How to Restart the Print Spooler to Fix Stuck Printer Jobs

The Print Spooler is a critical Windows service that temporarily stores print jobs in the system memory until the printer is ready to process them. It acts as a mediator between your computer and the printing hardware, ensuring that you can continue working while a document is being sent to the printer. However, when a print job becomes corrupted or the communication link is severed, the Print Spooler often freezes, causing all subsequent documents to get stuck in a "pending" or "deleting" state.

Restarting the Print Spooler is the most effective way to resolve these issues. This guide provides comprehensive, step-by-step methods to restart the service on Windows 10, Windows 11, and macOS, while also addressing deeper issues like corrupted spooler caches.

The Quick Answer: Restarting via Windows Services

For most users, the fastest way to get your printer back online is through the Windows Services management console.

Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
Type services.msc and press Enter.
Scroll down to find the service named Print Spooler.
Right-click on Print Spooler and select Restart.

If the "Restart" option is grayed out, the service is likely already stopped. In this case, select Start. Within a few seconds, the status should change to "Running," and your printer should begin processing the queue.

Method 1: Using Windows Services for Full Control

While the quick restart works frequently, sometimes you need to adjust the service configuration to prevent future crashes.

Step 1: Accessing the Services Console

The Services console is the central hub for managing all background processes in Windows. Beyond the Run command, you can access it by right-clicking the Start button, selecting Computer Management, and then navigating to Services and Applications > Services.

Step 2: Locating the Print Spooler

The list is alphabetized. Look for "Print Spooler." Once found, take note of the Status and Startup Type columns.

Status: Should ideally be "Running."
Startup Type: Should be set to "Automatic."

Step 3: Modifying Startup Behavior

If your Print Spooler keeps stopping every time you reboot your PC, the startup type might be set to "Manual" or "Disabled."

Double-click Print Spooler to open the Properties window.
Under the General tab, find the Startup type dropdown menu.
Select Automatic.
Click Apply and then OK.

Step 4: Forcing a Restart

In the same Properties window, if the service is currently stuck, click Stop. Wait for the progress bar to complete. Once the service is stopped, click the Start button to re-initialize the printing engine.

Method 2: Using Command Prompt (Admin) for Advanced Users

If the Services window is unresponsive or you prefer using terminal commands, the Command Prompt (CMD) provides a powerful way to restart the spooler. This is often necessary if the UI hangs.

Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator

For these commands to work, you must have administrative privileges.

Click the Start menu and type cmd.
Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator.
Click Yes on the User Account Control (UAC) prompt.

Step 2: Execute the Stop Command

Type the following command and press Enter: net stop spooler

You should see a message stating: "The Print Spooler service is stopping" followed by "The Print Spooler service was stopped successfully." If you receive an "Access Denied" error, you did not run the CMD as an administrator.

Step 3: Execute the Start Command

Type the following command and press Enter: net start spooler

The system will now restart the printing engine. This method is highly effective because it forces the service to terminate all active connections and start a fresh process.

Method 3: Using PowerShell to Restart the Service

PowerShell is the modern replacement for Command Prompt and offers more robust service management cmdlets. This is the preferred method for Windows 11 users and IT administrators.

Right-click the Start button and select Windows Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin).
To restart the service in one go, type the following cmdlet: Restart-Service -Name Spooler -Force
If you want to verify that the service is running, type: Get-Service -Name Spooler

The -Force parameter is particularly useful here as it tells Windows to restart the service even if other dependent services (like Fax or specialized print monitors) are active.

The Critical Step: Clearing the Print Spooler Cache

In many cases, simply restarting the service does not work because the "corrupted" print job is still sitting in the temporary folder on your hard drive. When the service restarts, it tries to load that same corrupted file again, leading to an immediate crash. To fix this, you must manually clear the spooler cache.

Why Cache Clearing is Necessary

When you send a document to print, Windows creates two files in a hidden system folder:

.SHD file: Contains settings regarding the print job (which printer, how many copies).
.SPL file: Contains the actual data to be printed.

If the .SPL file is malformed, the Print Spooler service will fail.

How to Clear the Cache Safely

Stop the Print Spooler: Use the CMD method (net stop spooler) or the Services window to stop the service first. You cannot delete the cache files while the service is running because they will be "in use."
Navigate to the Spool Folder: Open File Explorer and paste the following path into the address bar: C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS Note: You may be asked for permission to access this folder. Click Continue.
Delete All Files: Inside the PRINTERS folder, you will likely see several files with .SHD and .SPL extensions. Select them all (Ctrl + A) and press Delete. Caution: Do not delete the folder itself, only the contents inside it.
Restart the Print Spooler: Go back to the Command Prompt or Services window and Start the Print Spooler service again.

Once the service restarts with an empty cache, the "stuck" documents will be gone from the queue, and you can try printing a fresh copy of your document.

Method 4: Automating the Repair with a Batch Script

If you frequently encounter printer jams or spooler errors, you can create a simple "One-Click Repair" tool using a Batch file. This saves you from typing commands every time.

Open Notepad.

