Category: Tech Help, Windows Vista — Matt @ 5:00 am —

One of the biggest headaches with printers, especially USB printers, is getting a print job to stop once it has already started. Sometimes you can click cancel on the print job, but other times the job will go until completion. Even turning off the printer does not always solve the problem. I finally came across a solution that fixes all printing problems for me.

Step 1. If you need to immediately stop the printer from wasting paper/ink, turn off your printer. This may involve unplugging the power cord from the surge protector if the regular power buttons fail.

Step 2. Go to Start button > Run > net stop spooler

Step 3. Click OK

Step 4. Start > Run > C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Printers


Step 5.
Hit OK, and delete all files within the “Printers” folder you just opened. This will delete any print jobs you had remaining.

Step 6.
Start > Run > net start spooler


Step 7.
Hit OK, and turn your printer back on.

All of your printing problems should now be solved. Please post comments if this did or did not work for you.

There are 3 comment(s) so far ;)

#1

On Windows XP, you have to go to C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\SPOOL\PRINTERS to delete the print jobs.

Cassie Schmitz wrote on November 29, 2008 - 9:28 pm
#2

I’ve tried doing what you said, but when deleting the files within the printers folder I get a pop up that says I can’t because the file is open in another program (which it isn’t)

Do you have any suggestions?

Mike Ellis wrote on December 9, 2008 - 7:19 am
#3

Found some freeware that purged the files from the printer folder. Problem now solved

Mike Ellis wrote on December 9, 2008 - 7:35 am
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