Unable to clear fax queue, keeps printing the same fax after restarting the printer

[atl944]

Hi Support, I have an issue with my HP printer. Seems a fax job keeps printing after I reboot the printer; not sure why? I have reset the printer twice and cancelled the fax job and it still prints again if I reboot the printer. I have updated Windows 10 Home and the printer drivers; not sure what else to do. Any help would be appreciated.

thanks

David

[Jerry_57]

Hi @atl944,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

Thank you for posting your query. I will be glad to help you.

When you're experiencing repeated printing of the same fax after rebooting the printer, it is often due to a lingering job in the fax queue that hasn't been deleted properly. Follow the steps below to resolve the issue:
 

Cancel the Fax Job:
 

• Ensure that you've attempted to cancel the fax job from the printer's control panel or through your computer's fax management application.

Restart the Fax Spooler:
 

• Open the "Run" dialog by pressing Windows Key + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
• Find "Print Spooler" and "Fax" services in the list.
• Right-click on each service and select "Restart."

Clear the Fax Queue:
 

• Go to the "Devices and Printers" section in your Control Panel.
• Right-click on your HP printer and select "See what’s printing."
• Cancel all documents listed to ensure nothing is left in the queue.

Manually Delete Fax Files:
 

• Navigate to the spool folder located at C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS.
• Delete all files in this directory, but be careful not to delete any other files outside the PRINTERS folder.

Reset Fax Settings:
 

• Access the fax settings on your printer and ensure that everything is configured correctly.
• If you're not using a dedicated telephone line for the fax, check if any recent changes in line settings might have caused this issue.

Ensure Correct Settings for Faxing:
 

• Verify that the fax settings on the printer and the computer's fax application match and that there are no conflicting configurations.

Update Firmware:
 

• Check if any firmware updates are available for your printer on the Official HP® Support and install them. Firmware updates can resolve known issues in previous versions.
  
  
  I hope this helps.

Take care and have an amazing day!
 

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Jerry_57

HP Support

[atl944]

Hey Jerry, I have tried all the suggestions provided and still not able to clear that fax. It must be in memory and I would think the factory reset should have cleared it; but not the case. I am attaching a pic of the printer screen. It shows the fax job and I cancelled it more than once; still it sits there cancelling and never gets cancelled.

thanksprinter screen

david

[noralily07]

This happens because the fax job is stuck in the printer memory. Turn off the printer and unplug it for five minutes. Then plug it back in and turn it on. Open Devices and Printers in Windows 10 Home. Remove the printer and add it again. Also clear the fax queue in printer settings. This should stop the job from printing.

[Jerry_57]

HI @noralily07,

Thank you for your response.

Got it — you’re dealing with a fax job that’s stuck in the printer’s internal memory and keeps re‑printing even after resets.
 

Refined response:

The fax is stuck in the printer’s memory, which is why it keeps re‑printing.
 

Please turn off the printer, unplug it for about five minutes, then plug it back in and restart.

On your computer, remove the printer from Devices and Printers and add it again.

Finally, clear the fax queue in printer settings — this should stop the repeated job.


I hope this helps.

Take care and have an amazing day!
 

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!
 

Jerry_57

HP Support

[atl944]

Hi again, so I followed the steps exactly and as soon as the printer was back up it started printing the fax again. Not sure what else to do at this point?????

thanks

David

[Jerry_57]

HI @atl944,

Thank you for your response.

If your HP printer is repeatedly printing the same fax after clearing the queue and restarting, follow these troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue:
 

Cancel All Fax Jobs:
 

• Access the fax queue on your printer's control panel or through the printer software on your computer.
• Cancel all the jobs listed in the fax queue.

Restart the Printer:
 

• Turn off the printer using the power button.
• Unplug the power cord from the printer and the wall outlet.
• Wait for at least 15 seconds before plugging the power cord back in.
• Turn on the printer.

Restart the Computer:
 

• Restart your computer to ensure that no fax jobs are being resent from the computer.

Clear Saved Faxes:
 

• If your printer has fax memory, access the printer settings and clear any saved faxes that might be reprinting.
• Refer to your printer's user guide for instructions on how to clear faxes from memory.

Update Printer Firmware:
 

• Ensure that your printer firmware is up to date. Go to the HP Support page, download, and install any available firmware updates for your printer model.

Check Fax Settings:
 

• Verify that the fax settings on your printer and any associated software are correctly configured.
• Check for features like auto-reprint and adjust them as needed.
  
  
  I hope this helps.

Take care and have an amazing day!
 

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Jerry_57

HP Support