Clear All Jobs Print Queue: Full Guide

To clear all jobs in a print queue, open the print queue window, select all documents, and choose “Cancel” from the Document menu—this removes every pending job at once. If that fails, restarting the Print Spooler service (Windows) or resetting the printing system (Mac) will force-clear stuck or corrupted jobs. Below is a complete guide covering every method, what to do when jobs won’t delete, and how to prevent the problem from recurring.

Why Do Print Queues Get Stuck?

A print queue is a list of documents waiting to be sent to a printer. Each job is held by the operating system’s print spooler, which manages the flow of data to the printer. Queues normally empty quickly, but jobs can get stuck when:

• The printer is offline, out of paper, or jammed.
• A driver or software update interrupted the job.
• The file being printed is corrupted or too large.
• The spooler service itself crashes or hangs.
• A previous cancel command didn’t fully process.

When a job is stuck, it often blocks every job behind it, making the entire queue appear frozen. Clearing the queue is the standard fix.

Clearing the Queue in Windows

Windows provides several ways to clear the print queue, from the simplest to the most thorough.

1. Via the queue window: Open Settings → Devices → Printers & Scanners, select your printer, and click “Open print queue.” In the window, select all jobs (Ctrl+A) and click “Cancel” from the Document menu. This usually works for minor glitches.
2. Via the spooler service: If jobs won’t cancel, the spooler may need a restart. Press Win+R, type services.msc, find “Print Spooler,” right-click it, and select “Restart.” This clears the queue but also removes any jobs that were waiting—so make sure you don’t need them.
3. Via Command Prompt (advanced): For stubborn jobs, stop the spooler, delete the spool files, and restart it. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run:

   net stop spooler
   del /Q %systemroot%\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*
   net start spooler

   This manually wipes the spool folder where pending jobs are stored. It’s safe as long as you don’t need those jobs.

After any method, check that the printer is online and has paper before printing again.

Clearing the Queue on a Mac

MacOS uses a different printing system, but the steps are equally straightforward.

1. Via the queue window: Open System Settings → Printers & Scanners, select your printer, and click “Print Queue.” In the window, select all jobs (Cmd+A) and click the “X” or “Cancel” button. Confirm if prompted.
2. Via the printing system reset: If jobs are stuck, you can reset the entire printing system. In System Settings → Printers & Scanners, right-click (or Ctrl-click) in the list and choose “Reset printing system.” This removes all printers and their queues, so you’ll need to re-add your printers afterward. It’s a last resort but very effective.

Unlike Windows, Mac’s spooler doesn’t have a separate service you can restart; the reset is the equivalent.

What to Do When Jobs Won’t Cancel

Sometimes jobs remain even after clicking Cancel. This usually means the spooler is stuck or the printer is holding the job. Try these in order:

• Turn the printer off and unplug it for 30 seconds, then turn it back on. This clears the printer’s internal memory.
• Restart the spooler service (Windows) or reset the printing system (Mac) as described above.
• Check for a “Print as image” option in the driver settings—this can bypass corrupted data.
• Update or reinstall the printer driver. A mismatched driver can cause endless stuck jobs.
• If the job is from a specific app (like Word or a PDF viewer), close the app and try again.

If none of these work, the issue may be with the printer’s firmware or network connection. Restart your router and the printer’s network settings.

How to Prevent Future Queue Problems

You can reduce the chance of stuck queues with a few habits:

• Always check the printer’s status (paper, ink, jam) before sending large jobs.
• Print smaller batches instead of one huge document.
• Keep drivers updated from the manufacturer’s site.
• Use “Print directly to printer” instead of spooling if you have a fast, reliable connection—but note this can slow down your computer.
• Set the spooler to “Start printing after last page is spooled” to avoid partial prints.

On shared network printers, coordinate with other users to avoid sending conflicting jobs.

Common Misconceptions

One widespread myth is that clearing the queue deletes the original files. It does not—it only removes the print commands. Your documents remain safe on your computer.

Another misconception is that you need to uninstall the printer to clear the queue. That’s rarely true; the methods above are faster and less disruptive.

Some people think that restarting the computer always clears the queue. While it can help, the spooler often restarts with the same stuck jobs still in the folder, so a spooler restart or manual file deletion is more reliable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my print queue show “Error – Printing” but nothing prints?

This usually means the printer is not responding—check that it’s on, connected, and has paper. If it is, the driver may be outdated or the spooler may be stuck. Try restarting the spooler or reinstalling the driver.

Can I clear the print queue from the printer itself?

Many printers have a “Cancel” or “Stop” button that clears the current job, but it may not clear the entire queue on your computer. For a full clear, you still need to cancel jobs in the OS queue window.

Will clearing the queue affect other users on a network printer?

Yes, if you clear the queue on a shared printer, you’ll remove jobs from all users, not just your own. Communicate with others before doing a full clear, or only cancel your own jobs if possible.

Is it safe to delete files in the spool folder?

Yes, the files in the spool folder are temporary copies of print jobs. Deleting them is safe as long as you don’t need to print those documents again. The original files are elsewhere.

Why do jobs keep coming back after I clear the queue?

This can happen if an application is resubmitting the job automatically, or if the printer driver has a “retry” feature. Close the application that sent the job, and check the driver’s settings for retry options.

Does clearing the queue speed up my computer?

Not significantly, unless the queue is extremely large and consuming memory. But clearing a stuck queue can free up the spooler, which may improve overall system responsiveness.

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in t | Time to clear | min | 5 | 0
in d | Jobs in queue | count | 10 | 0
out rate | Clear rate | jobs/min | d / t | 2