Printer Queue: How to View, Manage, and Clear the List in Windows 11 (2026)

The printer queue is Windows’ built-in system for managing documents sent to a printer. When a print job gets stuck, it blocks every document behind it. Clear it from Settings > Printers and Scanners > Open print queue > Cancel all. For stubborn jobs that will not delete, stop the Print Spooler in services.msc, delete the spool files, and restart it.

Most printer queue guides give you one method and stop. But a job stuck on “Deleting” needs a completely different fix than a job stuck on “Printing,” and a queue that keeps refilling after you clear it is a different problem entirely. This Axeetech Printer Queue guide covers all three stuck-job scenarios, five clearing methods ranked by difficulty, and every management option in the queue window that most users never find.

What Is the Printer Queue? (And Why One Stuck Job Stops Everything)

The printer queue is Windows’ temporary holding area for every document you send to a printer. Documents go to the queue first, not directly to the printer hardware. The Print Spooler service, also called the spooler, manages this queue and processes each job in first-in, first-out order. One stuck job at the front stops every document behind it from printing.

When you send a print job, the Print Spooler creates two files inside C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS. Both files are deleted automatically after the job prints successfully. When a job gets stuck, these files remain and lock the spooler. Every fix method in this guide either deletes these files directly or forces the spooler to release them.

File Type	What It Contains	Deleted After Printing?
.SPL	Raw document data to be sent to the printer	Yes, automatically
.SHD	Print job metadata: document name, printer, user, settings	Yes, automatically

Tip: You can confirm which jobs are stuck by navigating to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS in File Explorer. Each stuck job leaves one .SPL and one .SHD file behind. Open the .SHD file in Notepad to see the document name and user account that submitted the job.

How to Open the Printer Queue in Windows 11 (Four Ways)

There are four paths to the print queue window in Windows 11. Each suits a different situation.

Method	Steps	Best For
Taskbar	Click the printer icon in the system tray and select See What’s Printing	Quickest access while a job is actively processing
Settings	Win+I > Bluetooth and Devices > Printers and Scanners > click printer > Open print queue	Most common path in Windows 11
Control Panel	Control Panel > Devices and Printers > right-click printer > See what’s printing	Legacy interface with additional Printer menu options
PowerShell	Get-PrintJob -PrinterName “YourPrinterName”	IT admins and scripting environments

The Settings path is the most reliable in Windows 11. The taskbar icon only appears when a job is actively processing. The Control Panel path opens an older queue interface that includes additional Printer menu options not visible in the newer Settings version.

Tip: The print queue window displays each job in a table showing Document Name, Status, Owner, Pages, Size, and Submitted columns. Always check the Status column first. A job showing “Deleting” that never disappears needs a different fix than a job showing “Printing” or “Paused.”

Before running any manual fix, run the built-in Windows Printer Troubleshooter first. Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters > Printer > Run. The troubleshooter automatically restarts the Print Spooler and clears stuck jobs in most standard cases. The AxeeTech Windows troubleshooter guide covers the full process for running Windows built-in diagnostic tools. Only escalate to the manual methods below if the troubleshooter fails or is unavailable.

Three Stuck Job Scenarios (Know Yours Before You Fix It)

Before running any fix, identify which of these three scenarios matches what you see in the queue. Each one has a different correct fix. Using the wrong method wastes time and leaves the job stuck.

Status Shown	What It Means	Correct Fix
Stuck on “Printing”	Job started sending to the printer but did not complete; printer may have disconnected mid-job	Try Cancel first; if it stays on Printing, use Method 2 (Services restart)
Stuck on “Paused”	Job or entire queue was paused manually or triggered by Windows	Right-click job > Resume; or open Printer menu and uncheck Pause Printing and Use Printer Offline
Stuck on “Deleting” forever	Spooler locked onto a corrupted .SPL or .SHD file; standard cancel does not work	Method 2 (stop spooler, delete spool files, restart) or Method 3 (CMD) only

Warning: A job stuck on “Deleting” status cannot be cleared using the Settings cancel button alone. The Print Spooler has locked onto the corrupted file and standard cancellation no longer works. You must stop the Print Spooler service, manually delete the .SPL and .SHD files from C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS, and then restart the spooler. Any other approach leaves the job permanently stuck until a full reboot, and even a reboot may not resolve it without the manual file deletion.

