I recently encountered a frustrating issue with my printer where a document was stuck and wouldn’t delete. In this article, I will share some tips on how to fix this common problem.
Restart Your Printer or Use its Settings
If your printer document is stuck and won’t delete, one simple solution is to restart your printer. Turn it off, unplug it, wait a few moments, then plug it back in and turn it on again. This can often clear out any issues causing the document to be stuck.
If restarting the printer doesn’t work, you can try using the printer’s settings to cancel the document. Access the printer’s menu or settings on the device itself or through your computer. Look for an option to cancel or delete the print job that is stuck.
If you’re using a Windows computer, you can also try deleting the print job through the Control Panel. Navigate to the Control Panel, find the printer settings, and look for the option to cancel the stuck document.
Clear Print Queue Through Windows Settings or Control Panel
- Access the Control Panel by clicking on the Start button and selecting Control Panel from the menu.
- Click on Devices and Printers or Printers and Scanners depending on your version of Windows.
- Locate your printer in the list of devices and right-click on it.
- Select See what’s printing from the drop-down menu.
- Click on Printer in the top menu bar and select Cancel All Documents to clear the print queue.
- Restart your computer and try printing again to see if the issue is resolved.
Utilize Command Prompt or Batch File for Deletion
To utilize Command Prompt or a Batch File for deleting a stuck printer document, you can use the following steps. First, open Command Prompt as an administrator by searching for it in the Start menu, right-clicking on it, and selecting “Run as administrator. ” Next, navigate to the spool folder by typing cd %systemroot%\system32\spool\PRINTERS and pressing Enter. Once in the spool folder, you can delete the stuck document by typing del * and pressing Enter. If you prefer using a Batch File, you can create a new text document, enter the command del /F /Q %systemroot%\system32\spool\PRINTERS\*, save the file with a .
bat extension, and run it as an administrator. These steps should help you fix the issue of a stuck printer document that won’t delete.
Reset or Clear Spooler Manually and Restart
To reset or clear the spooler manually and restart, follow these steps:
1. First, stop the Print Spooler service. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box, then type “services.msc” and press Enter.
2. In the Services window, scroll down and locate the Print Spooler service. Right-click on it and select “Stop” from the context menu.
3. Next, navigate to the C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS folder on your computer. Delete all the files in this folder.
4. Now, go back to the Services window and right-click on the Print Spooler service again. This time, select “Start” to restart the service.
5. Finally, try printing your document again to see if the issue has been resolved.
Reinstall or Update Printer Drivers
To fix a printer document stuck in the queue that won’t delete, one solution is to reinstall or update the printer drivers.
First, navigate to the Control Panel on your computer. Look for the Printers or Devices and Printers section.
Locate your printer in the list, right-click on it, and select Properties. Go to the Hardware tab and click on Properties again.
Now, go to the Driver tab. Here, you can update the driver by clicking on the Update Driver button.
If updating doesn’t work, you can reinstall the driver by clicking on Uninstall Driver and then Install Driver.
After reinstalling or updating the driver, try printing the document again to see if the issue has been resolved.
FAQs
How do I delete a document that won’t delete on my printer?
To delete a document that won’t delete on your printer, you can stop the Print Spooler service on your host computer and then delete the files in the C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS folder.
How do I force delete a print?
To force delete a print, you can open Command Prompt as an administrator, stop the print spooler, delete the print files, and then restart the print spooler. This should clear the print queue on your Windows system.
How do I remove a document stuck in my printer queue?
To remove a document stuck in your printer queue, you can stop the print spooler, delete the print job(s), and restart the print spooler. You can do this by accessing the running services on your computer and navigating to the spool folder in the Windows directory.
How do I force quit printing a document?
To force quit printing a document, you can cancel the print job in the printer dialog box. Select the print job you want to cancel, then click on Document > Cancel and confirm by clicking Yes.
