Experiencing stalled documents in your printer queue? This can be a frequent and exasperating problem, especially when in a rush. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you address this:
- Restart Devices
- Simply reboot both your printer and computer. Often, this alone can fix about 90% of the issues.
- Check Printer Status
- Ensure the printer is powered on and connected to your computer or network.
- Look for offline status or any error messages/warnings on the printer’s control panel.
- Inspect the Print Queue
- Access the print queue on your computer to identify any error messages or jammed documents.
- If you find any, consider canceling or deleting them before attempting to print again.
- Verify Printer Settings
- Confirm that your printer is set as the default device and that the appropriate driver is in place.
- Update Software and Drivers
- Search for any available updates for your printer or OS, and install if necessary.
- Consider tools like Driver Booster to identify outdated drivers with ease.
- Clear the Print Spooler
- Open the Services app, locate the Print Spooler service, stop it, and then delete all files in C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS. Afterwards, restart the Print Spooler service.
- This method can also help resolve the 0x00000bc4 error.
- File Format Conversion (Hidden Tip)
- Some PDF files can have trouble printing due to special characters. Convert such files to .doc and try again. The reverse might also work if a .doc file isn’t printing.
With these steps, you can navigate and hopefully resolve most printer queue hitches.