When your print job finishes, your queue is supposed to clear itself automatically. That doesn’t always work out as planned, especially when some print runs are put on hold, postponed, or stopped due to data connection issues. If your queue gets all blocked up, it can cause your driver to grind to a halt. Often, in an attempt to print something, you’ll end up selecting print several times over, further overloading your queue.
Sometimes your printer isn’t the reason your jobs aren’t printing. A stuck print job can logjam your queue, which prevents jobs from being received by your printer. It also won’t go away when you click delete most of the time. So, what can you do to clear your queue and get your printer, well, printing again? Here’s how to get started:
A side note: this is explicitly for the HP printers paired with Windows, but the general principles apply across printer models and brands.
- Turn your printer off completely and unplug it from your power source.
- Be sure to save the document you are planning on printing, in the form you want it printed. When you clear your queue, all print jobs that haven’t saved will be erased—it will disappear as well.
- Open Windows Services by searching “Services” in your search toolbar or clicking the Window button on your keyboard.
- Halfway down your list of Services, you’ll see one called the “Print Spooler.” Right click on the Print Spooler option and look at your options. “STOP” will halt any stuck print you have bogging down your queue.
- Once you’ve halted all print jobs using the spooler, use the Windows Explorer browser to search: C:\Windows\System32\Spool\PRINTERS
- Delete all existing files in your queue and shut down your computer unit from Windows.
- Turn on your printer using the power button, then turn on your computer again.
- Restart the print spooler service.
- Print your document. If it works, you’re done!
If your print queue gets bogged down and freezes again, you have a couple of other options. HP offers a free software called HP Print and Scan Doctor which you can download for free. Running this program will automatically troubleshoot common issues with your printer and resolve them. If you are still having trouble with your queue jamming, uninstall and update your printer driver. Sometimes, an older driver may not be compatible or can corrupt, which will prevent your prints from processing.