Stop a print job on Windows

On Windows, the fastest way to cancel a print job is through the Devices and Printers menu. Open Settings, go to Devices, then Printers & Scanners. Find your printer in the list, click it, and select "Open queue." You will see all jobs waiting to print. Right-click the job you want to stop and choose "Cancel."

If that menu does not appear or the job is stuck, try the command line instead. Press Windows Key + R, type cmd, and press Enter. Type net stop spooler and press Enter. Wait a few seconds, then type net start spooler and press Enter. This restarts the print system and clears stuck jobs. Your printer will be ready to use again after about 30 seconds.

For network printers at work or in a shared office, you may not have permission to cancel jobs from your computer. Ask your IT department or the person who manages the printer — they can clear the queue from the printer's control panel or admin settings.

Stop a print job on Mac

On Mac, open System Preferences and go to Printers & Scanners. Select your printer from the list on the left. Click "Open Print Queue" to see all waiting jobs. Find the one you want to cancel and click the X button next to it.

If the print queue window does not open or a job will not cancel, restart the print system. Open Terminal (search for it in Spotlight), paste this line, and press Enter: cancel -a. This cancels all jobs for all printers. If you want to cancel only jobs for one printer, use cancel -P PrinterName, replacing PrinterName with your actual printer's name.

Stop a print job on a shared or network printer

Shared printers in offices, schools, and libraries work differently because the printer itself holds the queue, not your computer. Walk to the printer and look for a menu button or touchscreen on the device. Navigate to "Jobs," "Queue," or "Pending" — the exact name varies by brand. Find your job (it usually shows your username and the document name) and select "Delete" or "Cancel."

If the printer has no screen or menu, check the printer's web interface. Open a web browser on any computer connected to the same network, type the printer's IP address into the address bar (ask your IT team or check the printer's settings page for this number), and log in. Look for a "Jobs" or "Queue" section and delete your job from there.

Some workplaces use print management software that tracks all jobs across multiple printers. If you use that system, log into the software on your computer or phone and cancel from there. Your IT department can tell you the web address or app name.

Key Takeaways

  • On Windows, open Devices and Printers, find your printer, open the queue, and right-click the job to cancel it.
  • On Mac, go to Printers & Scanners, open the print queue, and click the X next to the job you want to stop.
  • If a job is stuck and will not cancel, restart the print system using the command line on Windows or Terminal on Mac.
  • For shared or network printers, cancel the job directly from the printer's menu or through its web interface.
  • If you do not have permission to cancel a job on a shared printer, contact your IT department or the printer administrator.

Why a print job stays in the queue

A print job that will not cancel usually means the printer is offline, the connection between your computer and printer is broken, or the print system has frozen. Restarting the printer itself often works: turn it off, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on. This clears the printer's memory and tells your computer the job did not go through.

If restarting the printer does not work, restart your computer. This clears the print queue on your end and gives the printer a fresh connection. After your computer restarts, the stuck job should be gone.

Network printers sometimes hold onto jobs because of a communication error between your device and the printer. If you see the same job in the queue after restarting both your computer and the printer, the job file itself may be corrupted. In that case, the printer administrator will need to clear it from the device's settings or restart the printer's system.

How to avoid print jams in the queue

Before you print, check that the printer is on and connected. If you are printing to a network printer, make sure you are on the same network — a printer on the office WiFi will not receive jobs from your phone on your home network.

Print a test page first if you are using a new printer or a printer you have not used in a while. This tells you whether the connection works before you send a large or important job. If the test page does not print, troubleshoot the connection before printing anything else.

If you are printing a very large file (a document over 100 pages, a high-resolution image, or a video), send it in smaller pieces instead. Large files sometimes time out or cause the printer to freeze. Splitting the job also makes it easier to cancel part of it if you change your mind.

What happens after you cancel

Once you cancel a job, it should stop printing within a few seconds. If the printer has already started printing the first page, it will finish that page but will not print the rest. Paper that has already come out of the printer stays out — you will need to remove it by hand.

After you cancel, the printer returns to "Ready" status and is available for the next job. You can send a new print job right away. There is no waiting period or reset needed.

If you cancelled by mistake and want to print the same document again, you will need to send it from your computer or phone a second time. Cancelling removes the job from the queue permanently — it does not pause it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cancel someone else's print job?

On a personal printer, no — only the person who sent the job can cancel it. On a shared office printer, you can cancel your own jobs, but cancelling someone else's job requires administrator permission. Contact your IT department or the printer owner if you need a coworker's job removed.

What if the printer is printing and I want to stop it mid-page?

Press the Cancel or Stop button on the printer itself — most printers have a physical button on the front or control panel. The printer will stop when ready and eject the current page. You can then cancel the remaining jobs in the queue from your computer.

Does cancelling a print job waste paper?

Only the paper that has already come out of the printer is wasted. Cancelling before the printer starts saves all remaining pages. If the printer has already begun, you will lose one page, but cancelling stops the rest of the job.

Why does my print job say "Error" instead of cancelling?

An error status usually means the printer lost connection or ran out of paper or ink. Fix the problem (reconnect, add paper, or add ink), then try to cancel again. If the job still will not cancel, restart the printer and your computer.

Can I cancel a print job from my phone?

Only if your printer has a mobile app or web interface. Some modern printers let you manage jobs through their app. For older printers or shared office printers, you will need to cancel from a computer or from the printer's control panel.