Documents stuck in the print queue: clear it and restart printing

These steps work for any printer brand, because the queue belongs to Windows, not to the printer. Steps 4 and 5 need an administrator account, which on a home PC is usually the account that set the PC up.

1. Cancel the stuck document from the queue

   The document at the top of the list is usually the one holding up the rest, so start there.

   1. Go to Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners, select your printer, then Open print queue. On Windows 10, go to Settings › Devices › Printers & scanners, select the printer, then Open queue.
   2. Right-click the top document, often marked Error or Printing, and choose Cancel. Confirm if asked.
   3. If several are stuck, select Cancel all (on Windows 10, Printer › Cancel All Documents).

   Give it a minute. A document can show Deleting for a while before it disappears. If it is still there after five minutes, carry on with step 2.

2. Check paper, ink and error lights

   A document waiting for the printer looks exactly like a stuck one in Windows, so check the printer before you change anything on the PC.

   • Load paper in the right tray, and clear any jam, including small torn pieces.
   • Look for a flashing light or a message about ink, toner, or an open cover or door.
   • If Windows shows the printer as Offline, the queue is not the real problem. Follow the offline printer checklist instead.

3. Restart the printer

   Turning the printer off clears any half-received document from its memory.

   1. Turn the printer off with its power button, so an inkjet can park its print head safely, then unplug it from the wall for 30 seconds.
   2. Plug it back in, turn it on, and wait until it says it is ready.
   3. Look at the queue again. If the document has gone, try printing.

4. Restart the Print Spooler service

   The Print Spooler is the part of Windows that holds documents and passes them to the printer. Restarting it often releases a job that will not cancel.

   1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
   2. Scroll down to Print Spooler, right-click it, and choose Restart. If Restart is grayed out, the service has stopped; choose Start instead.
   3. Leave Services open, and check the queue again.

   If Windows says access is denied, you are signed in with a standard account. Sign in with an administrator account and try again.

5. Clear the spool folder

   If the document still will not leave, the file Windows made for it may be damaged. Deleting the waiting files directly removes it.

   1. In Services, right-click Print Spooler and choose Stop.
   2. Open File Explorer, select the address bar, type C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS, and press Enter. Select Continue if Windows asks for permission.
   3. Press Ctrl + A to select everything in the folder, then press Delete. If the folder is already empty, that is fine.
   4. Back in Services, right-click Print Spooler and choose Start.

   If Windows says a file is in use, the spooler is still running. Stop it again, wait a few seconds, and retry.

6. Remove the printer and add it again

   If documents keep getting stuck, the printer’s driver may be damaged. Removing and adding the printer installs a fresh copy.

   1. On Printers & scanners, select the printer and choose Remove (on Windows 10, Remove device).
   2. Restart the PC.
   3. Select Add device (on Windows 10, Add a printer or scanner), and add the printer again when it appears.

   If the printer maker offers its own driver for your model, get it only from the manufacturer’s support website. Type the address yourself or use the one in the printer’s manual, rather than following search ads.

7. Print a test page to confirm

   On the printer’s page in Printers & scanners, select Print test page (on Windows 10, Manage › Print a test page). If it prints, the queue is clear and the procedure is complete.

   If documents started sticking straight after a Windows update, check for updates again in a few days, as fixes for printing problems often follow quickly. If one particular file always sticks, try printing it from a different app, or save it as a PDF and print that.