Print job stuck in the queue on Windows 11: 4 fixes to try

howtosimply.com/guides/print-job-stuck-in-the-queue-on-windows-11-4-fixes-to-try/ · Checked October 2026 · Windows 11 Enterprise 25H2 (build 26200.9457), Microsoft Cloud PC

4 of 6 steps with real screenshots · 1 official source below

Device

Windows

Shown on

Windows 11 Enterprise 25H2 (build 26200.9457), Microsoft Cloud PC

App

Settings

Real screenshots

4 of 6 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

1 official, linked below

Step by step

1. 

   Open the printer page

   Open Start, Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Printers & scanners and click your printer. On its page, click Open print queue.

   Done

2. 

   Cancel the jobs in the queue

   The Print Queue window lists every waiting job. Right-click each job and choose Cancel, or use the three dots at the top right. Give it half a minute, as a job often shows Deleting for a while. Our queue was empty, so it says No print jobs.

   Done

3. 

   Open Services

   If a job stays stuck, press Windows + R, type services.msc and click OK.

   Done

4. 

   Restart the Print Spooler

   Scroll down to Print Spooler and select it. Click Restart the service on the left, or right-click Print Spooler and choose Restart. Its status should say Running and its startup type Automatic. Then try to print.

   Done

5. Empty the spool folder by hand

   If the job is still there, select Print Spooler in the same window and click Stop the service. Open File Explorer, go to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS and delete all the files inside, but not the folder itself. Windows asks for administrator permission. Go back to Services and click Start the service.

   Done

6. Restart the printer and the PC

   Switch the printer off, wait at least 60 seconds and switch it on again. Restart the PC with Start, Power, Restart. Then print the document again from its program.

   Done

About this guide

A document that hangs in the print queue blocks everything behind it: nothing prints, and the same job cannot be deleted. The cause is nearly always the Print Spooler, the Windows service that hands documents to the printer. Work through these fixes in order.

Our Cloud PC prints through a redirected printer, Local printer (redirected 2). Your printer page shows your own printer's name.

Good to know

The files in the PRINTERS folder are only the waiting print jobs. Deleting them does not remove the printer or its settings, but the documents have to be sent again.

If the queue blocks again with the same document, the document is the trigger. Print it as a PDF first, or print a few pages at a time.

If the queue is empty and still nothing comes out: printer not working. To set the printer up again from scratch: how to add a printer on Windows 11.

In short: Cancel the jobs in the print queue, restart Print Spooler in services.msc, empty C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS with the service stopped, restart printer and PC.