When Microsoft Photos refuses to print—whether the Print dialog closes, the app crashes, or the job simply vanishes into the bureaucratic mist—do not assume the image file is at fault. The failure may sit in Photos, the Windows print queue, the selected printer, or its driver. The fastest fix is to identify which layer has gone sideways, then repair only that layer.

This guide applies to Windows 11 and Windows 10. Note that Windows 10 reached end of free security updates and technical support on October 14, 2025; the steps below still apply, but moving to a supported Windows release remains the safer long-term plan.

A desktop shows a family photo being printed, with the printer’s progress changing from an alert to successful output. First: establish whether Photos is the problem​

Before resetting anything, run a quick split test:

  1. Open the affected image in Microsoft Photos.
  2. Press Ctrl+P, select the intended printer, and try printing.
  3. Then open a simple document in Notepad or another app and print a few words to the same printer.

The results matter:

  • Nothing prints from any application: This is a Windows printer, connection, queue, or driver problem—not a Photos-only issue.
  • Other apps print, but Photos does not: Focus on the Photos app repair and reset steps below.
  • Photos opens the dialog but selects the wrong device: Check the default printer configuration.
  • Jobs remain stuck in the queue: Clear the queue or restart the Print Spooler service.

That tiny comparison is more useful than randomly reinstalling half of Windows. It turns a mystery into a diagnosis.

Check the printer selected by Windows​

Windows can automatically change the default printer to the one used most recently. That is convenient until Photos sends a family photo to “Microsoft Print to PDF,” an old office printer, or a device currently taking a coffee break.

Windows 11​

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Select Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
  3. Under Printer preferences, turn off Let Windows manage my default printer.
  4. Select the printer you actually use.
  5. Choose Set as default.

Windows 10​

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Go to Devices > Printers & scanners.
  3. Clear Let Windows manage my default printer.
  4. Select the desired printer, choose Manage, then select Set as default.

Return to Photos, press Ctrl+P, and verify that the printer shown in the dialog matches the device you intended to use.

Success looks like: The correct printer appears by default and a new print job shows up in its queue.
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Clear a stuck Photos print job​

If Photos says it sent the picture but the printer stays silent, the job may be jammed in the Windows queue. One corrupt job can hold the door shut for everything behind it.

  1. Open Settings > Printers & scanners.
  2. Select your printer.
  3. Open its print queue.
  4. Cancel any stalled jobs.
  5. Restart the printer and try again.

If jobs refuse to disappear or every new job immediately stalls, clear and restart the Print Spooler.

Reset the Print Spooler​

Microsoft’s printer troubleshooting guidance recommends the following:

  1. Search Windows for Services and open it.
  2. Find Print Spooler.
  3. Double-click it, select Stop, then select OK.
  4. In the taskbar search box, enter:
    %WINDIR%\System32\spool\PRINTERS
  5. Open that folder and delete the files inside it. These are pending print jobs, not your original photos.
  6. Return to Services and open Print Spooler again.
  7. Select Start.
  8. Set Startup type to Automatic, then select OK.

Try printing a test document before returning to Photos. If the test document works but Photos still will not print, the spooler is no longer your prime suspect.

Repair Microsoft Photos without deleting its data​

If Photos crashes during printing, never shows a print preview, or fails only with that app, begin with Repair. Microsoft describes Repair as the least disruptive option: it attempts to fix the app without removing its data.

Windows 11​

  1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
  2. Find Microsoft Photos.
  3. Select the three-dot menu beside it.
  4. Choose Advanced options.
  5. Select Repair.
  6. When Windows finishes, restart Photos and try printing again.

Windows 10​

  1. Open Settings > Apps > Apps & features.
  2. Select Microsoft Photos.
  3. Choose Advanced options.
  4. Select Repair.

Repair is especially worthwhile when the issue began after an app update, a crash, or an interrupted Windows shutdown. It is the software equivalent of tightening the loose screws before replacing the appliance.

Reset Photos if Repair changes nothing​

If Repair does not resolve the printing issue, return to the same Advanced options page and select Reset.

Reset returns Photos to its default state and can remove its app-specific settings and local app data. It does not delete the image files stored in your Pictures folder, OneDrive, external drives, or elsewhere on your PC. Still, if you use Photos albums, custom settings, or locally stored project data, make sure you understand what Reset will remove before proceeding.

After resetting:

  1. Restart the PC.
  2. Open the same image in Photos.
  3. Press Ctrl+P.
  4. Confirm the printer, paper size, orientation, and photo size.
  5. Print one image first rather than sending a large batch.

If it works, you have confirmed that damaged Photos settings or cached app data were blocking the print process.

Reinstall Microsoft Photos as the last app-level step​

If Photos still refuses to print after a reset, reinstalling it is reasonable. First, make sure the printer can print from another Windows application; reinstalling Photos will not cure a disconnected Wi-Fi printer, a dead driver, or a stuck spooler.

  1. Open Settings > Apps.
  2. Locate Microsoft Photos.
  3. Choose Uninstall if that option is available.
  4. Restart Windows.
  5. Open Microsoft Store.
  6. Search for Microsoft Photos and install it.
  7. Open the app, allow it a moment to initialize, then test printing one image.

Microsoft’s app-removal guidance also recommends trying Repair before uninstalling an app. That order matters: Repair is lighter-touch, while a reinstall replaces the app package entirely.

If Photos prints to PDF but not to your physical printer​

This is a helpful clue. If Microsoft Print to PDF works, Photos is likely able to create print output; the remaining problem is usually the physical printer connection, queue, or driver.

Work through these checks:

  • Confirm the printer is powered on and shows as Online.
  • For wireless printers, confirm both the PC and printer are on the same network.
  • Disconnect and reconnect a USB printer cable if applicable.
  • Restart the printer after unplugging it for about 30 seconds.
  • Remove and add the printer again in Printers & scanners.
  • Check Windows Update and the printer manufacturer’s support materials for a current driver.

On Windows 11, Microsoft recommends starting with the automated printer troubleshooter in the Get Help app. It can identify common printer connection, queue, and configuration problems without requiring a manual spelunking expedition through Services.

A quick escalation map​

Use this order to avoid needless resets:

  1. Confirm another app can print.
  2. Set the correct default printer.
  3. Cancel stuck jobs and restart the printer.
  4. Clear the Print Spooler if jobs remain stuck.
  5. Repair Microsoft Photos.
  6. Reset Microsoft Photos.
  7. Reinstall Photos from Microsoft Store.
  8. Remove and reinstall the physical printer or update its driver if the issue affects other apps too.

The key distinction is simple: if other applications print normally, treat this as a Photos problem. If nothing prints, Photos is merely the messenger catching the blame for a printer problem elsewhere in Windows.

 

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