What to Do When the Windows 11 Print Queue Gets Stuck on Deleting

Stop the Print Spooler Service

You stop the Print Spooler from the Services app, which you open from the Run dialog. While the service runs, Windows keeps the stuck job files locked, so you cannot delete them. Stopping the service releases that lock.

1. Press Win+R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type services.msc and press Enter. The Services window opens with an alphabetical list of services.
3. Click anywhere in the list, then scroll down, or type the letter P, until you find Print Spooler. Its status should read Running.
4. Right-click Print Spooler and select Stop. Accept the User Account Control prompt if one appears. This step needs administrator rights. If Stop is greyed out, you are signed in with a standard account and need to sign in as an administrator.
5. Check that the Status column for Print Spooler is now blank. A blank status means the service has stopped.
6. Leave the Services window open while you clear the stuck files. You will need it again to restart the 🔄 service.

Delete Stuck Print Files Manually

Deleting the files inside it removes the corrupted job that keeps the queue hanging. Delete only the files inside the folder. Do not delete the PRINTERS folder itself.

1. Press Win+E to open File Explorer 📁.
2. Click the address bar at the top, paste the following path, and press Enter: C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS
3. Click Continue if Windows says you need administrator permission to access the folder.
4. Click inside the file list and press Ctrl+A to select everything in the PRINTERS folder. The files usually have extensions such as .SPL and .SHD. The folder may already be empty if the job never wrote any files.
5. Press the Delete key to remove the files. If Windows says a file is in use, the Print Spooler is still running. Go back to the previous section and confirm the service is stopped.
6. Confirm the folder is now empty, then close File Explorer 📁.

Restart the Print Spooler Service

Next, start the Print Spooler again from the same Services app. This brings the printing subsystem back online so your computer can talk to the printer.

1. Return to the Services window you left open. If you closed it, press Win+R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Right-click Print Spooler and select Start. This step needs administrator rights. The Status column should change to Running.
3. Close the Services app.
4. Open your printer queue and confirm the list is now completely empty. To get there, go to Settings › Bluetooth 🔷 & devices › Printers & scanners, then click your printer.

You can also print a test page. If it prints, you are done and can skip the later sections.

Clear the Print Queue Using Command Prompt

The Command Prompt method does the same three jobs (stop the spooler, delete the temporary files, restart the spooler) as a short sequence of commands. It is quicker if you have to do this often. Run the commands in the order shown, and wait for each to finish before typing the next.

1. Click the Start button and type cmd. Right-click Command Prompt in the results and select Run as administrator. This step needs administrator rights. Click Yes on the User Account Control prompt. The window title should start with Administrator.
2. Type the following command and press Enter to stop the print service: net stop spooler You should see a message that the service was stopped successfully.
3. Type the following command and press Enter to delete the stuck print files: del /Q /F /S "%systemroot%\System32\Spool\Printers\*.*"
4. Type the following command and press Enter to restart the print service: net start spooler You should see a message that the service was started successfully.
5. Close the Command Prompt window.

Remove Stuck Print Jobs via Registry Editor

Be careful here. Registry Editor changes take effect immediately and there is no undo button. Before you change anything, click File › Export in Registry Editor and save a backup of the key you are about to touch. To undo a change, double-click that backup file to restore it.

1. Press Windows Key + R, type regedit, and press Enter to open Registry Editor. This step needs administrator rights. Click Yes on the User Account Control prompt.
2. Navigate to the following location in the left sidebar: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Print\Printers
3. Expand the Printers key. You should see subkeys that represent your installed printers.
4. Open the subkeys and check for lingering print job values. Delete an entry only if you know it belongs to the stuck job. If you are not sure, just confirm the printer path is correct and leave everything else alone.
5. Close Registry Editor. If you changed anything, restart the Print Spooler service afterwards so it picks up the change.

Run the Printer Troubleshooter

The built-in printer troubleshooter checks for communication errors and a corrupted queue, and it can repair some of them automatically. It is a safe thing to try if the manual methods did not work, or if you would rather not delete files yourself.

