How to Fix Printer Queue Stuck Issues in Windows 11 – Stop, Clear & Restart Spooler

Title: How to Troubleshoot and Fix Printer Queue Issues in Windows 11

---

Printers can be unpredictable. Jobs get stuck, queues freeze, and users wait around. In Windows 11, most printer queue issues come down to a stuck print spooler—the service that manages print jobs.

This guide walks you through how to stop the spooler, clear the queue, restart it, and make sure your printer works again. It includes GUI and PowerShell methods, so you can fix it locally or remotely.

---

🧩 Step 1: Check the Basics

Before you touch services, verify:

• The printer is powered on, connected, and set as Default.
• The correct Port (USB/IP/WSD) is in use.
• The right Driver is installed.

If all that’s fine and the print job still won’t clear, continue.

---

🧰 Step 2: Stop the Print Spooler

Method 1: Using Services

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Scroll down and find Print Spooler.
3. Right-click → Stop.

Method 2: Using PowerShell (Admin)

Stop-Service -Name Spooler -Force

For remote devices:

Invoke-Command -ComputerName PC01 -ScriptBlock { Stop-Service Spooler -Force }

---

🗑️ Step 3: Delete Pending Print Jobs

1. Press Win + R, paste this path, and press Enter: %systemroot%\System32\spool\PRINTERS
2. Delete all files in the folder (these are the stuck print jobs).
   • If you get “file in use” errors, make sure the spooler is stopped.

PowerShell (Admin)

Remove-Item -Path "$env:SystemRoot\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*" -Force

Remote version:

Invoke-Command -ComputerName PC01 -ScriptBlock {
  Stop-Service Spooler -Force
  Remove-Item "$env:SystemRoot\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*" -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}

---

🔄 Step 4: Restart the Print Spooler

Method 1: Services Console

• In services.msc, right-click Print Spooler → Start.

Method 2: PowerShell

Start-Service -Name Spooler

Or remotely:

Invoke-Command -ComputerName PC01 -ScriptBlock { Start-Service Spooler }

---

🧾 Step 5: Test the Printer

1. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Select your printer → Printer properties > Print Test Page.
3. Confirm it prints correctly.

If the issue persists, move to advanced fixes.

---

🧰 Step 6: If the Queue Keeps Jamming

Run Windows Troubleshooter

1. Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
2. Run the Printer troubleshooter.

Update or Reinstall Driver

• Check Printer properties > Advanced > Driver and switch to a proper OEM driver.
• Or uninstall the current one: Get-PrinterDriver pnputil /delete-driver "oemXX.inf" /uninstall /force

Verify the Printer Port

• Go to Properties > Ports → confirm the correct Standard TCP/IP Port or USB.
• Avoid WSD if unstable; use the printer’s static IP instead.

Printer Shows as “Offline”

• Uncheck SNMP Status Enabled under Ports > Configure Port.
• Ping the printer’s IP to confirm it’s reachable.

---

🧹 Step 7: Deep Clean (for persistent corruption)

If nothing works:

1. Stop the spooler.
2. Clear spool files again.
3. Open the Print Server Properties dialog: rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /s /t2
4. On the Drivers tab, remove old or duplicate printer drivers.
5. Restart spooler and reinstall a clean driver from the manufacturer.

---

🛡️ Step 8: Prevent Future Queue Issues

• Auto-restart spooler:
  Services > Print Spooler > Recovery tab → Restart on all failures.
• Avoid duplicates: Keep one driver per printer model.
• Use static IPs: Prevent port mismatches.
• Disable advanced features:
  Printer Properties > Advanced → Uncheck Enable advanced printing features.

---

⚡ Quick One-Liners

Local Fix

Stop-Service Spooler -Force
Remove-Item "$env:SystemRoot\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*" -Force
Start-Service Spooler

Remote Fix (Multiple PCs)

$pcs = @("PC01","PC02","PC03")
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $pcs -ScriptBlock {
  Stop-Service Spooler -Force
  Remove-Item "$env:SystemRoot\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*" -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
  Start-Service Spooler
}

---

✅ Final Verification

• Print a test page and check event logs: Event Viewer > Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > PrintService
• Confirm there are no new error entries.

---

Final Thoughts

Printer queues can jam for simple reasons—bad jobs, flaky drivers, or broken spooler sessions. Once you know how to stop, clear, and restart the spooler properly, you can fix most cases in minutes.

For large environments, automate this process using an Intune remediation script or scheduled PowerShell task to keep printers healthy across all endpoints.

---