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To restart the Print Spooler in Windows 11 or Windows 10, press Windows key + R, enter services.msc, and press Enter. Find Print Spooler, right-click it, then select Restart. This restarts Windows’ print-job service without deleting the files in the print queue.
Restart Print Spooler from Services
- Press Windows key + R to open Run.
- Type
services.mscand press Enter. - In the Services window, locate Print Spooler.
- Right-click Print Spooler and select Restart.
Microsoft lists this procedure for Windows 11 and Windows 10 in its Print Spooler troubleshooting guidance. If Restart is unavailable or the service will not start, use the stuck-job reset below.
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If print jobs are still stuck, clear the spool files
Try cancelling pending jobs from the printer’s queue in Settings first. If the queue will not clear, Microsoft’s printer connection and printing troubleshooting steps describe stopping the service and deleting the files that represent queued jobs.
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services.msc. - Right-click Print Spooler and select Stop. Do not delete spool files while the service is running.
- In File Explorer, enter
%WINDIR%system32spoolPRINTERSin the address bar and press Enter. - Delete the files inside the
PRINTERSfolder. Keep the folder itself. Deleting these files removes the pending jobs they contain; those jobs will not be preserved. - Return to Services, right-click Print Spooler, and select Start. If its Startup Type is not already Automatic, open its properties and set it to Automatic.
This is a deeper troubleshooting step, not the first response to every printing problem.
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Use commands as an alternative
Microsoft documents command-line restart methods in guidance for supported Windows Server versions. That guidance is server-scoped; it is not the cited Windows 10 or Windows 11 client procedure. On an elevated Command Prompt, the documented sequence is:
net stop spoolernet start spooler
In elevated PowerShell, the documented command is:
Restart-Service -Name spooler
See Microsoft Learn’s Print Spooler service troubleshooting for Windows Server for its platform scope and troubleshooting context.
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If Print Spooler keeps stopping
A restart can clear a temporary service problem, but recurring failures may have another cause. Microsoft’s Windows Server guidance identifies system instability or resource issues, Group Policy settings that disable or stop the service, outdated drivers, and antivirus interference as areas to investigate. An organization may disable the service through policy as a security measure, so managed-device users should check with their IT administrator rather than override policy.
For a Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC, follow Microsoft’s client-focused Print Spooler support flow and printer-specific driver guidance if the issue returns. Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025; users still running it should account for that lifecycle status when planning ongoing troubleshooting and support.
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When restarting the spooler is not enough
A printer can remain offline for reasons a service restart will not fix, including a paused queue or a disconnected printer. Check the queue and printer status, then follow Microsoft’s offline printer troubleshooting steps. Restarting Print Spooler is one step in that broader diagnosis, not a substitute for checking the printer’s connection and queue state.
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