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Looking for information on how to Fix ‘Printer Queue Won’t Delete’ issue? There are many things that can cause your printer to stop working. Maybe you accidentally told the document to print something that can’t be printed, or you told it to print more than one thing at once. In the same way, the printer uses a small program called Print Spooler to put print jobs in a queue and keep track of them. Most of the time, your printer queue won’t clear because there is a problem with this app. A printer is an important piece of hardware that lets users turn digital files into hard copies.
It can be used for many different things and in many different places. In Windows 10, a print queue is a place where the order of files to be printed is kept. But if a print queue doesn’t clear itself correctly, it can stop the printing process. Print queues are an important feature that let you put files in order of importance. Fixing the printer might seem like a lot of work if the print jobs are stuck. If the problem is with the hardware, like if the print spooler keeps stopping, you may need to talk to a technician. We mentioned below are the ways how to Fix ‘Printer Queue Won’t Delete’ issue.
What is a printer queue?
In computing, a printer queue is a list of print jobs waiting to be printed. When a document is printed, it is placed in the printer queue. The printer queue is managed by the operating system or print spooler. The print spooler is a software program that manages the printing process. It sends print jobs to the printer in the order they are received. The printer queue can be used to manage print jobs. Print jobs can be paused, resumed, or canceled from the printer queue. It can also display the status of print jobs in the printer queue.
The printer queue can be accessed from the operating system or from the printer control panel. in windows, the printer queue can be accessed by opening the Devices and Printers window. in macOS, the printer queue can be accessed by opening System Preferences and selecting Printers and Scanners In macOS, the printer queue can be accessed by opening System Preferences and selecting Printers and Scanners. The printer queue is a convenient tool for managing print jobs. It ensures that print jobs are printed in the order in which you want them printed. It also helps troubleshoot printing problems.
Causes of the ‘Printer Queue Won’t Delete’ issue
- Print Jobs Stuck in Queue: If there are print jobs stuck in the print queue, it can prevent you from deleting the queue. These could be due to print errors, incomplete print jobs, or corrupted files.
- Printer Software or Driver Issues: Outdated or incompatible printer drivers or software can lead to problems in managing the print queue. An outdated driver might not communicate effectively with the operating system.
- Administrative Permissions: Sometimes, you may not have the necessary administrative permissions to manage the print queue. This can prevent you from deleting print jobs or the entire queue.
- Print Spooler Service: The Print Spooler service in your operating system manages print jobs. If this service is not running or is experiencing errors, it can lead to issues in deleting print jobs from the queue.
- Network Connectivity Problems: If the printer is connected to your computer over a network, network connectivity problems can interfere with your ability to delete print jobs.
- Corrupted Print Queue: In some cases, the print queue itself may become corrupted, making it difficult to delete or manage print jobs.
Fix: ‘Printer Queue Won’t Delete’ issue
Power cycling your Printer

- Use power button to turn off printer properly.
- Wait a few minutes after turning off printer.
- Take printer’s power cord and connection cable out.
- Leave it alone for 10 minutes.
- Reconnect printer to computer and plug everything back in.
- Check if this fixed issue.
Use the Windows Troubleshooter
- Press Win + I to open Settings.
- In Settings, select Update & Security.
- On the left, choose Troubleshoot.
- Click Additional Troubleshooters and then Printer.
- Start the problem solver.
- Allow the program to fix any problems it identifies.
Restarting and Clearing Print Spooler
- Press Windows + R to open the Run app.
- In the dialog box, type “services.msc” and press Enter.
- In the list of services, find “Print Spooler” service.
- Double-click it to open its properties.
- Click “Stop” under “System Status” and click “Ok” to save changes.
- Press Windows + R, type “%windir%\System32\spool\PRINTERS,” and press Enter.
- If prompted, press “Continue” for permissions.
- In the PRINTERS folder, delete all files and close the window.
- Return to services and start the Print Spooler service.
- Try printing your documents again to check if the issue is resolved.
Using Command Prompt
- Put your printer to sleep.
- Press Windows key + X.
- In Command Prompt (Admin), type net stop spooler and press Enter. The print spooler will be turned off.
- Type “del C:WindowsSystem32spoolPRINTERS* /Q” (without quotes) and hit Return. The printer’s queue of jobs will be cleared.
- Type “net start spooler” (without quotes) and press Enter to turn on the printer.
- Print a file by turning on your printer.
Conclusion
Repairing printer crashes is considered one of the most tedious tasks for both novice and experienced users. One situation that many users face is that of a printer queue getting stuck. When a particular document gets stuck, the entire queue is affected. In some cases, the entire printer queue needs to be cleared, which may not be possible. Configuration problems can also cause problems with the print job queue. For example, an attempt to network print to an IP address that cannot be found. Uninstalling and reinstalling the printer software can help. Also, troubleshoot on the network or consult a technician.
Questions and Answers
This behavior occurs when Advanced Job Status is selected in Print Manager. For most printers, this option should be turned off; to check the Advanced Job Status setting, follow these steps: In the Print Manager window, select Printer from the File menu.
Go to C:∕Windows∕System∕Spool∕PRINTERS and press Enter on the keyboard. Press Control + A on the keyboard to select all items. Right-click on any of the selected items and select Delete to delete all print jobs.
Type “services.msc” and press Enter to open the Services window Scroll down until you see the Print Spooler service, right-click and select “Properties” from the context menu. Make sure the startup type is set to “Disabled.” If the service is currently running, click the “Stop” button to enable it.