How to Restart the Print Spooler for Your Printer in Windows

When a document gets stuck in the print queue or Windows cannot communicate properly with your printer, the Print Spooler service may be responsible. This Windows service manages print jobs and helps send them from your computer to the connected printer. Restarting it can often clear temporary errors and get printing working again.

If you are wondering how do you restart a spooler for printer, Windows 11 and Windows 10 both provide straightforward ways to restart the service. You can use the Windows Services utility for a quick restart, while other methods can help when the service continues to stop or refuses to restart.

Before making advanced changes, it is worth checking whether the problem is simply a stuck print job, a temporary Windows error or an issue with the printer connection.

If your printer shows that a document is spooling but does not actually start printing, our guide on printer spooling but not printing in Windows 10 covers additional troubleshooting steps. 

What Is the Print Spooler Service?

The Print Spooler is a Windows service that manages documents waiting to be printed. When you select Print from an application, Windows sends the job to the Print Spooler rather than directly to the printer.

The service then organises the queue and passes the documents to the appropriate printer. This allows you to continue working on your computer while Windows handles the printing process in the background.

The Print Spooler also helps Windows manage multiple print jobs. If several documents are sent to the same printer, they can remain in a queue until the printer is ready to process them.

When the service encounters a problem, documents may remain stuck in the queue, the printer may appear unavailable, or new print jobs may fail to start.

Why Does the Print Spooler Stop Working?

There are several reasons why the Print Spooler may stop responding or fail to process print jobs.

• Stuck print jobs: A damaged or incomplete document can prevent other jobs from moving through the queue.

• Printer driver problems: An outdated, incompatible or corrupted driver can interfere with communication between Windows and the printer.

• Temporary Windows errors: A background service may occasionally stop responding and require a restart.

• Corrupted spool files: Temporary files associated with queued documents can sometimes prevent the service from working correctly.

• Multiple pending jobs: A large queue can occasionally cause delays or conflicts.

• Printer connection issues: Problems with a USB, Wi-Fi or network connection can make a working spooler appear to be the source of the problem.

• Recent system changes: Windows updates or changes to printer software can sometimes affect printing behaviour.

Identifying the likely cause can help you choose the right troubleshooting method instead of repeatedly restarting the service without addressing the underlying issue.

Signs of a Print Spooler Problem

A Print Spooler issue can appear in several ways. You may notice that:

• A document remains at Printing for an unusually long time.

• Several print jobs become stuck in the queue.

• New documents cannot be sent to the printer.

• Windows shows a printer or spooler-related error.

• The printer appears unavailable even though it is switched on.

• The print queue disappears or fails to update correctly.

• Restarting the printer alone does not resolve the problem.

If you recognise these symptoms, restarting the Print Spooler is a good first troubleshooting step. The next section explains how to restart the service in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

How to Restart Print Spooler

The easiest way to restart the Print Spooler is through the Windows Services utility. This method works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 and does not require you to reinstall the printer.

Restart the Print Spooler from Services

Follow these steps:

1. Press Windows + R on your keyboard.

2. Type services.msc and press Enter.

3. Find Print Spooler in the list of services.

4. Right-click Print Spooler.

5. Select Restart.

6. Wait a few seconds for the service to restart.

7. Try sending the document to your printer again.

If the Restart option is unavailable, right-click the service and select Stop first. Wait briefly, then right-click Print Spooler again and select Start.

You can also double-click the service and check that its Startup type is set appropriately. For most users, leaving it on its default Windows setting is preferable.

Restart Printer Spooler Windows 10

If you are using Windows 10, the Services method provides a quick way to restart the printer spooler.

Open the Start menu and search for Services. Select the Services app and locate Print Spooler. Right-click the service and choose Restart.

After restarting it, open your printer queue and check whether the stuck document has moved or disappeared. If the queue remains frozen, cancel the pending job and try printing again.

You can also access the Services utility by pressing Windows + R, entering services.msc, and pressing Enter.

If restarting the service does not resolve the problem, avoid repeatedly sending the same document to the printer. Multiple copies of a stuck job can make the queue more difficult to manage.

Restart Printer Spooler Windows 11

Windows 11 uses the same Print Spooler service, so the process is very similar.

1. Press Windows + R.

2. Enter services.msc.

3. Press Enter.

4. Scroll down to Print Spooler.

5. Right-click it.

6. Select Restart.

7. Wait for the service to restart.

8. Send a small test document to the printer.

If the printer still does not respond, check whether the problem is caused by a stuck queue, printer connection or driver rather than the spooler itself.

Restart Print Spooler Using Command Prompt

You can also restart the service using Command Prompt. This can be useful if the Services window is not responding correctly.

Open Command Prompt as an administrator and enter:

net stop spooler

Wait for Windows to confirm that the Print Spooler service has stopped. Then enter:

net start spooler

Windows should confirm that the service has started again. Close Command Prompt and try printing a test document.

If the service stops successfully but fails to start again, there may be a deeper issue involving the printer driver, spool files or Windows configuration. In that case, the troubleshooting methods in the next section can help.

If restarting the Print Spooler does not resolve the issue and your printer still fails to respond to print commands, see our guide on printer not responding to print commands for further troubleshooting. 

