My Printer shows paused. How can I get it to Print?

Larry Calvo 0 Reputation points
2026-10-06T22:44:18.38+00:00

My Printer shows as paused. How can I get it to print?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Devices and drivers
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  1. Dio Xavier 296.7K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2026-10-06T23:10:57.14+00:00

    Hello,

    Welcome to the Microsoft Windows Community.

    Good afternoon. Did the problem arise after a Windows 11 update? Could you please share a screenshot of your Windows Update history? Simply press Win+I -> Windows Update -> Update history. Right away:

    1. Press Win+I -> System -> Troubleshoot

    2. Select the printer, grant the necessary permissions, and follow the on-screen steps

    3. If that doesn't work, close all applications, press Win+R, paste the command services.msc, and press Enter

    4. Locate the "Print Spooler" service -> Click "Stop" and then "Start," and set the startup type to "Automatic"

    Restart your computer and let us know the result.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-06T22:44:32.4333333+00:00

    Try these steps in Windows 11:

    1. Open Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
    2. Select the affected printer.
    3. Select Open print queue.
    4. In the queue window, clear anything that is blocking printing:
      • If there are stuck jobs, select ... and choose Cancel all, or cancel individual jobs.
      • If a job was paused or has an error, right-click that print job and select Restart if that option appears.
    5. Make sure the printer is not paused or set offline:
      • In the print queue window, check that Pause Printing and Use Printer Offline are not selected.
    6. Restart the Print Spooler service:
      • Type services in Search and open Services.
      • Find Print Spooler.
      • Right-click it and select Restart.
    7. Restart the printer and the PC:
      • Turn off the printer, wait at least 60 seconds, turn it back on, then restart the PC.
    8. If it still stays paused, remove and reinstall the printer:
      • Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
      • Select the printer > Remove > Yes.
      • Then use Add device to install it again.
    9. If printing still fails, update the printer driver from the printer manufacturer’s website.

    If the issue happens specifically from Microsoft 365 apps, make sure Office is up to date in File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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