Has your print job ever gotten stuck in the queue, refusing to move even after restarting your printer and computer? This can happen due to software glitches, communication errors, or corrupted print jobs. Luckily, there are several ways to fix it and get your printer working again.

Solution 1: Manually Cancel the Print Job  

If a print job is stuck, try canceling it manually:  

1. Press Windows + R, type "control printers", and press Enter.  

2. Right-click your printer and select See what's printing.  

3. In the print queue window, right-click the stuck document and choose Cancel.  

4. If the document doesn't disappear, restart your printer and try again.  

Solution 2: Restart the Print Spooler Service  

If canceling the print job manually doesn't work, try restarting the Print Spooler service:  

1. Press Windows + R, type "services.msc", and press Enter.  

2. Locate Print Spooler in the list of services.  

3. Right-click Print Spooler and select Restart.  

4. After restarting, go back to the print queue and check if the stuck document has been removed.  

Solution 3: Update or Reinstall the Printer Driver  

Outdated or corrupted printer drivers can also cause print jobs to get stuck:  

Download and install Driver Sentry, a tool that scans and fixes driver issues with just one click. It automatically matches and updates your printer driver, saving you time and effort.  

Download

Open Driver Sentry, click Scan, and let it analyze your computer to check the status of your drivers.  

Once the scan is complete, find your printer driver and click Upgrade. Wait for the update to finish.  

If updating doesn't work, uninstall the printer driver, restart your computer, and use Driver Sentry to reinstall the latest driver automatically.  

Solution 4: Manually Clear the Print Queue  

You can also manually remove stuck print jobs using Command Prompt:  

1. Press Windows + R, type "cmd", and press Enter.  

2. In the Command Prompt window, type the following commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:  

net stop spooler

del %systemroot%\System32\spool\PRINTERS\* /Q

net start spooler

These commands stop the print service, delete all pending print jobs, and restart the service.  

Solution 5: Check the Printer and Connection  

Sometimes, the issue isn't with the print queue but with the printer itself:  

Turn off the printer, unplug it for about a minute, then plug it back in and turn it on.  

Ensure the printer is properly connected via USB or Wi-Fi.  

Try a different USB port or reconnect to Wi-Fi.  

A stuck print job can be frustrating, but the methods above can help you resolve the issue quickly. Regularly updating your printer drivers with Driver Sentry helps maintain performance and stability while preventing minor issues.

See also:

Why is my printer offline and how to fix it

Guide to Fixing Printer Not Printing in Color

Methods to Fix 'HP Printer Driver Is Unavailable'

Guide to Fixing the "Print Spooler Service Not Running" Error