Method 1: Clear the Printer Queue list from Settings (Fastest)

This method resolves most standard stuck print jobs in under one minute and requires no administrator access or command-line tools.

1. Press Win+I to open Settings.
2. Click Bluetooth and Devices, then click Printers and Scanners.
3. Click your printer from the list.
4. Click Open print queue.
5. Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of the queue window.
6. Click Cancel all to remove every queued job at once.
7. To cancel a single specific job instead, right-click it and select Cancel.

Tip: If jobs disappear from the queue but the printer still does not respond, the issue is no longer the queue. Restart the printer by turning it off, waiting 30 seconds, and turning it back on. Also confirm that Use Printer Offline and Pause Printing are both unchecked in the Printer menu of the queue window.

Method 2: Restart the Print Spooler and Delete Spool Files (For Stubborn Jobs)

Use this method when jobs refuse to cancel, remain stuck on “Deleting,” or return to the queue list immediately after being cancelled. This is the most reliable manual fix for any stuck job scenario.

1. Press Win+R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Scroll down to Print Spooler in the alphabetical service list.
3. Right-click Print Spooler and select Stop.
4. Open File Explorer and navigate to: C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS
5. Press Ctrl+A to select all files in the folder.
6. Press Delete to remove all selected files. These are only temporary spool files and are safe to delete.
7. Return to the Services window.
8. Right-click Print Spooler and select Start.

Warning: Do not close the Services window before restarting the Print Spooler. If the spooler is left in a stopped state, no print jobs from any application will process on your system until the service is running again. Always confirm the Print Spooler status shows “Running” in the Services window before testing the printer.

Method 3: Clear the Printer Queue list Using Command Prompt

Command Prompt performs the same three steps as Method 2 in seconds. Use this when you need the fastest possible fix or when you are managing multiple machines.

Open Command Prompt as administrator, then run these three commands in sequence:

net stop spooler

del /F /Q %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\spool\PRINTERS\*

net start spooler

Each command must complete fully before running the next. The first stops the Print Spooler service. The second deletes all spool files from the PRINTERS folder. The third restarts the spooler. The entire sequence completes in under ten seconds.

Tip: For a more targeted deletion that removes only the specific spool file types and avoids any other files in the PRINTERS directory, run these two commands instead of the single wildcard command:

del %systemroot%\system32\spool\printers\*.shd /F /S /Q

del %systemroot%\system32\spool\printers\*.spl /F /S /Q

Method 4: PowerShell for Advanced Users and IT Admins

PowerShell provides more verbose output and finer control over each step. IT administrators managing multiple printers across a network prefer this approach.

Open PowerShell as administrator and run the following commands:

powershell

Get-Service *spool* | Stop-Service -Force -Verbose
Start-Sleep -Seconds 5
$path = $env:SystemRoot + "\system32\spool\printers\"
Get-ChildItem $path -File | Remove-Item -Force -Verbose
Get-Service Spooler | Start-Service -Verbose

The Start-Sleep command gives the service five seconds to fully stop before the file deletion begins. The Verbose flag outputs each action to the console so you can confirm each step completed successfully.

Method 5: Batch File to Clear the Print Queue list Automatically

A batch file gives you a permanent one-click fix that works without opening any settings windows, Services consoles, or command prompts. Create it once and keep it on your Desktop.

1. Open Notepad.
2. Copy and paste the following code exactly as written:

batch

@echo off
net stop spooler
del /Q /F /S "%systemroot%\System32\Spool\Printers\*.*"
net start spooler

3. Click File, then Save As.
4. In the Save as type dropdown, select All Files.
5. In the File name field, type ClearPrintQueue.bat
6. Save it to your Desktop.
7. Whenever the printer queue is stuck, right-click ClearPrintQueue.bat and select Run as administrator.