Fix Common Print Spooler Problems

Restarting the Print Spooler can resolve temporary printing errors, but it may not be enough when the queue, drivers or Windows configuration has a deeper problem. If your printer still refuses to print, work through the following checks before making more advanced changes.

Windows Print Spooler Not Working

If the Print Spooler keeps stopping or does not respond after a restart, first check whether the service is actually running.

Open Services by pressing Windows + R, entering services.msc, and pressing Enter. Find Print Spooler and check its status. If it is stopped, right-click it and select Start.

If it starts but stops again shortly afterwards, check the printer and its driver. An incompatible or damaged driver can cause the spooler service to become unstable.

You should also restart your computer and printer. A temporary communication problem may prevent Windows from sending jobs correctly even when the spooler itself is running.

If the problem occurs only when printing Word files, our guide on printer won't print Word documents in Windows 10 covers additional solutions. 

Clear Stuck Print Jobs Windows

A stuck document can prevent other files from printing. Start by opening your printer's queue and cancelling any documents that are no longer required.

If the jobs refuse to disappear, you can clear the spooler files manually.

1. Open Services and stop Print Spooler.

2. Press Windows + R and enter:
   C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS

3. Open the folder when prompted.

4. Remove the pending files inside it.

5. Return to Services.

6. Right-click Print Spooler and select Start.

7. Send a small test document to the printer.

Only remove the temporary files inside the PRINTERS folder while the spooler is stopped. Do not delete other Windows system files.

Clearing the queue this way can help when a corrupted or incomplete print job prevents the service from processing new documents.

Fix Print Spooler Service Error

A Print Spooler error can sometimes be caused by a printer driver rather than the service itself. If restarting and clearing the queue do not help, check whether your printer has an outdated or incompatible driver.

Open your Windows printer settings and confirm that the correct printer is installed. If necessary, download the latest compatible driver from the printer manufacturer's official website.

You can also remove an old printer driver and reinstall the correct one if Windows continues to experience communication problems.

Check Printer Drivers

Printer drivers allow Windows to communicate with your printer. If the driver is corrupted or incompatible, restarting the spooler may only provide a temporary solution.

Consider updating or reinstalling the driver when:

• The spooler repeatedly stops.

• Printing stopped after a driver change.

• Windows cannot recognise the printer correctly.

• Print jobs disappear without printing.

• The printer works from one application but not another.

After installing a new driver, restart Windows and send a test page. If the problem continues, check the printer connection and Windows updates as well.

If Windows cannot communicate with the printer even though the Print Spooler is running, removing and adding the printer again can refresh its connection.

Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners in Windows 11. In Windows 10, open Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.

Select the affected printer, choose the option to remove it, and then restart your computer. After restarting, return to the printer settings and select Add device or Add a printer or scanner.

Follow the instructions to add the printer again and then send a test document.

Update or Reinstall Printer Drivers

An outdated or incompatible driver can interfere with the Print Spooler and prevent Windows from processing print jobs correctly.

Download the appropriate driver for your printer and Windows version from the manufacturer's official website. If the existing driver is causing problems, uninstalling it before installing a fresh version may provide a cleaner setup.

After installation, restart Windows and check whether the printer appears correctly in your printer settings.

Restart Your Computer and Printer

A simple restart can clear temporary communication problems between Windows, the Print Spooler and your printer.

Turn off the printer and restart your computer. If you use a network printer, restarting the router may also help when the connection is unstable.

Once everything is running again, check the print queue and send a small test document instead of immediately sending a large batch of files.

Need Help With Printer Problems?

If the Print Spooler continues to stop, print jobs remain stuck, or Windows cannot communicate with your printer, the problem may require further troubleshooting. Technofy can help with Windows printer issues, driver installation, print queue problems and common printer connection errors.

Conclusion

Restarting the Print Spooler is often one of the quickest ways to resolve temporary printing problems in Windows 10 and Windows 11. You can restart it through the Services utility or Command Prompt, while clearing stuck jobs can help when documents remain frozen in the queue.

If the problem continues, check your printer connection, drivers and Windows settings before removing and reinstalling the printer. These additional checks can help identify whether the issue is with the Print Spooler itself or another part of the printing setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you restart a spooler for printer?

Press Windows + R, enter services.msc, find Print Spooler, right-click it and select Restart.

How do I restart Print Spooler in Windows 10?

Open Services, find Print Spooler, right-click it and select Restart. You can also stop and start the service manually.

How do I restart Print Spooler in Windows 11?

Open services.msc, locate Print Spooler, and select Restart. The basic process is similar to Windows 10.

Why is my Windows Print Spooler not working?

Stuck print jobs, damaged drivers, corrupted spool files or temporary Windows errors can cause the service to stop working.

How do I clear stuck print jobs in Windows?

Cancel the documents from the printer queue first. If they remain stuck, stop the Print Spooler, clear the temporary files in the spool folder, then start the service again.

What should I do if Print Spooler keeps stopping?

Check the printer driver, clear stuck spool files and make sure Windows and your printer software are up to date. If the problem continues, the printer configuration may need further troubleshooting