Click: How to Clear Printer Queue in Windows

This updated guide examines Click: How to Clear Printer Queue in Windows and organizes the essential facts, background, and practical takeaways in clear American English.

Method 1of 2:

Clearing the Queue

1. Click the Startmenu. It's usually at the bottom-left corner of the screen.
2. Click Settings.
3. ClickDevices. It's the second icon at the top of the window.
4. ClickPrinters & scanners. It's in the left column.
5. Click the printer. Connected printers appear in the right panel under 'Printers & scanners.' Two buttons will appear beneath the printer's name.
6. ClickOpen queue. A list of pending print jobs will appear.
7. Right-click a document you want to remove from the queue. A context menu will appear.
8. ClickCancel. This removes the document from the queue.
9. Repeat for other documents you want to cancel.
   • To cancel all documents at once, click the Printer menu at the top-left corner of the window, then select Cancel All Documents .
   • If the files stay in the queue even after you've canceled them, try restarting the computer.
   • If clearing the queue does not resolve your print queue issues, see Restarting the Print Spooler Service.

Method 2of 2:

Restarting the Print Spooler Service

1. Open the Windows Search bar. It's either a magnifying glass or a circle to the right of the Startbutton.
2. Typeservices.mscand press?Enter. This opens the 'Services' window.
3. Scroll down and right-clickPrint Spooler. It's in the right panel. A context menu will appear.
4. ClickStop. Now that the queue is stopped, you can clear the documents.
5. Go back to the Windows Search bar. Don't close the Services window, as you'll need it again in a few moments. Just click the search icon (or the search bar, if it's permanently in your taskbar).
6. Type%systemroot%System32spoolprintersand press?Enter. A folder will appear.
7. Select all files in the folder. To do this, click a blank area inside the folder, then pressCtrl+A.
8. Press theDelkey on the keyboard. This clears the print queue, and you can close this folder window.
9. Return to the 'Services' window. You can do this by clicking Services in the taskbar, or by pressingAlt+Tab?until you get back to it.
10. Scroll down and right-clickPrint Spooleragain.
11. ClickStart. The print queue should now be completely clear.