• Phone Link: open the Phone Link app, go to Settings > My devices, select the phone and choose Remove. Also remove the PC inside the Link to Windows app on Android or the Bluetooth settings on iPhone.
• Mobile devices page: Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices lets you turn off phone access for this PC entirely.
• Microsoft account: sign in to your Microsoft account on the web, open Devices, select the old PC or phone and choose Remove device. This is useful when selling a computer or when the device limit for the Microsoft Store has been reached.

How to Stop Devices From Reconnecting Automatically

Device Cleanup Checklist Before You Sell or Give Away a PC

When a computer changes hands, the devices tied to it matter as much as the files. Work through this list before a full reset:

1. Unpair personal Bluetooth gear. Remove headphones, earbuds and your phone in Settings, and forget the PC on each device, so they do not try to connect to the new owner’s machine.
2. Unlink Phone Link. Remove the phone in Phone Link and on the phone itself; otherwise messages and photos could sync to the old PC until it is reset.
3. Remove the PC from your Microsoft account. Do this after the reset, from the Devices page of your account online, so the PC no longer counts toward your device list.
4. Remove saved printers and network drives. They can expose your home network’s names and shares.
5. Reset Windows. Settings > System > Recovery > Reset this PC with “Remove everything” clears pairings and device history along with your data.

Remove Connected Devices in Windows: Common Problems

• Device not listed in Settings: USB storage, monitors and internal hardware often appear only in File Explorer or Device Manager.
• Audio device keeps switching back: remove it, then set your preferred output in Settings > System > Sound.
• Two copies of the same mouse or headset: uninstall both in Device Manager (with hidden devices shown), restart and pair once.
• Unknown device on your Wi-Fi: Windows cannot remove other devices from your network; change the Wi-Fi password in your router’s admin page.

Gear That Helps

• TP-Link USB Bluetooth Adapter for PC (Bluetooth 5.4): nano USB dongle · plug and play on Windows 11 · replaces flaky built-in Bluetooth on older desktops.
• Anker USB C Hub, 7-in-1: 4K60 HDMI · USB-A and USB-C data ports · power pass-through. Keeps frequently used peripherals on one cable you can unplug at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I see all devices connected to my PC?

Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices for peripherals, File Explorer > This PC for drives, and Device Manager for every piece of hardware. Turn on View > Show hidden devices in Device Manager to include disconnected devices.

What is the fastest way to view connected devices in Windows 11?

Press Win + I and open Bluetooth & devices; the top of the page shows the devices currently connected, with battery levels for supported Bluetooth gear. For a full hardware list, right-click Start and open Device Manager instead.

Does removing a device delete its driver?

Not by default. Removing in Settings unpairs it, and uninstalling in Device Manager removes the entry; the driver is only deleted if you tick “Attempt to remove the driver for this device.”

Is it safe to uninstall greyed-out devices in Device Manager?

For old USB drives, monitors, audio devices and Bluetooth gear, yes; Windows reinstalls them automatically if you plug them in again. Avoid removing greyed entries under System devices unless you are sure.

How do I remove an old computer from my Microsoft account?

Sign in to your Microsoft account online, open Devices, choose the old PC and select Remove device. This does not affect files on the PC itself.

Why does a removed Bluetooth device keep reconnecting?

The device still has your PC saved as a paired host. Forget the PC on the device, or reset the device’s pairing memory, then remove it in Windows again.

Can I see who is connected to my computer remotely?

For Remote Desktop, check Settings > System > Remote Desktop to see whether it is on, and turn it off if you do not use it. Remote-control apps such as TeamViewer or AnyDesk show active sessions in their own windows; uninstall any you did not install yourself.