HP--Document stuck in printer queue with Vista

[David A. Goldfarb]

Anyone else have this problem--document stuck in the print queue, can't cancel it, doesn't matter if you reboot, unplug and restart the printer, can't manually delete the files from c:\windows\system32\spooler\printers, can't do anything other than throw the whole damn thing out the window, forget about those scans and shots you took with the digicam, and go mix up an Ilfochrome kit, if you ever want to print color again?

I did with my HP B9180, and it's immensely frustrating, and it took me about two days to sort out, so I thought I'd post the solution. It's not strictly a printer problem so much as a Vista problem, and it could happen with earlier versions of Windows, but with the earlier versions, there at least seemed to be a manual way of clearing the print spooler; whereas, Vista is so over protected and over permissioned, that there doesn't seem to be a way of fixing this without downloading the HP Print Diagnostics utility, which can resolve these seemingly intractable problems. Here are the instructions--

Dead Link Removed

If you haven't had this problem yet, and you have an HP printer, and you'd rather not descend into a downward spiral of alcoholism, drug use, and violent crime, I'd recommend downloading it now, so you have it handy when it arises.

 

[jd callow]

I get two similar problems (also with an HP, but it is a laser). When the spooler won't let me remove the file from the queue I am forced to delete the printer and then add it back.

When the printer keeps telling me that the paper is jammed even though I've cleared all the paths I tend to keep opening and shutting the access doors and turning off and on the printer, reloading the paper and unpluging and pluging in the printer. I can't tell you which is the winner as I'm usually a frothing mess by the time I get the stupid light to stop flashing.

Hope that helps to solve the issue if not at least know that I can commiserate. The printer is my wife's and the other annoying thing that happens is that everytime she starts up her computer windows thinks that it is a new plug and pray device -- even though the thing is already installed.

 

[jd callow]

I'm on XP so it may be that deleting and adding the printer may not help. I have to this point avoided Vista.