Copy and paste the following code:

@echo off
echo Stopping Print Spooler...
net stop spooler
echo Clearing the print queue...
del /Q /F /S "%systemroot%\System32\Spool\Printers\*.*"
echo Starting Print Spooler...
net start spooler
echo Done! Your printer queue is now clear.
pause

Click File > Save As.
Name the file FixPrinter.bat (ensure the extension is .bat and not .txt).
To use it, right-click FixPrinter.bat and select Run as Administrator.

This script automatically stops the service, wipes the corrupted cache files, and restarts the service in less than five seconds.

Troubleshooting Print Issues on macOS

While the term "Spooler" is specific to Windows (which uses the Windows Print Architecture), macOS uses CUPS (Common Unix Printing System). macOS does not allow you to "restart a service" in the same way, but you can achieve the same result by resetting the printing system.

How to Reset the Printing System on Mac

Warning: Resetting the printing system removes all printers, scanners, and fax machines from your list. You will need to add them back manually.

Click the Apple Menu and select System Settings (or System Preferences).
Navigate to Printers & Scanners.
Right-click (or Control-click) anywhere in the blank space in the list of printers on the left.
Select Reset Printing System....
Confirm by clicking Reset.
Restart your Mac.
Go back to Printers & Scanners and click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax to re-add your device.

This process clears all background print queues and resets the communication protocols between macOS and your printer.

Why Does the Print Spooler Keep Stopping?

If you find yourself restarting the spooler multiple times a week, there is an underlying issue that needs to be addressed. Here are the most common culprits:

1. Outdated or Corrupted Printer Drivers

The Print Spooler relies on the printer driver to translate document data into a language the printer understands. If the driver is incompatible with your version of Windows, it will cause the spooler service to "exception" and crash.

Solution: Visit the manufacturer’s website (HP, Epson, Canon, Brother) and download the latest "Full Software Suite" for your specific model. Avoid using generic "Class Drivers" provided by Windows Update if possible.

2. Printer Driver Isolation

Modern versions of Windows allow you to run printer drivers in a separate process from the spooler itself. This prevents a single bad driver from crashing the entire printing system.

Open Print Management (search for it in the Start menu).
Go to Print Servers > [Your Computer Name] > Drivers.
Right-click your printer driver and select Set Driver Isolation > Isolated.

3. Large or Complex Documents

Printing massive PDF files with high-resolution images or complex vector graphics can sometimes overwhelm the spooler’s memory allocation.

Solution: Try "Print as Image" in your PDF reader settings, or break the document into smaller page ranges (e.g., print pages 1-10, then 11-20).

4. Third-Party Software Interference

Some antivirus or firewall software may flag the Print Spooler’s attempt to write to the System32 folder as suspicious activity.

Solution: Ensure that your security software is not blocking the spoolsv.exe process.

Advanced Configuration: Managing Spooler Settings

For users who want to avoid the "stuck in queue" problem altogether, you can bypass the spooler entirely, though this has trade-offs.

Printing Directly to the Printer

By default, Windows "spools" documents so you can finish working in your application faster. However, you can tell Windows to send the data directly to the hardware.

Open Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
Right-click your printer and select Printer Properties.
Go to the Advanced tab.
Select the radio button for Print directly to the printer.
Click Apply.

Note: While this prevents spooler jams, it may make your computer feel "sluggish" while printing because the application must wait for the printer to finish before it releases system resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I do if I get an "Access Denied" error when stopping the spooler?

This error occurs because the Print Spooler is a system-level service. You must run your Command Prompt or PowerShell window with administrative rights. Right-click the application and choose "Run as Administrator."

Why is my printer status "Offline" even after restarting the spooler?

An "Offline" status usually indicates a hardware or connection issue rather than a service issue. Check your USB cable or Wi-Fi connection. Sometimes, simply toggling the "Use Printer Offline" setting in the printer queue menu (Printer > Use Printer Offline) will resolve it.

Will restarting the spooler delete my documents?

Restarting the service alone will not delete your documents; they will remain in the queue and try to print again once the service starts. However, manually clearing the PRINTERS folder (as described in the cache clearing section) will delete all pending print jobs.

Can I restart the Print Spooler on a mobile device?

No. Android and iOS use different printing protocols (like AirPrint or Mopria) that do not use a user-accessible spooler service. If printing fails on a mobile device, usually a restart of the printer or the Wi-Fi router is required.

Summary of Print Spooler Recovery Steps

To effectively restart your printer spooler and clear any errors, follow this priority list:

Restart the Service: Use services.msc to quickly toggle the Print Spooler off and on.
Use the Terminal: If the UI fails, use net stop spooler and net start spooler in an elevated Command Prompt.
Clear the Cache: Stop the service, delete the files in C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS, and restart the service. This is the "gold standard" for fixing stuck jobs.
Check Drivers: If the problem recurs, update your printer drivers from the official manufacturer website.
Mac Users: Use the "Reset Printing System" option in System Settings to clear the CUPS queue.

By understanding how the Print Spooler operates and knowing how to clear its temporary storage, you can solve 99% of common printing frustrations without needing a professional technician.