How to Solve Printer Not Working and Clear Print Queue
You hit the "Print" button and await the divine whir and hum of your printer. Today—nothing. No whir, no papers, no being. Ring a bell? Printing business reports, homework essays, or shipping labels, a broken printer is a productivity giant killer. Worse? When you print again, print jobs stuck in queue up, and now you have print jobs in queue too.
Don't worry, you are not alone. It is the most frequent technical frustration individuals have at home and in the workplace. Don't worry because it is always an easy fix with the right process. For the remainder of this, we will be detailing why your printer will not print, how to clear a stuck print queue, and a few do's and don't's on avoiding getting the issue in the first place.
Get That Quiet Printer Up and Running Again.
Why Won't It Print?
A printer will malfunction for all manner of reasons—most of which are nothing to do with the printer. These are the most likely explanations:
- Print queue issues (print jobs frozen, hung, or corrupted)
- Print spooler service slowing or hanging
- Loose/hardened connections (USB/Wi-Fi)
- Out-of-date or broken printer drivers
- Low on ink/toner or paper stuck
- Printer is offline
Don't automatically rule out your printer from being worth repairing without first having attempted to fix the most likely cause of the problem: queued print jobs.
Learning More About the Print Queue and Print Spooler
Your print queue is where your print requests are temporarily held until your printer can retrieve them. The print spooler is the service-level executive process that services the requests. When either of these fill up—i.e., because of a hung print job—is what will cause your printer to hang on its own.
That is the reason why although your printer is not experiencing any hardware issue, occasionally there might be some situations where you would be getting an error message, or nothing would be printed whatsoever.
Removing Stuck Print Jobs from Queue (Windows & Mac)
Let us now see how to remove the print queue based on what you are operating with.
For Windows Users:
Step 1: Open Print Queue
- Press control printers and press Enter after Windows + R.
- Find your printer icon, right-click, and click on "See what's printing."
Step 2: Cancel All Print Jobs Waiting for Processing
- Right-click all the print jobs and click Cancel.
- If they do nothing or just stay there, go to step 3.
Step 3: Restart the Print Spooler
- Open Run again (Windows + R) and type services.msc.
- Scroll down to Print Spooler, right-click, and choose Stop.
- Go to Services, right-click on the Print Spooler, and click Start.
Step 4: Try Printing Again
Your queue must be empty and your idle waiting-to-respond printer.
For macOs Users:
Step 1: Open the Print Queue
- System Settings > Printers & Scanners
- Click on your printer and click on Open Print Queue
Step 2: Cancel or Delete Jobs
Click on the 'X' icon to the right of any current or queued print job to invalidate it.
Step 3: Reset Printing System (If Necessary)
- Ctrl+right-click printer list and select "Reset printing system."
- Restart and reinstall the printer and attempt to print again.
Your Printer Still Not Working? Try These Other Solutions
If the above did not work, perhaps there is a second thing preventing your printer from printing. Let's see the most common second things to attempt.
Inspect All Connections
- Check the power cable plugged in.
- Plug in USB cables or reset wireless router if printing wirelessly.
- Try printing on a different USB port or another computer to rule out port problems.
Set Printer Default
Your print task occasionally may involve printing to an off-line printer or a virtual printer.
Windows:
Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners, select your printer, and select Set as default.
macOS:
Printers & Scanners, control-click the printer, and select Set as default printer.
Update or Reinstall Printer Drivers
Prior drivers could lead to serious issues.
Windows:
Device Manager > Printers > Right-click > Update driver.
macOS
Get the new software from the manufacturer support website.
Use Built-in Troubleshooters
Windows has a handy utility:
- Navigate to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Printer
- Run the troubleshooter and follow the on-screen prompts.
Advanced Solution: Print Queue Reset Script (Windows)
If your print jobs get stuck frequently, you can save time by creating a batch file:
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Paste the code in Notepad.
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Save the file as ClearPrintQueue.bat.
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Right-click and run as administrator when your queue is stuck.
How to Maintain Your Printer Smoothly to Prevent Print Queue Issues Down the Road
Printing maintenance keeps issues at bay. Here's the way to treat yourself to silky smooth printing:
- Restart your printer weekly
- Firmware and driver updates monthly
- Never batch big files to send without pauses
- Connect your printer to a stable power source
- Perform nozzle/head cleaning cycles to prevent clogs
There are also factory-provided utilities (HP Smart, Canon Print, Epson Utility) that you can use for continuous printer scan tasks.
Real-Life Example: A Typical Office Situation
I wish scenario: You are in the office when, by mistake, the 100-page report is printed out on the shared printer. The report will print upside down, job on top of job. No one else can print anything, and the printer seems to be stuck.
Rather than restarting the computer or shutting down the printer, you use the above to drain the queue—and, voila, the whirring of the printer along within seconds. That tidbit of information saves time and prevents stress.
When It's Time to Call Tech Support
When the above doesn't work:
- It's making strange noises
- Paper jams constantly
- It shows a looping error code that you can't delete
- Nothing prints after driver reinstallation
Well, maybe you will have to call in the technical help or hire out the services of a technician. Maybe there is more pressing mechanical work on your schedule.
Conclusion: Get Your Printing Back Under Your Control
You don't have to lose your temper every time your printer freezes or jobs print at a rate faster than a glacier. You can fix most problems yourself in a couple of simple steps, hopefully in less than 10 minutes.
Through learning about how the print queue works, printer maintenance, and a little bit of preventive maintenance, you can have years of trouble-free and stress-free printing.
Still experiencing printer problems? Bookmark PrinterNotWorking for more facts, tips, and expert advice!
