How to Restart the Print Spooler in Windows 11

If you try to print a document on Windows 11 and nothing happens, or if your print queue gets permanently stuck with an “Error – Printing” message, restarting your computer is not always necessary. The issue is usually caused by the Print Spooler, a background service that manages all print jobs and sends them to your physical printer. When this service crashes or gets confused by a corrupted file, all printing stops. Restarting the Print Spooler service forces Windows to refresh the queue and usually resolves the problem immediately.

Method 1: Restart the Print Spooler Using the Services App

The standard, graphical way to manage background processes in Windows 11 is through the built-in Services application.

1. Click the Start button on your taskbar.
2. Type the word Services into the search bar.
3. Click on the Services app icon that appears in the search results (it looks like two overlapping gears).
4. A large window will open containing a very long alphabetical list of all system services.
5. Scroll down until you find the service named Print Spooler.
6. Click once on Print Spooler to highlight it.
7. Look at the top left corner of the window. You will see a blue link that says Restart the service. Click it.
8. Alternatively, you can right-click on the “Print Spooler” name and select Restart from the context menu.
9. A small progress bar will briefly appear as Windows stops the service and starts it again. Once it disappears, try printing your document again.

Method 2: Restart the Print Spooler Using Command Prompt

If you prefer using the command line, or if the Services app is unresponsive, you can restart the spooler using two simple commands. This method is often faster once you know the commands.

1. Click the Start button.
2. Type cmd into the search bar.
3. In the search results, look for “Command Prompt.” Do not just click it normally. You must click Run as administrator on the right side of the menu.
4. A User Account Control prompt will appear asking for permission. Click Yes.
5. The black Command Prompt window will open.
6. First, you must stop the service. Type the following command and press Enter:
   net stop spooler
7. Wait a moment for the terminal to display the message “The Print Spooler service was stopped successfully.”
8. Now, you must start the service again. Type the following command and press Enter:
   net start spooler
9. Wait for the message “The Print Spooler service was started successfully.”
10. You can now close the Command Prompt window. The print queue has been refreshed.