One Note Appears to stop me from printing

RONALD FREEMAN 0 Reputation points
2026-04-18T14:33:01.88+00:00

I am unable to print anything. When I go to print I receive a message that One Note is cleaning from the last time it was used. I have restarted the computer but it doesn't make any difference.

[Tag moved from: Microsoft 365 and Office | OneNote | For home | Other]

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneNote | For home | Windows

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  1. AI answer

    2026-04-18T14:33:14.5733333+00:00

    Follow these steps to restore normal printing when OneNote appears to block printing:

    1. Confirm the printer selection in the app being used
      • In Word, Excel, or other apps, go to File > Print.
      • Make sure the actual physical printer is selected, not Microsoft Print to PDF, XPS Document Writer, or a OneNote virtual printer such as OneNote (Desktop).
      • If a virtual printer is selected, change it to the physical printer and try printing again.
    2. Test printing from another app
      • Open Notepad or Paint.
      • Type or create a simple test file and try to print it.
      • If printing works from these apps, the issue is likely specific to the original app or its print settings.
    3. Print a Windows test page
      • Select Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
      • Select the printer, then choose Printer properties.
      • On the General tab, select Print Test Page.
      • If the test page does not print, resolve the printer/driver issue before trying again from OneNote or Office apps.
    4. Restart the Print Spooler service
      • Press Windows key + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
      • Scroll to Print Spooler, right-click it, and select Restart.
      • After it restarts, try printing again from the app.
    5. Update or reinstall printer drivers
      • Select Start > Device Manager.
      • Expand Printers.
      • Right-click the printer and select Update driver.
      • If no update is found, select Uninstall device, then restart the PC so Windows can reinstall the driver automatically.
    6. Try printing directly from OneNote (to verify behavior)
      • In OneNote for Windows 10, open any page.
      • Select Settings and More (top right) > Print.
      • Under Printer, choose the physical printer.
      • Under Pages, choose Current Page (or another scope), then select Print.
      • If the printer does not appear, go to Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners and confirm the printer is installed or use + Add a printer or scanner.

    If OneNote virtual printers (for example, OneNote (Desktop) or OneNote (Desktop) – Protected) are involved and causing confusion in the printer list, reinstalling the OneNote app can restore them correctly, but printing to paper should always use the physical printer, not the OneNote virtual printers.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Norah-L 10,490 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-04-19T03:56:37.0933333+00:00

    Good day RONALD FREEMAN!

    From what you described, I understand the OneNote print component gets stuck in a “cleaning up from the last time it was used” state, which is preventing printing from working normally.

    This behavior might be related to a stuck OneNote background process or corrupted cache files, which can block printing across the system.

    To address this, please try the following steps:

    First, completely close OneNote by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc, opening Task Manager, and ending all OneNote‑related processes (OneNote.exe / Microsoft OneNote).

    Next, clear the OneNote cache (this does not delete your notebooks):

    • Press Win + R, type %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneNote
    • Open the folder matching your version (for example, 16.0)
    • Delete the Cache folder or rename it to cache_old as a backup

    After that, restart the computer and try printing again.

    If the issue continues, you can also try repairing OneNote:

    • Open Control Panel (you can search for it from the Start menu)
    • Select Programs or Programs and Features
    • Locate Microsoft OneNote in the list > Choose Change or Repair
    • Follow the on‑screen instructions to complete the Online Repair

    Hope this helps. Please let me know how it goes on your device!

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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