Tip: Keep ClearPrintQueue.bat on your Desktop permanently. The next time the print queue freezes, you have a working fix available in two clicks with no need to open any menus. This is the most practical long-term solution for users and offices that experience stuck print jobs regularly.

Pause, Cancel, and Use Printer Offline: What Each Option Does

The printer queue window contains control options that most users never open. Understanding each one prevents accidental queue freezes caused by settings that are easy to trigger and easy to miss.

Option	What It Does	Reversible?	Where to Find It
Pause Printing	Stops processing all queued jobs temporarily	Yes, uncheck to resume	Printer menu at top of queue window
Resume Printing	Restarts a paused queue	Yes	Printer menu > Pause Printing (uncheck)
Cancel (single job)	Permanently removes one job from the queue	No	Right-click any individual job
Cancel All Documents	Permanently removes every job in the queue	No	Printer menu at top of queue window
Use Printer Offline	Forces Windows to treat the printer as offline regardless of actual connection	Yes, uncheck to go online	Printer menu at top of queue window

Warning: Use Printer Offline is one of the most common accidental causes of a printer queue that fills up but never prints. If documents keep queuing with no error message and the printer appears physically connected, open the Printer menu inside the queue window and confirm that Use Printer Offline is not checked. Unchecking it immediately releases all queued jobs to the printer.

For related printer configuration, the AxeeTech guide on configuring default printer settings covers how to control print defaults so your queue receives correctly formatted jobs from the start. If you recently reinstalled a driver and need to reassign your primary printer, the AxeeTech guide on how to set your preferred default printer in Windows walks through every available method.

Why Did My Queue Clear But the Printer Still Will Not Print?

Clearing the printer queue solves the software-side blockage. If the printer still does not respond after the queue is clear, the problem has moved to the hardware or configuration layer.

Check	How to Verify	Fix
Paper loaded	Look at the paper tray	Add paper to the tray
Paper jam present	Check printer display and paper path	Clear the jam following your printer’s procedure
Printer powered on	Check the power indicator light	Press the power button to turn the printer on
USB or network connected	Check the cable or Wi-Fi indicator	Reconnect the cable or rejoin the network
Pause Printing active	Open queue > Printer menu	Uncheck Pause Printing
Use Printer Offline enabled	Open queue > Printer menu	Uncheck Use Printer Offline
Test page fails to print	Settings > Printers > Print a test page	Reinstall the printer driver
Jobs keep returning after clearing	Printer auto-resubmitting	Disable auto-resubmit in printer driver advanced settings

Warning: If a print job has already fully transferred to the printer’s internal memory buffer before you clear the queue, Windows cannot stop it from printing. The document will print regardless of any action taken in the queue window. To stop a job that has already transferred to the printer, press the Cancel button on the printer itself, or turn the printer off, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on to clear the internal buffer.

For ongoing printer health and preventing queue problems from recurring, the AxeeTech printer maintenance tips guide covers the cleaning schedules, driver update practices, and paper handling habits that prevent most print quality and queue issues before they start.

What Causes Print Jobs to Get Stuck?

Cause	What Happens	Fix
Corrupted print job file	.SPL or .SHD file is damaged; spooler cannot process it	Method 2 or 3: delete spool files directly
Outdated or conflicting driver	Driver sends malformed data the spooler cannot handle	Reinstall printer driver via Device Manager > Print queues
Printer disconnected mid-job	USB unplugged or network dropped during an active print job	Reconnect the printer; use Method 2 to clear the partial job
Printer set to offline mode	Windows queues jobs but does not send them to the printer	Printer menu > uncheck Use Printer Offline
Printer memory full	Large job exceeds the printer’s internal hardware buffer	Restart the printer to clear the buffer; send smaller jobs
Print Spooler service crashed	spoolsv.exe stopped unexpectedly	Method 2: restart the Print Spooler service in services.msc
Queue accidentally paused	User or Windows paused the entire queue	Printer menu > uncheck Pause Printing

For driver-related stuck jobs that survive a full spooler restart, open Device Manager by pressing Win+X and selecting Device Manager.

