Can't delete documents in printer queue

Question

Have a Dell A940 ink-jet all-in-one printer. The following is an ongoing problem: I turn the printer on.I print a single Word document. It prints the document.[sometimes I then turn the printer off; sometimes I leave it on--it doesn't matter--the result is the same]. Later I want to print another Word document, but nothing happens., although the printer icon is open on the taskbar. I then open up the Printer Window--it shows the first document I had previously printed, with the status listed either as 'printing', or 'deleting' or 'pending', when, in fact nothing is happening, and that document was printed a long time ago. When I click on 'document' in that window, and choose 'cancel' that job, nothing happens. It remains there, and I cannot print another document. The only way I can cancel the document remaining in the print queue is by REBOOTING my computer! I have tried  uninstalling and then re-installing the Printer program several times, even downloaded another driver, but the problem remains. The printer is only 2 years old. Can anyone help? kimjor

Searchy · Answer

Hi, Chances are there is something running in the back round of your system to many icons running in the bottom right hand corner of your computer.

Try going to Run Type msconfig click ok

Select selective startup

then uncheck use startup items

Click apply reboot system when message appears on reboot choose not to show again and try printer.

If you have a firewall for highspeed internet this may shut it off in which case you isp should beable to walk you through on how to turn it back on. in the msconfig utility.

Hope this helps

kimjor · Answer

Thank you for your help.

Does this mean that I have to delete ALL the items in the start-up [ via misconfig] everytime I want to use the printer? I need those items to operate my computer, and it means then going back to msconfig, retstarting all those items, rebooting my computer, etc. A real nuisance!

Right now, as long as I reboot my computer, I am able to clear that one remianing item in the print queue automatically, and can then print one document successfully, before having to reboot again.

I will try turning off the firewall [free edition of 'The Zone'] before each print job--but all my print problems occur when I am printing MSWord documents--not only when I try to print something from the Internet.

A real mystery!

Searchy · Answer

What you could do is write down the items listed in msconfig anbd then search for them via google on the web and it willl tell you if you need it or not this way u can only have the ones checked you need to run your system.

kimjor · Answer

Thanks for your suggestions.

However the problem is not in my 'start-up menu'--nothing is in there that is not essential.

The printer opens as it should, and I can always print 2 documents--the problem is that I am unable to delete the documents in the printer 'queue'--there should never be a single document in the queue--when I print a document, I print it right away--there is never a second one to still be printed. But the print queue always shows a document there--either it is 'deleting' [which it is not], or it is 'printing' [which it certainly is not!], etc.

The only thing that removes the document still showing in the printer queue is rebooting the computer!

I am about to give up and buy another printer--it certainly will not be another DELL!

Kimjor

Searchy · Answer

I highly doubt that the printer is the problem what ever other printer you buy you might just land up returning it as it's probaly a issue with your operating system and the printer spooler.

Printers

Can't delete documents in printer queue

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