Clear Printer Spooler and Print Queue in Windows 11/10

When a document gets stuck in the printer queue, new print jobs may stop working. Windows can continue showing a document as “Printing,” “Deleting,” or “Pending” even after you try to cancel it. This usually happens because the Print Spooler service or the print queue has become stuck.

Clearing the printer spooler and print queue removes these pending jobs and allows Windows to start processing new print requests. You can do this through the printer settings for simple problems, or manually stop the Print Spooler service and delete the queued files when normal cancellation does not work.

Method 1: Cancel Documents From the Printer Queue

The easiest way to clear a print queue is to cancel the pending documents normally.

1. Press Windows + I.
2. Select Bluetooth & devices.
3. Select Printers & scanners.
4. Select your printer.
5. Open the printer queue.
6. Select the document that is stuck.
7. Choose Cancel.
8. Repeat for other pending documents.

Wait a few seconds after cancelling the jobs.

If the documents disappear from the queue, send a new test print.

If a document remains stuck on “Deleting” or “Printing,” continue with the next method.

Method 2: Restart the Print Spooler Service

Restarting Print Spooler is one of the easiest ways to reset a stuck printer queue.

1. Press Windows + R.
2. Type:

services.msc

3. Press Enter.
4. Find Print Spooler in the list.
5. Right-click Print Spooler.
6. Select Restart.
7. Wait a few seconds.
8. Try printing again.

If the service is stopped instead of running, right-click Print Spooler and select Start.

Restarting the service can remove temporary problems without requiring you to manually delete the spool files.

Method 3: Stop Print Spooler and Delete the Print Queue Files

If the queue remains stuck after restarting Print Spooler, you can manually remove the queued print files.

1. Press Windows + R.
2. Type:

services.msc

3. Press Enter.
4. Find Print Spooler.
5. Right-click it.
6. Select Stop.

Now open File Explorer and go to:

C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS

You may need administrator permission to open this folder.

Select the files inside the PRINTERS folder and delete them.

Do not delete the PRINTERS folder itself.

After deleting the queued files:

1. Return to the Services window.
2. Right-click Print Spooler.
3. Select Start.
4. Try printing again.

This method manually clears print jobs that Windows could not remove through the normal queue interface.

Method 4: Clear the Queue Using Command Prompt

You can also stop the Print Spooler, remove the queued files, and restart the service using Command Prompt.

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt.
3. Select Run as administrator.
4. Run:

net stop spooler

Wait until Windows confirms that the Print Spooler service has stopped.

Then run:

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

Finally, start the service again:

net start spooler

The print queue should now be empty.

Try sending a new document to the printer after the service starts.

Method 5: Use PowerShell to Restart Print Spooler

PowerShell provides another way to restart the printing service.

1. Open Start.
2. Search for PowerShell.
3. Select Run as administrator.
4. Run:

Restart-Service -Name Spooler

Wait for the command to finish.

Then open the printer queue and check whether the stuck print job has disappeared.

If the job remains, stop the service, clear the spool files, and start the service again as described in the previous methods.

Method 6: Restart the Computer and Printer

Sometimes a temporary communication problem between Windows and the printer can leave a print job stuck.

Start by cancelling the print jobs if possible.

Then:

1. Turn off the printer.
2. Close the applications you were printing from.
3. Restart Windows.
4. Wait for Windows to fully start.
5. Turn the printer back on.
6. Wait for Windows to detect it.
7. Try printing a test document.

For a USB printer, make sure the USB cable is securely connected.

For a network printer, make sure the printer is connected to the same network as the computer.

A restart can reset both the Windows printing service and the printer’s connection.

Method 7: Remove and Add the Printer Again

If the print queue continues becoming stuck, the printer configuration itself may be causing the problem.

You can remove the printer and add it again.

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Bluetooth & devices.
3. Select Printers & scanners.
4. Select the affected printer.
5. Select Remove.
6. Confirm the removal.
7. Restart Windows.
8. Return to Printers & scanners.
9. Select Add device.
10. Add the printer again.
11. Try printing a test document.

For a wireless printer, make sure it is connected to the network before adding it again.

If the problem is caused by a damaged printer configuration, reinstalling the printer can resolve it.

Method 8: Check the Print Spooler Startup Type

If the Print Spooler repeatedly stops working, check its service configuration.

1. Press Windows + R.
2. Enter:

services.msc

3. Press Enter.
4. Find Print Spooler.
5. Double-click it.
6. Check the Startup type.
7. Make sure the service is not disabled.
8. Start the service if it is stopped.
9. Select Apply and then OK.

Restart Windows and try printing again.

Do not disable Print Spooler if you regularly use a printer because Windows relies on this service to process print jobs.

Why Does the Printer Queue Get Stuck?

A print queue can become stuck because of a failed print job, communication problem, corrupted spool files, printer-driver problems, or a temporary issue with the Print Spooler service.

Large documents or applications that stop responding during printing can also leave jobs in the queue.

Restarting Print Spooler is often enough to restore normal printing. If that does not work, manually clearing the files in the spool folder provides a more complete reset.

Why Won’t a Print Job Delete?

If Windows remains stuck on “Deleting,” the Print Spooler may still be processing the job.

Stop the Print Spooler service, delete the files from:

C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS

and then start Print Spooler again.

Does Clearing the Print Queue Delete the Original Document?

No. Clearing the print queue removes the pending print job from Windows. It does not normally delete the original document saved on your computer.

You can open the original document again and send it to the printer after the queue has been cleared.

Should I Restart Print Spooler Regularly?

No. You normally only need to restart Print Spooler when there is a printing problem, such as a stuck queue or printer jobs that will not process.

If you frequently need to restart it, investigate the printer driver, printer connection, or printer configuration because there may be an underlying problem.

Conclusion

Clearing the printer spooler and print queue in Windows 11 or Windows 10 can resolve many problems where documents remain stuck and new print jobs cannot start. Start by opening the printer queue and cancelling the pending documents.

If normal cancellation does not work, restart the Print Spooler service. For persistent jobs, stop the service and delete the files inside C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS, then start Print Spooler again.

Command Prompt and PowerShell provide faster options for advanced users, while removing and reinstalling the printer can help when the problem is caused by a damaged printer configuration.

Once the queue is cleared, send a small test document before printing a large file. If the queue repeatedly becomes stuck, check the printer driver and physical or network connection for a deeper problem.

FAQs

1. How do I completely clear the printer queue in Windows?

Stop the Print Spooler service, delete the files inside C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS, and then start the Print Spooler service again.

2. Why is my print job stuck on deleting?

The Print Spooler may still be processing the job. Restarting the service or manually clearing the spool folder can remove the stuck job.

3. What command clears the Windows print queue?

Open Command Prompt as administrator and use:

net stop spooler
del /Q /F %systemroot%\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*.*
net start spooler

4. Will clearing the print queue delete my documents?

No. It removes pending print jobs from the Windows queue. The original documents stored on your computer are not normally affected.

Quick Summary

• Cancel pending documents from Printers & scanners first.
• Restart Print Spooler when a queue becomes stuck.
• For persistent jobs, stop Spooler and clear the files in the PRINTERS spool folder.
• Restart or reinstall the printer if the queue repeatedly becomes stuck.