Expand the Print queues section, right-click the affected printer, and select Uninstall device. Download and install the latest driver directly from the printer manufacturer’s website after completing the uninstall.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a printer queue in Windows 11?

The printer queue is the Windows system that temporarily holds and manages every document sent to a printer before it reaches the physical hardware. The Print Spooler service processes these jobs in first-in, first-out order. A single corrupted or stuck job at the front blocks every document behind it from printing.

How do I open the printer queue in Windows 11?

Press Win+I to open Settings, go to Bluetooth and Devices, click Printers and Scanners, click your printer, then click Open print queue. Alternatively, click the printer icon in the system tray and select See What’s Printing during an active print job. The Control Panel path through Devices and Printers also works and provides additional Printer menu options.

How do I clear a stuck print job in Windows 11?

Open the print queue through Settings > Printers and Scanners, click the three-dot menu, and select Cancel all. For jobs that refuse to cancel or stay stuck on “Deleting,” stop the Print Spooler in services.msc, delete all files from C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS, and restart the service. The CMD method with net stop spooler, del, and net start spooler achieves the same result faster.

Why is my print job stuck on “Deleting” in the queue?

A job stuck on “Deleting” means the Print Spooler has locked onto a corrupted .SPL or .SHD file and cannot release it through the standard cancellation path. The Settings cancel button will not resolve this. You must stop the Print Spooler service in services.msc, manually delete the spool files from C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS, and restart the service.

What is the Print Spooler service?

The Print Spooler service (spoolsv.exe) is the Windows background service that manages all print jobs sent to any printer connected to your system. It creates and processes the .SPL and .SHD files for each job, maintains the queue order, and communicates with both the printer driver and the physical printer. When it crashes or becomes unresponsive, no print jobs can process until the service is restarted.

How do I clear the printer queue using Command Prompt?

Open Command Prompt as administrator and run three commands in sequence: net stop spooler to stop the Print Spooler service, del /F /Q %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\spool\PRINTERS* to delete all spool files, and net start spooler to restart the service. Wait for each command to complete fully before running the next. The entire process takes under ten seconds.

Can I cancel a print job after it has started printing?

You can cancel it from the print queue only if the job has not yet fully transferred to the printer’s internal memory buffer. Once the complete job has transferred, Windows cannot stop it and the document will print regardless of any action in the queue. At that point, press the Cancel button on the physical printer itself, or turn the printer off and back on to clear the internal buffer.

Why does my printer queue keep filling up but nothing prints?

The most common cause is Use Printer Offline being checked in the Printer menu inside the queue window. Open the print queue, click the Printer menu at the top, and confirm that Use Printer Offline is not checked. Also check that Pause Printing is not checked. Both settings allow jobs to enter the queue but prevent them from being sent to the printer.

What is the difference between pausing and canceling a print job?

Pausing a print job temporarily suspends it but keeps it in the queue. Right-clicking the job and selecting Resume sends it back to active processing. Canceling a job permanently removes it from the queue with no recovery option. Pause Printing in the Printer menu applies the pause to the entire queue rather than a single job, and Use Printer Offline prevents all jobs from processing while still accepting new ones into the queue.

How do I create a batch file to clear the printer queue automatically?

Open Notepad, paste the following three lines: @echo off on the first line, net stop spooler on the second, del /Q /F /S “%systemroot%\System32\Spool\Printers*.*” on the third, and net start spooler on the fourth. Go to File > Save As, change the file type to All Files, name the file ClearPrintQueue.bat, and save it to your Desktop. Right-click the file and select Run as administrator whenever the queue is stuck.