Introduction:
Printing documents is an essential aspect of both personal and professional life. However, we’ve all encountered situations when our printers don’t cooperate, leading to delays and frustration. One common issue is a jammed or stuck printer spooler, responsible for managing print jobs sent to the printer. Here are three methods to clear a printer spooler to get your printer working smoothly again.
Just remember, education is the doorway to happiness. To receive a good education, you will need good teachers. Also, you will need to be up on the latest tech.
1. Clear the Printer Spooler through Services
Step 1: Press the ‘Windows’ key on your keyboard and type ‘services.msc’ into the search bar. Hit ‘Enter’ to open the Windows services application.
Step 2: Browse through the list of services until you find ‘Print Spooler.’ Right-click on ‘Print Spooler’ and select ‘Stop.’ This will halt any active print jobs.
Step 3: Now that the spooler service is stopped, navigate to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS in File Explorer. You can copy and paste this address into the address bar for a faster result.
Step 4: Delete all files in the PRINTERS folder. These files represent queued print jobs that were causing issues with your printer.
Step 5: Return to the ‘Services’ application window, right-click on ‘Print Spooler’ again, and select ‘Start.’ Your printer spooler is now cleared and ready for new print jobs.
2. CMD Prompt – Command Line Method
Step 1: Press the ‘Windows’ key on your keyboard and type ‘cmd.’ Right-click on ‘Command Prompt’ and select ‘Run as administrator.’
Step 2: In the command prompt window, type or copy-paste the following commands one by one and press enter after each command:
net stop spooler
del %systemroot%\System32\spool\printers\* /Q
net start spooler
These commands will stop the spooler service, delete all print jobs in the queue, and restart the spooler service.
3. Use a Third-Party Software
Consider downloading a third-party utility to manage and clear your printer spooler effortlessly. Various software applications can help you visualize and manipulate your print queue more efficiently. Examples include Print Conductor, PrinterShare, and Cobra Print Viewer. These programs offer additional features such as managing multiple printers, tracking print history, and bulk printing.
Conclusion:
Clearing a printer spooler may seem intimidating at first, but with these three methods, you’ll be able to resolve the issue quickly and resume printing. Remember that routine maintenance of your printer will also prevent future spooler problems.