An error that states—Printer Status is Paused; Cannot Resume— is a typical problem with printers. Here are a few measures to take to try to fix the problem.
Before we begin, owners of Hewlett Packard printers frequently notice this issue, which is most likely because they are the most widely sold Printer. Since this problem is not exclusive to only HP, the solutions are the same whether you use a Canon, Brother, Epson, Lexmark, Samsung, or Kyocera printer. In addition, the majority of these instructions should work in other Windows versions.
What causes a Printer to Pause?
There are several reasons why your Printer might be paused. Print spooler, paper jam, and printer software are some of the causes of this massive problem.
Fix: Printer Status is Paused; Cannot Resume
On Windows computers, you can use the following solutions to resolve the Printer Status is Paused, Cannot Resume error message:
- Reinstall Printer
- Start or Restart Print Pooler Service
- Use Printer Troubleshooter
- Reinstall Printer Drivers.
Let’s take a closer look at them.
1] Reinstall Printer
To resolve the error— Printer Status is Paused; Cannot Resume— you can reinstall the printer driver. To get the latest driver for your printer, you must check the printer manufacturer’s support site. Usually, Driver updates are available in the Drivers section of a printer manufacturer’s website.
Some support sites let you search your printer model number straight. Find out the latest version of your printer driver per your model number and download, then follow the installation instructions on the official website.
Usually, most drivers are self-installing, so double-click the file to start installing after downloading the latest version. The follow the given steps to remove and reinstall the printer.
- Select Windows Key, then select Settings> Bluetooth & device > Printers & Scanners
- Find the printer, select it, then choose Remove.
- After removing your printer, add it back by selecting Add device. Please wait for some time; it will detect your printer, then select Add device.
2] Start or Restart Print Spooler Service
You can also try starting or restarting the Print Spooler service to fix this issue. To fix this, you must take the following steps:
- Open Run Prompt using Win + R
- Type services.msc in the Run prompt and press the Enter key.
- Locate the Print Spooler services from the Services list.
- Right-click on it and select Start if it’s not running.
- Restart and check if the printing starts.
Hopefully, it will fix the problem after this.
3] Use Printer Troubleshooter
Try running Printer Troubleshooter if nothing else works. The tool is a Windows feature that can usually resolve most issues independently. The Printer Troubleshooter can be accessed using the instructions listed below.
- To open Settings, press Win + I.
- Go to System > Troubleshoot > Other Troubleshooter
- Click on the Run button next to the printer troubleshooter
Choose to apply and wait for the procedure to finish before checking to see if the problem exists.
4] Clear printer queue
To resolve the Printer Status is Paused, cannot Resume, you can try to clear the printer queue and start printing again. When it comes to clearing printer queue, you can perform it in three different methods:
- Command Prompt
- Task manager
- GUI Method
Now follow the exact steps to perform a clear printer queue. In case the Print Spooler service is not working, follow the linked guide.
1] Clear Printing queue using Command Prompt
- Open Run prompt using Win + R
- Type WT and use shift + enter to launch Windows Terminal with admin privileges
- Type
net stop spoolerand press the Enter key. You will see the prompt The Print Spool service is stopping followed by The Print Spooler service was stopped successfully. - Type
del %systemroot%\System32\spool\printers* /Qand press Enter. - Type in
net start spoolerand press Enter. You’ll get prompted with The Print Spooler service was started successfully message. - Now you can close the Command Prompt. Now your printer queue is cleared completely.
2] Clear Printer queue using Task manager
- To open Task Manager, press the CTRL+ALT+Delete keys simultaneously.
- Now click on the Services, which is usually between Processes and Performance tabs.
- Now scroll through all the services and find the Spooler service.
- Right-click it and select Stop Service.
- Open Windows File Explorer.
- In the address bar, type
C: Windows\system32\spool\PRINTERSand press Enter. - Here, you may find a pop-up box prompting you to continue as administrator. Select Continue.
- Select the whole thing within the folder by pressing CTRL + A followed by Delete.
- Once all entries get removed, go back to the Task Manager > Services and right-click Spooler. This time, select Start Service.
- Now, you can exit out of Task Manager. Your queue should now be clear.
3] Clear Printer queue using GUI Method
You can also clear the printer queue using GUI Method following the steps given below.
- Hold down the Windows Key and press R to open the Run dialog.
- Type services.msc, then press Enter.
- Find the Print Spooler service in the list. Right-click it, then select Stop.
- Leave the Services window open. Hold down the Windows Key and press R to open the Run dialog.
- Type
%systemroot%\System32\spool\printers\then press Enter. - Select all of the files by holding CTRL and pressing A.
- Press the Delete key to delete all of the files.
- Go back to the Services window, right-click Print Spooler, then select Start.
You can also update the driver by downloading the most recent version from the OEM website. Also, try disconnecting and reconnecting your Printer to see if that solves the issue.
Hopefully, with the help of these solutions, you will be able to solve the fix Printer Status is Paused, Cannot Resume error.
How do I Unpause my Printer status?
To prevent your Printer from pausing, make it a default printer. You can manually set it to default or install the HP Print and Scan Doctor. You can get more information here if you need it.
- Select Printers and Scanners from the Control Panel.
- Uncheck the box that says Let Windows Manage My Default Printer.
- Then select Manage from the menu next to your Printer’s name.
- Then select the Set as Default option from the menu.
What does it mean when the printer is paused?
It means the printer cannot pause further because of outdated drivers, stuck print jobs, and any interference from third-party apps.
How to Stop printing and clear the queue?
You can quickly stop printing and clear the queue from the printer by deleting the jobs from the printer queue. To do that, open the Print Queue from the System Tray and pause the printing. Then delete all the jobs listed there.
Can I pause and resume printing?
Yes, you can pause and resume printing, but you will have to do it from printer queue options. You can pause the printing, and once you are ready, you can unpause again. It is helpful to add the job to the queue, but I don’t want to print them.
