Printer job stuck in the queue on Windows? Try these fixes

⚡Fast fix

• Make sure your printer has paper. Without it, your print job hangs in active status.
• Try to cancel it manually. Open the printer queue and right-click on the job to delete it.
• Restart your computer and printer. A fresh start clears out temporary cobwebs that cause print jobs to dawdle.

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You're staring at your printer, wondering when it will push out the document you've been patiently waiting for. Minutes go by, and nothing. You check the printer's status and see it's stuck. Is there a way to purge a printer queue and try again?

Asurion Experts fix issues like this one every day. Whether you need advice on properly restarting your computer or want help fixing common Windows™ 11 issues, we have an answer. Here's how to clear the printer queue so you're ready for the next print job.

Cancel the stuck job from printer settings

Windows lists every open print job in a queue. The queue acts as a printer status check—it tells you which jobs are in progress, active, or waiting. You can also use it to cancel stuck jobs, giving your printer a clean slate for new ones. But if you're unfamiliar with how it works, you may not know how to empty a printer queue through Windows settings. Thankfully, it's pretty easy:

1. Click Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices.
2. Click Printers & scanners, then click your printer.
3. Click Open print queue and locate the print job.
4. Right-click on the job you want to end. Click Cancel.

Canceling the job usually removes it from the queue, enabling you to start fresh with a new one. But if your print queue won't clear, there's likely a miscommunication between the printer and your computer's Print Spooler. Either the printer or the computer thinks a job still exists to process. To fix this problem, you'll need to reset the printer queue through the Print Spooler.

Restart the Print Spooler service

The Print Spooler is a Windows-supported software program that manages all your open print jobs. Similar to other applications, restarting it can clear temporary glitches that cause it to malfunction. Restarting also deletes the print queue, forcing your printer to clear open jobs. Take these steps:

1. Press the Windows key + R.
2. Type services.msc and press Enter.
3. Locate Print Spooler and right-click on it.
4. Click Restart.

Give the Print Spooler a few minutes to clear up your queue before trying to print again. But if your job still won't cancel, there is one other trick you can try: clearing the spool folder.

Clear the spool folder of stubborn queues

If you still have a persistent print job hanging around in Windows 11, you can try to delete it directly from the spool folder. This directory houses temporary files waiting to be printed. Removing your file from the spool folder deletes all traces of it from the print workflow.

Before opening the spool folder, be sure to stop the Print Spooler. This prevents it from adding new files before you delete the folder contents. Here's how to do that:

1. Press the Windows key + R.
2. Type services.msc and press Enter.
3. Locate Print Spooler and right-click on it.
4. Click Stop.

Next, find your spool folder and purge all your print jobs:

1. Click Start and type File Explorer in the search bar.
2. Click File Explorer.
3. Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS.
4. Delete all the files in the folder.

After removing the files, restart your Print Spooler. That way, it will process any new jobs you send.

1. Press the Windows key + R.
2. Type services.msc and press Enter.
3. Locate Print Spooler and right-click on it.
4. Click Start.

For most people, clearing out the spool folder and restarting the Print Spooler resolves queue issues. But you may want to troubleshoot other common printer problems (such as fixing a printer that shows as offline) if your device continues to cause you headaches.

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FAQ

How to get rid of a printer queue that keeps reappearing?

If jobs in your queue magically reappear after canceling them, the Print Spooler is probably rewriting them to your print folder. Try restarting the Print Spooler to stop its activity and clear out old jobs.

Is it safe to delete files from the print spooler folder?

Deleting files from the print spooler folder only stops them from printing. It doesn't remove the original content you saved to your hard drive or cloud storage. That content stays safe and sound where you stored it.

Why does one stuck job block every print after it?

Printer Spooler software processes jobs sequentially, in the order they're sent to your printer. If a job is stuck, nothing else will print until you fix the issue for the active document. Those other jobs stay on hold.