Reoccuring problems with the printer spooler service on Windows 11

Question

I have a recurring problem with the printer spooler service on Windows 11. From time to time, files get to the queue, but don't print on my Canon MFC750. I cannot see them in the printer job register either. At the same time I can print from other devices (Windows and Android) to the same printer in the same network

When I try to delete them from the queue, they don't get deleted. When I restart the Printer Spooler, the document finally disappears from the print queue. So, I still have two problems:

1. I cannot print from this device on this printer for some periods of time
2. I cannot remove files from the queue

Answer 1

Hello Atanas Kiryakov,

Since other devices print fine to the same printer, this is likely a local spooler or driver issue on your Windows 11 PC specifically. You already know restarting the spooler clears things temporarily, so let's focus on preventing the recurrence.

First, try bypassing the spooler entirely:

• Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > select your Canon MF750
• Click Printer properties > Advanced tab
• Select "Print directly to the printer" instead of "Spool print documents so program finishes printing faster"

This skips the spooler queue altogether and may stop the issue from recurring. The trade-off is your application will be busy until the print job is sent, but for most home use this is barely noticeable.

If that doesn't help, do a full driver reinstall:

• Remove the printer from Settings > Printers & scanners
• Open Device Manager > Print queues, uninstall the Canon driver (check "Attempt to remove the driver")
• Clear leftover spool files: open services.msc, stop Print Spooler, delete everything inside C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS, start the service again
• Restart your PC
• Download and install the latest driver from Canon's support page and re-add the printer

You can also try the built-in Printer troubleshooter via Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters > Printer, which may catch something we've missed.

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Answer 2

The behavior described matches a stuck or unstable Print Spooler and possibly problematic printer drivers on that specific Windows 11 device. Use these steps on the affected PC:

1. Clear the print queue from Settings
   1. Select Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
   2. Select the Canon printer, then Open print queue.
   3. Right‑click each job and select Cancel until all jobs are removed.
   If jobs will not cancel or disappear, continue with the next steps.
2. Restart the Print Spooler service
   1. Press Windows key + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
   2. Scroll down and locate Print Spooler.
   3. Right‑click Print Spooler and select Restart.
   This should clear invisible or stuck jobs and often restores printing temporarily.
3. Manually clear the spool folder (when jobs refuse to delete) Use this if canceling jobs in the queue does not work.
   1. Stop the Print Spooler:
      • Press Windows key + R, type services.msc, press Enter.
      • Right‑click Print Spooler and select Stop.
   2. Open File Explorer and go to: C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS.
   3. Delete all files in this folder (these are the stuck print jobs).
   4. Start the Print Spooler again:
      • In services.msc, right‑click Print Spooler and select Start.
   After this, the queue should be empty and removable jobs issue resolved for that session.
4. Check for conflicting or outdated printer drivers Because other devices print fine, the issue is likely with the Windows 11 PC’s drivers.
   1. Select Start and open Device Manager.
   2. Expand Print queues or Printers.
   3. Uninstall unnecessary, old, or duplicate printer entries for the Canon device.
   4. Install the latest driver for the Canon MFC750 from the manufacturer’s site, or use Update driver from Device Manager if appropriate.
5. If problems persist, reinstall the printer on this PC
   1. In Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, remove the Canon printer.
   2. Restart the PC.
   3. Add the printer again from Printers & scanners.

These steps address both symptoms:

• Stuck or invisible jobs that cannot be removed are resolved by clearing the spool folder and restarting the Print Spooler.
• Recurring inability to print from this PC is commonly caused by spooler crashes or driver conflicts, mitigated by driver cleanup and reinstall.

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References:

• Fix print job stuck in queue errors in Windows
• Fix print spooler service not running errors in Windows
• Fix printer not found and printer not recognized errors in Windows
• Fix printing problems in Word, Excel, or other apps
• Uncommanded Printer Operation - Microsoft Q&A
• Printing error on windows 11 laptop - Microsoft Q&A