Now you have the knowledge to clear stubborn print queues with confidence—all from a single line in Command Prompt. Last updated: February 2025 – Works on Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2016/2019/2022.

:: Stop the spooler service net stop spooler :: Delete all pending print jobs del /Q /F /S "%systemroot%\System32\spool\PRINTERS*.*"

Always restart the spooler after stopping it. A stopped spooler means no printing at all.

If you’ve ever dealt with a stuck print job, a frozen printer queue, or a printer that refuses to respond, you’ve likely searched for a solution involving the Command Prompt. Among the most powerful—and simple—fixes is the net stop spooler command.

:: Restart the spooler net start spooler

net start spooler Here’s a complete script that technicians use to fix print queue problems: