Use the following steps to clear out the print queue.
NOTE: This document is specific to USB products only. Before you proceed with the following troubleshooting steps, ensure that your hardware is fully functional by printing a self-test page. Refer to the product documentation to get information on printing a self-test page. If the self test does not print correctly, and if there are other symptoms, refer to the documentation specific to those symptoms.
Step one: Restart the computer
Click Start .
Click Shut Down .
Click Restart or select Restart from the drop-down menu, if available.
Click OK .
Check the print queue once the machine is restarted.
If this step does not resolve the issue, continue to the next step.
Step two: Check the printer cable
Disconnect the USB cable from the printer.
Disconnect the USB cable from the computer.
Leave the cable unplugged for 5-6 seconds.
Reconnect the cable to the printer and computer. Ensure that the printer is connected directly to the computer through a USB cable or a powered USB hub.
After reconnecting, the printer should start printing the jobs in queue. Go to step five, if you want to stop those jobs from printing.
NOTE: If the printer is connected through a non-powered USB hub, or if the type of hub is unknown, connect the printer directly to the computer.
If this step does not resolve the issue, continue to the next step.
Step three: Check for the right driver and port
If there is more than one printer configured on the same computer, the printer in use may not be the default printer, or the wrong driver may have been configured. Use these steps to verify the driver configuration:
Click Start .
Click Control Panel .
Click Printers and Other Hardware , and then choose the printer from a list of installed printers on the left menu.
Ensure that the correct printer is set to default, denoted by a checkmark in a black circle on the icon. If the wrong printer is set to default, right-click the icon for the correct printer, and then click Set as Default .
NOTE: The correct printer must be selected from within the application that is issuing the print job. In the application, click File , and then click Print . If the correct printer is not shown as the default, use the drop-down menu to select the correct printer.
If the printer is already set to default, right-click the icon, and then click Properties .
To verify that the printer is using the correct port and driver, click the Ports tab. The printer should be set to use a DOT4 or the USB00X (where X is replaced by a number) port. The driver in use is listed next to Model on the same page.
Click OK to close the Printer properties window, and then close the Printers window.
If this step does not resolve the issue, continue to the next step.
Step four: Check whether the printer is paused or offline
Open the Printers folder.
Right-click the icon of the printer in use, and then click Open .
Click Printer on the menu, and then ensure that there are no checkmarks next to Pause Printing or Use Printer Offline . If a checkmark is present on either, click the menu option to remove it. If the menu shows Use Printer Online , click that option.
If neither Pause Printing nor Use Printer Offline are checked, press Esc to leave the menu without making changes.
If this step does not resolve the issue, continue to the next step.
Step five: Manually clear out the print queue
Follow the steps given below to clear the print queue.
Open the Printers folder.
Click Start .
Click Control Panel .
Click Printers and Other Hardware or Printers and Faxes .
NOTE: If you have the Printers and Faxes option in this screen, skip to step 5 below; if not, continue to the next step.
Click Printers and Faxes .
Select View Installed Printers .
Double-click the printer icon to open the print queue.
Click the Printer menu at the top-left corner of the window.
Select Purge Print Documents or Cancel All Documents , and then click Yes to confirm.
If still there are documents in the queue, restart the computer, and try printing again after restart.
Check the print queue again to ensure that it is clear. If it is not clear, or if the queue is clear but jobs are still getting stuck after attempting to print, continue troubleshooting.
If this step does not resolve the issue, continue to the next step.
Step six: Restart the Print Spooler service
Open Administrative Tools .
Click Start .
Click Control Panel .
Click Performance and Maintenance .
Click Administrative Tools
Double-click Services .
Click Print Spooler .
Click Stop to stop the service. Click Start to restart the service.
Click OK .
Restart the computer.
If this step does not resolve the issue, continue to the next step.
Step seven: Check the software application
If print jobs from one specific application are backing up, then that application may be failing or interfacing with the print driver incorrectly.
Use the following steps to verify whether a specific application is the problem:
Close the application, and then reopen it.
Send a print job from the application.
NOTE: Most HP all-in-one products do not support printing from a DOS application. Determine if the software application is Windows-based or DOS-based by checking the system requirements of the application.
If the queue backs up again, try printing from the Notepad to see if it is an application issue or the driver issue.
Clear the queue using the previously mentioned steps.
Click Start , and then click Programs or All Programs .
Click Accessories , and then click Notepad .
Type a few characters in the Notepad.
Click File , and then click Print .
If printing is successful from Notepad but not from the application, contact the manufacturer of that application