Unable to print, left-over document still in queue.

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Alfa38User

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Oct 4, 2007
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Hi all

Vista, with HP Deskjet 4280 and HP drivers installed.

This problem occurred the other day when I decided to print a large PDF document but before it actually got started I cancelled using the Microsoft  print queue. I had not yet seen the HP preview screen either. (IMHO HP software takes forever to set up and start printing large documents...)

I must have done something stupid shortly afterwards because the deletion of the document in the queue started  but never seemed to finish and I find it still showing there several days later along with the "deleting" action stated despite the fact that the computer and the printer have been turned off several times.

Now, with any attempt to print, a document  gets queued but nothing else happens. The newly queued docs can be canceled without a problem but.....

I must be getting old or something, I am unable to find out how to remove this 'stuck' document in the queue. I think getting rid of it will likely permit printing again.

Any help out there from the computer Windows gurus???  TIA

 
Try restarting the Print Spooler service.  In Windows 7, click Start, then type Services, press Enter.  This will open the Services console.  Scroll down to the Print Spooler service.  Right click on it and select Restart.  Check the queue and see if the zombie document is gone.
 
Always learning from Ned...
In Windows 7, if you can't find it, select "Services (Local)" then scroll to "Print Spooler" in the center column.
All kinds of interesting and probably dangerous things under Conole Root: thanks Ned.
Bob
 
I thought I had replied a few minutes ago but must have dumped it before saving... not my day...

Molaker, I followed the details given in the Article you showed. It said basically, "Stop the Print Spooler service, check for the document in the queue using windows explorer, delete it, restart the spooler." This is basically what Ned said just after I started looking!!! I did not find the document in the queue but the troublesome document had disappeared from the queue window after restarting the spooler. I am now able to print again!!!!!

I don't quite understand what happened  here as the spooler service has been stopped and started several times in the last while as the machine has been powered down several times since but.... I guess there is another  hidden task list somewhere to prevent pending tasks being lost on normal shutdown. (I would have thought that the queue would have served that purpose but......)

Thank you Ned and Molaker and the others who responded as well..
 
Bob, "Services (Local)" gets the same console as "Services" for a non-domain computer.
 
Continuing education of Bob ??? .
Ned.
Please satisfy my curiosity... I do not know what a non-domain computer is. I enter "services" from command field and it launches "Component Services" window, a part of which is "services (local)".
Is this different on a "Domain" computer?
Search of the web provides little satisfaction  :( .
Thanks
Bob
 
If you have to ask what a domain is you don't need one :D  Domains are used in larger enterprises when users can be at different computers at times and lets them have their desktops appear regardless of which computer they're using.  There's more to it than that but that's the basics.  Local services are those that are running on your (local) computer.  Skip the "Component Services" and just select the "Services" entry from the menu, saves a step or two.  But don't change any services unless you understand what they do.
 
Understand and thanks...I left the "Enterprise" setting behind when I retired. It was nice to be able to work by logging in where ever you needed to be but carrying my little world around with me is much nicer.
Warning taken seriously - I would once wander around the registry and tackle "sysedit" bravely but they are not as forgiving as they once were.
 
Sometimes re-starting the computer will print the document.

If all else fails I have a batch file and instructions somewhere (Got it off  Community.compuserve.com)_ that empties the print que rather nicelly.. All I have to do is find it, do not know if it's resident on this comptuer but It will be on one of the backups here. It's a dos batch file.
 
This is the file Stop Print.CMD which lives in my Belfry (All my BATs are in the belfry)

net stop spooler
ping 127.0.0.1 -n 3
del %systemroot%\system32\spool\printers\*.* /F /Q /S
ping 127.0.0.1 -n 3
net start spooler

As I recall.. You may have to work on the "DEL" line a bit but this is the path for XP.  To make sure,, check to find if the path exists.  The /F /Q /S makes sure all spooled files go by by and that it operates quietly.... Not sure what the /F does without checking. (No prompt for individual files I suspect)

The pings.. is simply to slow things down a bit and give the spooler time to stop and the files time to delete.  All they do is slow the execution of the next command.
 
The OP mentioned they have Vista. I have a computer that has Vista OS and after an update a couple of months ago I have had the same printing issue. A restart would fix the glitch but I have found that unplugging the printer USB then plugging it back in fixes it. I don't print often other than tax time so it hasn't been much of an issue for me.
 
Or just go into "services" under administrative tools in the control panel and stop and restart the print spool service.
 
When ours did that, I unplugged everything from the electrical outlet and that fixed it.
 
wthibeaux said:
When ours did that, I unplugged everything from the electrical outlet and that fixed it.

That's the radical way to restart a service :D
 
Ned, is this not a good way to do this? If not, what should I do? It works, but I am concerned now that I may be doing harm.
 
wthibeaux said:
Ned, is this not a good way to do this? If not, what should I do? It works, but I am concerned now that I may be doing harm.

Yes, it works, but so would powering down for a minute, then powering up. You did do a shutdown before unplugging, right?  Just removing power from a running system can cause data corruption or worse.

Since restarting a service is just a few mouse clicks, I prefer that method, and you don't have to stop any other work in process.
 
When it happens with my printer I unplug USB connector, wait a minute, plug back in again. Works for me.
 

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