Printer stuck in print queue - won't delete

Forget Command Prompt. There's an easier way than that, too! You can just restart the Print Spooler. There are 2 ways to do this, the "formal" way and the "manual" way.

Note: Close any print queue windows before you try any of these methods. Also, this method will work in Windows XP as well.

The "Formal Way": (try this first)

1. Click the Start button. Right-click "My Computer", and click on "Manage".
2. In the main section of the window, there should be 3 categories. Double-click on "Services and Applications".
3. Double-click "Services". Scroll down the list to find the service named "Print Spooler".
4. Right-click this service, and select "Restart". This should solve your problem. If it doesn't, try the next method.

The "Manual" Way: (try this if the "formal" way doesn't work)

1. Hit Ctrl + Alt + Del to open Task Manager (in Windows 7, it's Ctrl + Shift + Esc). (Or you can right-click the task bar and click on "Task Manager")
2. Go to the "Processes" tab. Click 'Show processes from all users' (it may ask for confirmation; click 'OK').
3. Find the process "spoolsv.exe". Right-click it and click "End process". Close Task Manager.
4. Click on the Start button. Click on "Run" (Or you can just hit the Windows Logo + R).
5. Type in "spoolsv.exe" (the name of the process you just ended) and click "OK". This should solve your problem.

Hope this helps,

Rifdhan

I had this same problem about five times now with my HP printer, but the solution was to just wait. Eventually, Windows will clear the print queue for you. If you want it to be cleared faster, you can try using an anti-virus software. The one I use is Windows Live OneCare. You can get a free trial on this site: http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/install/install.htm. Once you've downloaded and installed, run a Tune-Up, and it will clear your print queue.

Important note: This solution no longer works, as Windows Live OneCare is no longer available. Please see my postingfurther down for the solution that works (has the 'Formal Way' and the 'Manual Way').

Hope this helps,

Rifdhan

Hello snerdly, welcome.

To expand on what Rifdhan said, you can pretty much do the same thing by running the 'net stop/start spooler' command in an elevated command prompt. Once the spooler service is stopped, the print que is force-emptied.

You can also stop the service through the 'services.msc' console, as an alternative.

Have a good one!

Thanks!