How to Resume a Paused Printer in Windows 10 and 11

Before you resume the queue​

You’ll need the name of the printer as it appears under Printers & scanners. Turn the printer on and make sure it has paper and is connected by USB or to the appropriate network.

Check the waiting documents before resuming. A paused printer can continue accepting jobs, and those jobs may begin printing when the pause is removed. On a shared printer, that can include other people’s documents. If the printer was deliberately paused—for example, because it needs service—check with its owner before changing the queue.

The instructions cover Windows 10 and Windows 11. Microsoft ended regular Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025; Windows 10 PCs can still print, but Microsoft no longer provides free security fixes and technical assistance for Windows 10 under regular support.

Open the queue and resume printing​

Windows 11​

1. Open Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Select the affected printer, then select Open print queue.
3. Confirm that you are looking at the right printer. If the queue has a Printers drop-down menu, check the selected name there.
4. Look for a printer-level resume control:
   • If you see a classic Printer menu, open it. If Pause Printing has a check mark, select it once to clear the check mark.
   • If you see the newer queue window, inspect its available controls. The … menu may offer Resume all for queued jobs. That can resume paused documents, but it should not be assumed to clear a separate printer-level pause.
5. Wait briefly and watch the queue. If the printer is still reported as paused and you cannot find a printer-level control, use Open the classic queue directly below.

Windows 10​

1. Open Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Select the affected printer, then select Open queue.
3. In the queue window, select Printer.
4. If Pause Printing is checked, select it once to remove the check mark. If it is already unchecked, leave it alone: selecting it would pause the printer.
5. Watch the queue for pending jobs to start processing.

A printer-level pause and a paused document are different. If the printer itself is no longer paused but one of your documents still says Paused, right-click that document and select Resume, if offered. Your permission to manage your own job does not necessarily give you permission to resume the entire printer.

No Windows restart is normally needed just to clear a pause.

Verify that printing works​

First, check the existing queue. A job may move through the queue quickly, so its disappearance alone is not proof that paper was printed. Look for the physical output too.

If there are no pending jobs, print a Windows test page:

1. Return to Printers & scanners and select the same printer.
2. Open its properties:
   • Windows 11: Select Printer properties.
   • Windows 10: Select Manage > Printer properties.
3. On the General tab, select Print Test Page.
4. Check both the queue and the printer for the test page.

If the test page prints, Windows can send a job to that printer. If it remains in the queue, note its status and continue with the troubleshooting steps below. If it leaves the queue but nothing comes out, also check the printer’s display for a paper jam, an open cover, or another device error.

Open the classic queue directly​

Use this method if Windows 11 opens a queue without a usable Printer > Pause Printing menu. It can also be useful on Windows 10 if you need to open the queue by its exact name.

1. In Printers & scanners, note the printer’s name exactly as Windows displays it.
2. Press Windows key + R.
3. Enter the following command, replacing YOUR PRINTER NAME with that name. Keep the quotation marks, especially if the name contains spaces:
   rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /o /n "YOUR PRINTER NAME"
4. Press Enter. The command asks Windows to display that printer’s queue.
5. If the resulting window has a Printer menu, select it and clear Pause Printing if it is checked. Then return to the verification steps above.

The command opens a queue; it does not grant additional printer permissions. If it fails to open the expected queue, recheck the name. If the printer is managed by an organization, ask its administrator rather than trying to guess a different network path.

Check printer access when Resume is unavailable​

A missing or disabled control does not by itself prove that permissions are the problem: the queue interface may simply look different. But Access denied, a disabled printer-management command, or a prompt for credentials are reasons to check access.

Microsoft distinguishes these permissions:

• Print generally lets a user submit and manage their own documents.
• Manage Documents allows management of documents belonging to other users.
• Manage Printers allows administration of the printer, including pausing and restarting it.

To inspect the permissions without changing them:

1. Return to Printers & scanners and select the affected printer.
2. Open Printer properties. On Windows 10, select Manage first.
3. If a Security tab is available, open it. Select your account or a relevant group in the list and inspect the displayed permissions, including Manage Printers.
4. Close the properties window without making changes.

The displayed entry is a clue, not necessarily a complete calculation of your access: permissions can also come from group membership or inherited settings. If your account is not listed, the Security tab is unavailable, or you cannot tell what applies, ask the printer administrator to check.

Do not change printer permissions just to get past the pause. Granting management access can affect other users and the printer’s configuration. For a work, school, or shared printer, send IT the printer name, the exact error, and whether the pause affects the whole printer or only your document. Ask them to verify Manage Printers access and resume the queue if appropriate.

On a personally owned PC, an authorized administrator can investigate or enter credentials when Windows requests them. Administrator rights on your own PC do not automatically mean you can manage a queue hosted on another computer or print server.

Troubleshoot a queue that still will not print​

The printer is offline or shows an error​

Paused and Offline are separate states. In a classic queue, if Printer > Use Printer Offline is checked, clear it and try again. If it was not checked, leave it unchanged.

Then check the physical connection. For USB, make sure the cable is connected. For Wi-Fi, check the printer’s network status using its display or the manufacturer’s instructions, and confirm the PC can reach the appropriate network. Clear any paper, ink, cover, or jam message shown on the printer before retrying.

If you deliberately changed Use Printer Offline and need to restore that setting, return to the same menu and select it again.

One document is stuck​

A single failed document can hold up later jobs. In the queue, identify the document and its owner before changing anything.

Canceling removes the selected job from the queue. You will need to submit it again if you still want it printed. Do not cancel someone else’s job without permission.

1. Right-click your stuck document and select Cancel.
2. Wait for it to disappear from the queue.
3. Print the document again once, then watch its status.

Avoid Cancel all unless you intend to remove every waiting job and have permission to do so. If the stuck job belongs to someone else or cannot be canceled, ask the printer administrator.

The queue will not respond, or the spooler is not running​

The Print Spooler is the Windows service that handles print jobs. Restarting it can help with a temporary queue problem, but it affects printing on that PC, not just one printer. On a shared computer or print server, ask the administrator first.

1. Press Windows key + R, enter services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Find Print Spooler in the services list.
3. If it is running, right-click it and select Restart. If it is stopped, right-click it and select Start, if available.
4. Reopen the printer queue and check the pause and job statuses again.
5. Print a test page.

If Windows denies access, do not attempt to bypass the restriction; ask an administrator. If you stopped the service during troubleshooting, return to Services and start Print Spooler again so the PC can process print jobs. If it will not start or repeatedly stops, record the error for support.

Do not delete files from the spool folder as an initial fix. Clearing that folder can remove pending jobs for multiple printers and is better handled by the administrator when ordinary queue cancellation and a service restart have not worked.

The pause returns or the printer is managed elsewhere​

If the printer returns to Paused, or several people have the same problem, stop repeatedly resubmitting jobs. A shared queue may be hosted on another computer or print server, or the device may need attention.

Give the administrator the printer name, whether it is USB, networked, or shared, the Windows version, the status shown in the queue, and any exact error message. Mention whether a Windows test page printed and whether your own jobs or all users’ jobs are affected.