As someone who owns or leases a printer, you must have chanced upon an error message saying ‘print job stuck in queue’ before. You then try to delete the print job, but without any success. Eager to find tricks to troubleshoot this issue? Read on to find out more! OEM Connect is an expert in printing and wholesale printing supplies.
Answer to How Do You Clear a Print Job Stuck in the Queue?
Here’s the answer and a quick breakdown of how to clear a stuck print job:
- Use HP Print and Scan Doctor (for HP printers)
- Reset the print spooler service and delete queue files manually
- Reinstall or update your printer driver
- Check your printer’s Wi-Fi or USB connection
- Restart both your printer and computer
Stuck print jobs are one of the most frustrating office tech issues, especially when the document won’t delete, the queue freezes, or your printer acts like it’s on strike. Whether you’re dealing with outdated drivers, a bad Wi-Fi handshake, or spooler file glitches, the fix is usually more straightforward than it seems. Below, we’ll walk you through the exact steps to clear that queue and get your printer back on track—no IT help desk ticket required.
Scan Doctor to Clear a Print Job Stuck in the Queue
You may use Scan Doctor to help you track and resolve printing issues. After downloading Scan Doctor, install it, then click ‘Start’ to choose your printer model. Once done, run the diagnostic. If your printer cannot be found, click ‘my product is not listed’ and you should see instructions to help you rectify the issue.
Related Content: 6 Genius Printer Hacks You Should Know
Reset Printing Environment
You need to clear the print job files. You can do this by first switching off the printer, then unplugging the power cord from your printer. If you are using a Windows laptop, open Services, select Print Spooler, and click Stop. Once the Print Spooler stops, close the Services window. After that, open up your Files and delete all files in the Printers folder. The last step is to shut down your laptop and power on your printer again.
Reinstall the Printer Driver
A printer driver is a software. An outdated printer driver may be the reason behind your print jobs being stuck in the queue. You should update it either manually or automatically. To do it manually, you can go to your printer’s manufacturer’s website, download, and install the latest printer driver. To do it automatically, you can use Driver Easy, an app that helps you find the correct driver for your printer. This is very convenient because you do not need to consider which system your laptop uses or worry about installing the wrong driver. Driver Easy helps you to accomplish this conveniently. If your printer still has a ‘print job stuck in a queue’ issue after this, check your USB or Wi-Fi connection to ensure it’s linked to your laptop.
Check Printer Connection
If you are using a wireless printer, check if the connection between your printer and laptop is strong. Move your printer and laptop close enough to the router so they receive an optimal signal. You can also try switching off your Wifi for 15 seconds if that does not work. If you are using a printer with a USB connection, first check that the USB cable is in good condition. Before checking for any damage to the cable, turn off the printer and laptop. If all is well, switch on your laptop and printer again and see if the problem persists.
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Frequently Asked Questions (Print Job Stuck in Queue)
Why is my print job stuck in the queue and won’t delete?
Most of the time it’s a “spooler” problem, not the document. A corrupted spool file, a driver hiccup, or a shaky network/USB connection can cause the queue to freeze and ignore deletes.
What’s the fastest way to clear a stuck print job on Windows?
Restart the Print Spooler service. If that doesn’t work, stop the spooler, delete the stuck spool files, then start the spooler again. (This is the “90% fix” for a frozen queue.)
Where are the stuck print queue files stored on Windows?
They’re usually in:
C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS
Those files can get “jammed,” and clearing them after stopping the spooler is often what finally releases the queue.
Will clearing the print spooler delete my printer or settings?
Clearing the queue (spool files) won’t usually remove your printer, it just wipes the stuck jobs. But if you do more aggressive resets (like removing and re-adding the printer, or “reset printing system” on Mac), you may lose saved presets and have to add the printer again.
How do I clear a stuck print job on a Mac?
Open your printer queue (Printers & Scanners → your printer → Open Print Queue) and try canceling the job. If the queue is totally frozen, the next step is often resetting the Mac printing system, then adding the printer back (it’s the Mac equivalent of “nuke the queue and rebuild it”).
My printer is wireless. Can Wi-Fi cause a stuck queue?
Yes. A weak signal, router hiccup, or the printer connecting to a different network band can cause jobs to hang. Quick fixes: move closer to the router, restart the router, and power-cycle the printer and computer to force a clean reconnect.
Would updating or reinstalling the printer driver actually help?
Absolutely. A driver can be outdated, corrupted, or mismatched after an OS update, and that can lock up the queue. If spooler resets keep happening, reinstalling the latest driver from the manufacturer is one of the best “long-term” fixes.
I cleared the queue, but printing still won’t start. What should I check next?
Check the basics that block prints even with an empty queue:
- The printer is set as Default
- No Paused printing / Use Printer Offline is enabled
- Paper/cover doors are fully closed, no error lights
- Your device is pointed at the correct printer (especially in offices with multiples)
What if the print job is stuck on a shared office printer (network printer)?
If the job is stuck on a print server or another user’s workstation, clearing your queue may not be enough. You may need the person/admin who manages the shared queue to clear it from the server side, or restart the print spooler on the machine that’s hosting the printer.
Is there a “tool” that fixes this automatically for HP printers?
HP has had diagnostic tools, but the safest bet today is using HP’s current support flow (like HP Smart / HP support diagnostics) plus the standard Windows/Mac queue + driver fixes. If a tool doesn’t detect your printer or doesn’t clear the job, go straight to spooler reset + driver reinstall.
How can I prevent print jobs from getting stuck again?
A few habits reduce repeat queue freezes:
- Keep your printer driver updated (especially after Windows/macOS updates)
- Avoid printing over weak Wi-Fi (or use Ethernet/USB for critical jobs)
- Don’t stack 20+ jobs at once on older office printers
- If you print daily, use reliable ink/toner and don’t let cartridges sit unused for months (dried ink + clogs can trigger error states that look like “queue issues”)
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