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How to Clear a Stuck Print Queue in Windows and macOS

Clear stalled print jobs using the queue controls in Windows or macOS, with system-level recovery steps for jobs that refuse to go away.
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Start by opening the printer’s queue and canceling the job that is stuck. If that does not work, Windows lets you stop and clear the Print Spooler’s stored files; on a Mac, use Print Centre to delete or resume a job. Save macOS’s Reset Printing System for persistent problems because it removes configured printers and presets.

Before clearing the queue, check the selected printer

A job that seems to have disappeared may be waiting in a different printer’s queue. Confirm that the document was sent to the printer you intend to use before printing it again; otherwise, you could create a duplicate job.

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If the queue is empty but printing still fails, queue cleanup has not necessarily fixed the underlying issue. Check whether the printer is paused or offline, verify its connection, and consider whether the problem occurs only in one app.

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Clear a stuck print queue in Windows 10 or Windows 11

Cancel jobs from the printer queue

  1. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. In Windows 10, the settings path and labels may differ slightly.
  2. Select the affected printer and open its queue.
  3. Cancel the stuck job, or choose Cancel all if that option is available and you want to remove every listed job.

Microsoft describes the Print Spooler as “a file that manages the printing process.” If normal cancellation leaves jobs in the queue, Microsoft’s next step is to stop the service and remove the files it is holding in the spool folder. Follow the order below: deleting those files while the service is running is not the documented recovery sequence.

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Stop and clear the Print Spooler

  1. Search Windows for Services and open it.
  2. Find Print Spooler, right-click it, and select Stop.
  3. Open %WINDIR%system32spoolprinters in File Explorer and delete the files inside the folder.
  4. Return to Services, right-click Print Spooler, and select Start.
  5. Open the service’s properties and set Startup type to Automatic.

This removes the queued spool files, rather than canceling only a selected job. Microsoft documents the recovery steps in its Windows printer connection and printing troubleshooting and Print Spooler service guidance.

If Windows still will not print

  • Check whether the printer is offline or paused and confirm the computer’s connection to it. Microsoft’s offline printer troubleshooting covers these checks.
  • If the problem continues after the queue is clear, look for the latest driver for the exact printer model on its manufacturer’s website; a cleared queue does not resolve every driver or connection problem.

Clear or resume a print job on a Mac

Use Print Centre

  1. Open Print Centre from its Dock icon after sending a print job, or find it in Applications > Utilities.
  2. Select the printer whose queue you want to manage.
  3. If the printer is paused, click Resume. If an individual job is paused, select that job and resume it.
  4. If an earlier job is holding up the queue because of an error, select that job and delete it.

If you cannot find the expected job, check the queues for other printers and verify which printer was selected when you printed. Apple also recommends checking the printer’s status and trying to print from another app to distinguish an app-specific problem. See Apple’s instructions for managing printers and print jobs with Print Centre and solving printing problems on Mac.

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Reset the printing system only as a last resort

Apple says, “If you’ve tried everything else and still can’t print, reset the printing system.” This reset deletes printers from the list, completed-job information, and printer presets, so you will need to add your printers again. To use it, open System Settings > Printers & Scanners, Control-click in the printer list, and choose Reset Printing System. Then add your printers again. Apple explains the reset and its effects in its printing system reset instructions.

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How the deeper recovery steps differ

System Ordinary queue control Deeper recovery What the deeper recovery removes
Windows 10 or 11 Cancel jobs in the selected printer’s queue. Stop Print Spooler, delete files in its spool folder, and start the service again. Files held in the spool folder.
macOS Use Print Centre to delete a blocking job or resume a paused job or printer. Reset Printing System. Configured printers, completed-job information, and printer presets; printers must be added again.

Use the queue controls first on either system. Windows’ spool-folder cleanup targets queued files; Apple’s reset affects printer setup and presets, so reserve it for persistent Mac printing problems.

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