A stuck print job can block every job behind it even when the printer is fine again. Windows may pause the whole queue after the printer briefly goes offline, runs out of paper, or loses connection during a job.
Does this affect you?
Use this if a print job shows Paused, Error – Printing, or sits in the queue doing nothing on Windows or Mac.
Unpause and clear the queue on Windows
Start with the visible queue before touching services.
- Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. On Windows 10, open Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
- Select the printer and open the print queue.
- Open the Printer menu and make sure Pause Printing is unchecked.
- Right-click the stuck job and choose Cancel. If cancel fails, try Restart once, then cancel again.
- When the queue is empty, print a small test document.
Restart the Print Spooler service
Use this when the job will not cancel normally.
- Press Windows key + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
- Find Print Spooler.
- Right-click it and choose Restart, or Start if it is stopped.
- Open the queue again and confirm the stuck job is gone.
- Print a test page.
Clear the queue on Mac
macOS uses a simpler queue window.
- Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners.
- Select the printer and open the print queue.
- Click Resume if the queue is paused.
- Click the X next to the stuck job to delete it.
- If nothing responds, reset the printing system only as a last resort because it removes all added printers.
More control
A corrupted spool file can require service restart
Large or complex documents can create bad spool files that Windows cannot cancel through the normal queue. Restarting the spooler clears that working state.
Driver updates can start the pattern
If jobs began sticking after a driver update, reinstalling or rolling back the driver may be needed.
Sources
- Microsoft Support – Fix Printer Problems in Windows (2025)
- Microsoft Support – Restart the Print Spooler Service (2025)
- Apple Support – If Your Printer Will Not Print on Mac (2025)
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