Print queue problems are among the most common issues that printer users experience. Whether it is getting stuck while trying to print an important document or you are receiving error messages about the queue, it can bring your workflow to a halt quickly. Fortunately, there are simple solutions that you can use to troubleshoot and resolve these issues and get your printer up and running again. This guide will walk you through how to fix print queue problems and get your printer working smoothly again.
What Are Print Queue Problems?
A print queue is a list of documents waiting to be printed. As you send a print job to your printer, the latter enters the print queue and waits its turn to get printed. Print queue problems occur when print jobs remain in the queue, not printing and thus preventing new ones to print or errors arising from them. These problems usually happen from corrupt print jobs, outdated drivers, and issues with the printer spooler service.
Common Symptoms of Print Queue Problems
The following are common symptoms of dealing with print queue problems:
Print jobs do not print from the queue.
You receive error messages such as “Printer not responding” or “The printer is offline.”
Print jobs are printed in a different order, or blank pages are printed.
No new print jobs enter the queue.
If you’re experiencing any of the following issues, it’s likely that you’re having print queue problems that need to be addressed.
How to Fix Print Queue Problems: A Step-by-Step Guide
There are various ways to troubleshoot and resolve print queue problems. Follow these steps to get your printer working again.
1. Clear the Print Queue
The most common fix for print queue problems is clearing the queue. When a print job gets stuck, it can block other jobs from printing. To clear the print queue, follow these steps:
Open the Control Panel and select Devices and Printers.
Right-click your printer and choose See what’s printing.
In the print queue window, click Printer in the menu and select Cancel All Documents.
Once the print queue is cleaned, restart your printer and attempt to print again. This usually solves most print queue problems.
2. Restart the Print Spooler Service
The print spooler is a service that handles print jobs in the queue. If the spooler isn’t working properly, it may lead to print queue problems. The restarting of the print spooler service often solves this problem.
To restart the print spooler:
Press the Windows key and type “services.msc” to open the Services window.
Scroll down to find Print Spooler.
Right-click on Print Spooler and select Restart. If it’s not running, right-click and choose Start.
Restarting the spooler will clear any glitches and allow your print queue to work correctly.
3. Update or Reinstall Printer Drivers
Outdated or corrupted printer drivers can cause print queue problems. Keeping your printer drivers updated is very important for proper functionality. Here’s how to check and update your drivers:
Open Device Manager by pressing Windows + X and selecting Device Manager.
Find your printer under Printers.
Right-click on the printer and select Update driver.
Choose Search automatically for updated driver software.
If updating drivers does not work, you can also try to uninstall and then reinstall the drivers. For this purpose, right-click your printer in Device Manager and select Uninstall. Now, go to the website of the manufacturer and download the newest drivers for your printer.
4. Use the Printer Troubleshooter
Windows comes with a built-in troubleshooter that should help you resolve most print queue problems. The troubleshooter detects issues with the printer or the print queue and automatically proposes solutions.
To run the printer troubleshooter:
Press the Windows key and type “Troubleshoot settings.”
Select Additional troubleshooters.
Under Get up and running, select Printer and click Run the troubleshooter.
Follow the prompts to allow Windows to detect and fix any print queue problems.
5. Check for Windows Updates
Print queue issues sometimes are related to some problems of Windows, which can easily be solved by installing all the latest updates. Therefore, if you haven’t checked for updates for a pretty long time, it would be a good idea to check now.
To check for updates:
Press the Windows key and type “Windows Update.”
Click on Check for updates.
Install all the updates available and restart your computer.
This will clear out and potentially solve any underlying system flaws that are affecting the print queue.
6. Manual Deleting of Printer Spooler Files
If all other measures fail, then a manual deletion of spooler files might be required. This will involve the following steps:
To open the Run dialog in Windows, press Windows + R.
Type C:\\Windows\\System32\\spool\\PRINTERS and then hit Enter.
delete all files in this directory
Restart your printer and service for the print spooler.
This will remove any corrupt files that could be causing print queue problems.