Delete Stuck Print Jobs Windows XP

To delete stuck print jobs from the printer queue manually in WinXP, W2K, WinNT (?):
 

  1. Open a command prompt. Start-Run-cmd.exe.
  2. type NET STOP SPOOLER. press enter.
  3. then "cd c:\windows\system32\spool\printers" - Note: UAC in Vista and newer will block access, you may need to switch to Explorer and confirm access in User Access Control to browse into printers subfolder and to delete the files (below)
  4. then delete all the spooled job files: *.spl, *.shd, *.tmp
  5. then start the spooler service again, NET START SPOOLER.

To troubleshoot stuff other than stuck print jobs:

An Excellent overview of printing in a terminal server environment:
http://www.brianmadden.com/content/content.asp?ID=62
 

"Fortunately, the Printers and Faxes applet in Windows 2003 (and 2000) can also be used to remove drivers from your Terminal Server. (Start | Printers and Faxes | File Menu | Server Properties | “Drivers” tab | “Remove” button)" -- from brianmadden.com


This KB article lists the various registry keys involved in printing:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q102966/

I have found that in HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers there were a dozens of printers listed. Deleting the suspicious ones from remote RDP clients has helped fix a CPU hogging spooler service (spoolsv.exe). Export the registry keys first, just in case. My case happens to be occuring on a system running BBL over terminal server.

Systernals.com' tool "regDelNull" might be needed to remove some of the entries that would not delete manually -- shame on you Mr. Zebra Printer Driver.

e.g. RegDelNull HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers -s

I ended up blogging about this here:
Spoolsv.exe using lots of CPU on a Terminal Server
 

 

I have not tested this tool yet, but I will someday: "Stalled Printer Repair"

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,84019-order,3/description.html
http://www.fantasticfreeware.com/applications/stalled-printer-repair/

 

tags: printer, spooler, print, winbpl, bbl, winpos, terminal server, spool, printing, problem, terminal, null, delete, registry, rdp
 

Related Scribbles:
  • Registry Tools
    		•
  • Windows XP Notes
    		•
  • Printer Stuff
    		•

    ID: 723
    Author:
    leonard
    Date Updated:
    2012-10-29 17:47:13
    Date Created:
    2005-12-14 12:03:31

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