What a printer spooler is and why it gets stuck

Your printer's spooler is a holding area in your computer's memory that stores print jobs before they reach the printer. When you send a document to print, it sits in the spooler until the printer is ready to handle it. A stuck spooler happens when a print job gets corrupted, the printer loses connection, or the spooler software crashes — and now your printer won't respond to new commands.

You'll know the spooler is stuck when you try to print and nothing happens, or when old jobs from hours ago still show in the queue. The printer might be powered on and connected, but it ignores every new job you send. Clearing the spooler removes all those stuck jobs and lets your printer start fresh.

Key Takeaways

  • A stuck spooler prevents new print jobs from reaching your printer, even though the printer itself works fine.
  • On Windows, you clear the spooler by stopping the Print Spooler service, deleting the spooler folder, and restarting the service.
  • On Mac, you remove stuck jobs through System Settings by deleting the printer and re-adding it, or by clearing the print queue folder manually.
  • After clearing the spooler, restart both your computer and printer to make sure everything syncs properly.
  • If clearing the spooler doesn't work, the printer driver may need updating or reinstalling.

How to clear the spooler on Windows

The fastest way is to stop the Print Spooler service, delete the stuck jobs, and restart it. Open the Services app by pressing Windows key + R, typing services.msc, and pressing Enter. Scroll down to "Print Spooler," right-click it, and select "Stop." Wait a few seconds for it to stop completely.

Next, open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS. Delete everything in this folder — these are your stuck print jobs. If a file won't delete, it means the spooler service didn't fully stop; wait a moment and try again. Once the folder is empty, go back to Services, right-click "Print Spooler" again, and select "Start." Your spooler is now cleared.

If you're not comfortable using Services, Windows also lets you clear the queue through Settings. Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners, find your printer, click it, and select "Open queue." Click the printer name at the top, then "Printer" menu, and choose "Cancel All Documents." This removes jobs from the visible queue, though it may not clear corrupted files the way the Services method does.

How to clear the spooler on Mac

On Mac, the simplest approach is to remove the printer and add it back. Go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners, select your printer from the list, and click the minus button to remove it. This clears all queued jobs. Then click the plus button, find your printer in the list, and add it back. Your print queue is now empty.

If you want to clear the queue without removing the printer, you can delete the print jobs manually. Open Finder, press Command + Shift + G to open "Go to Folder," paste ~/Library/Printers/, and press Enter. Look for a folder with your printer's name, open it, and delete any files inside. Then restart your Mac and the printer.

For network printers on Mac, you may also need to clear the printer's own memory. Restart the printer by turning it off, waiting 30 seconds, and turning it back on. This clears jobs stored on the printer itself, not just on your computer.

Clearing the spooler on a network or shared printer

If your printer is shared across multiple computers on a network, clearing the spooler on one computer may not be enough. Log into the printer's web interface by typing its IP address into a browser — you can find the IP address by printing a network configuration page from the printer's menu. Look for a "Jobs" or "Queue" section and delete any stuck jobs from there.

If you don't know the printer's IP address, check your router's connected devices list, or go to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners on Windows, right-click your printer, select "Printer properties," and look for the IP address under the "Ports" tab. On Mac, go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners, select the printer, and click "Details" — the IP address appears in the URL field.

What to do if the spooler still won't clear

If jobs remain stuck after clearing the spooler, the printer driver may be corrupted. On Windows, go to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners, right-click your printer, select "Remove device," restart your computer, and reinstall the driver from the printer manufacturer's website. On Mac, remove the printer from System Settings, restart, and re-add it — macOS will read the latest driver automatically.

Another cause is a printer that has lost connection to your computer. Unplug the printer's power cable, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in. If it's a network printer, restart your router as well. Once the printer is back online, try printing a test page. A full restart of both devices often clears spooler issues that software alone cannot fix.

If the printer still won't print after clearing the spooler and restarting, the printer itself may have a hardware problem — a paper jam, low toner, or an internal error. Check the printer's display panel for error messages, clear any jams, and make sure toner or ink levels are adequate. If none of those work, the printer may need service.

How to prevent the spooler from getting stuck

Keep your printer driver up to date, since outdated drivers are a common cause of spooler problems. On Windows, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and check for driver updates. On Mac, go to System Settings > General > Software Update. Most printer manufacturers also offer driver downloads on their support pages.

Avoid sending very large files to print all at once, and don't send multiple jobs in rapid succession — give the printer time to finish one job before starting another. If you're printing from a network, make sure your computer and printer stay connected; a dropped connection can leave jobs stuck in the queue. Restart your printer once a week to clear its internal memory and prevent buildup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I clear the spooler without restarting my computer?

Yes. On Windows, stopping and restarting the Print Spooler service through Services clears the queue without a full restart. On Mac, removing and re-adding the printer also works without restarting. However, restarting both your computer and printer afterward ensures everything syncs properly and prevents the same job from getting stuck again.

Will clearing the spooler delete my documents?

No. Clearing the spooler only removes the print jobs waiting in the queue — it does not touch the original files on your computer. Your Word documents, PDFs, and photos remain safe. You can print them again after the spooler is cleared.

Why does my printer spooler get stuck so often?

Frequent spooler problems usually mean your printer driver is outdated, your printer is losing connection to your computer, or the printer itself has a hardware issue like a paper jam. Update your driver first, then check that your printer is properly connected and powered on. If it keeps happening, the printer may need service.

What's the difference between clearing the spooler and restarting the printer?

Clearing the spooler removes stuck jobs from your computer's memory. Restarting the printer clears jobs stored on the printer itself and resets its connection. For a completely stuck printer, do both: clear the spooler on your computer, then power off the printer for 30 seconds and power it back on.