Clear a stuck print spooler
Jobs that never leave the queue on Windows.
- Cancel all jobs in the print queue. If they will not delete, continue with the service restart.
- Press Win+R, type services.msc, find Print Spooler, right-click Restart.
- If restart fails: Stop the service, then delete files inside C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS (not the folder itself). Start the service again.
- Print a test page. If it still hangs, remove the printer and add it again.
- On macOS, resume the printer or reset the printing system only after backing up other devices you still need.
- A crashing spooler after a driver install usually means a bad or mixed driver — use one package from the manufacturer.
Technician notes
- You need administrator rights to stop the spooler and clear PRINTERS.
- Never delete the spool folder — only the job files inside it.