1. Open the Start menu and click Settings.
2. Click System on the left menu, then select Troubleshoot on the right.
3. Click Other troubleshooters. A list of troubleshooters appears.
4. Find Printer and click the Run button next to it. This step needs administrator rights. On some builds of Windows 11 this opens the Get Help app instead of a classic troubleshooter window. The steps that follow are the same.
5. Choose your printer if the tool asks, follow the on-screen prompts, and apply any fixes it suggests. If it reports that it fixed something, send a test page to check.

Stop Print Spooler via PowerShell

PowerShell gives you a fast way to stop the Print Spooler, especially when the Services window stops responding or you are working remotely. The Stop-Service cmdlet does the same job as clicking Stop in Services.

1. Right-click the Start button and select Terminal (Admin), or PowerShell (Admin) on some builds. This step needs administrator rights. Click Yes on the User Account Control prompt.
2. Type the following command and press Enter: Stop-Service -Name Spooler -Force
3. Confirm the service stops without an error message. If the prompt simply returns to a new line, the command worked.
4. Keep the PowerShell window open if you plan to clear the folder from the command line in the next section.

Delete PRINTERS Folder Contents via PowerShell

You can also clear the PRINTERS folder from PowerShell. A forced removal command targets the spool directory and can delete locked files that File Explorer refuses to remove. The spooler must be stopped first, otherwise the files stay locked.

1. Make sure the Print Spooler service is stopped, using the PowerShell method in the previous section.
2. Type the following command and press Enter to clear the folder: Remove-Item -Path "C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*" -Recurse -Force
3. Type the following command and press Enter to restart the service: Start-Service -Name Spooler
4. Close the PowerShell window, then open your printer queue to check that it is empty.

Reset Printer Hardware and Connection

If the queue clears but the job returns, or the printer still reports odd status messages, the printer itself may be holding old data. A power cycle clears the temporary memory cache on the device, which can send conflicting status signals to Windows 11.

1. Unplug the power cable from the back of your printer while the device is turned on.
2. Disconnect the USB cable or Ethernet cable that connects the printer to your computer or network router.
3. Wait at least 60 seconds to let all internal power drain completely.
4. Reconnect the power cable and turn the printer back on.
5. Wait for the printer to reach its ready state, then reconnect the USB or network cable.
6. Send a test page from Windows to confirm the printer and the PC are talking again.

Reinstall Printer Drivers

A corrupted driver can make print jobs freeze during processing. Removing the printer and adding it back replaces those driver files. Have your printer connected and powered on first. If your printer needs a manufacturer driver, keep the download ready in case Windows Update does not supply the right one.

1. Open the Start menu and click Settings.
2. Click Bluetooth & devices on the left, then click Printers & scanners on the right.
3. Click the name of your stuck printer. Its settings page opens.
4. Click the Remove button to uninstall the device from Windows 11, and confirm if asked. This step needs administrator rights. The printer disappears from the list.
5. Click Add device near the top of the screen. Windows searches for the printer and reinstalls it, fetching fresh drivers from Windows Update or your manufacturer.
6. Select your printer when it appears and wait for the setup to finish. Then print a test page.

Advanced Print Server Properties Cleanup

This is an advanced cleanup. Use it when the earlier fixes did not hold. The Print Management console removes old driver packages that can interfere with queue handling. The console is included in Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise and Education. It is not available in Windows 11 Home, so Home users should skip this section. Only remove driver packages for printers you no longer use. Do not remove the driver for the printer you are trying to fix.

1. Open the Start menu, type printmanagement.msc, and press Enter. This step needs administrator rights. The Print Management window opens.
2. Click Print Servers in the left pane, then click your local computer name.
3. Click Drivers in the center pane to see all installed printer software packages.
4. Right-click an old or unused driver package and select Remove Driver Package. Confirm the prompt. If Windows says the driver is in use, a printer still depends on it, so leave it in place.
5. Close the Print Management window.

What to do next

You should now see an empty print queue and be able to send new documents to your printer without errors. If print jobs begin hanging again, check Windows Update for pending updates and install them. If that does not help, reinstall the official manufacturer driver package for your specific printer model.