My print job goes to queue but then disappears with nothing being printed

Question

I have an HP printer that shows as being in idle status. I can print to the printer from my iPhone successfully so I know that the printer works. It is the only printer that I have set up on my Windows 11 laptop and it has previously worked. Whenever I try to print anything from the laptop (including a test page) I can see the print job go to the queue but after a few seconds it disappears from the queue and nothing is printed. I have deleted and reinstalled the printer, updated drivers, updated the HP Smart app but I cannot find out to resolve this. Any ideas on next steps?

Answer 1

It sounds like you're experiencing a common issue with print jobs disappearing from the queue without printing. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot this problem:

1. Clear the Spool Folder: Sometimes, old or corrupted files in the Spool folder can cause issues. You can check this folder at %systemroot%\System32\Spool\Printers. Make sure to stop the Print Spooler service before moving any files from this folder.
2. Check Printer Properties: Ensure that the Enable advanced printing features option is unchecked in the Advanced tab of the printer properties. This can sometimes resolve issues with print jobs not processing correctly.
3. Restart the Print Spooler Service: You can restart the Print Spooler service to refresh the printing process. This can help clear any stuck jobs or errors.
4. Update Printer Driver: Make sure that you have the latest printer driver installed. If you already have the latest version, consider switching to a generic in-box driver to see if that resolves the issue.
5. Test Different Applications: Try printing from different applications (like Notepad) to see if the issue is specific to one application or if it occurs across all applications.
6. Check for Windows Updates: Ensure your Windows 11 is fully updated, as updates can sometimes resolve underlying issues with printing.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, you may want to consider checking for any known issues with your specific printer model or contacting HP support for further assistance.

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References:

• Troubleshooting scenarios for printing
• Troubleshoot known issues for printing

Answer 2

The printer works, but Windows 11 is dropping the print job due to a driver/spooler issue. Completely remove the HP printer and drivers, restart the Print Spooler, then reinstall using the full HP driver (not just HP Smart) and make sure it isn’t set to Offline or Paused.

Answer 3

Hi,

What is the model of your HP printer?

Do you use it via USB cable or network?

Thanks