printer stuck deviceis busy try again later

[cheesehead1]

I cannot switch from color to black and white printing.   I keep getting the message device  busy try again later    then it prints out reems of paper although I already cancelled all the documents in the queue

I pressed reset on the printer  and it says all jobs settings are clear but it  keeps printing the same document that  I have already cancelled on the printer and removed from the queue  Also the troubleshoot function said my printer has a problem but it could not identify the problem

HELP!!!! please

[Alden4]

Hi @cheesehead1,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

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

It sounds like the printer's queue is stuck, possibly due to a spooling issue. Here are some steps that should help clear the printer's memory and queue, allowing you to switch to black and white printing without issues.

Power Cycle the Printer: Turn off the printer and unplug it from the power source. Wait for at least a minute, then plug it back in and turn it on. This can help reset the printer's memory.

Clear Print Queue from PC:

• On your computer, open the “Devices and Printers” settings.
• Right-click on your HP printer and select See what’s printing.
• If there are any documents stuck in the queue, click on Printer in the top menu and select Cancel All Documents. Confirm if prompted.

Restart the Print Spooler Service:

• Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
• Type services.msc and press Enter.
• In the list of services, find Print Spooler, right-click, and choose Stop.
• Once stopped, navigate to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS and delete any files in this folder. This will clear the print spooler.
• Go back to the Services window, right-click on Print Spooler again, and select Start.

Update Printer Driver:

• Go to the HP support website and download the latest driver for your specific printer model.
• Install the driver to ensure compatibility with your operating system.

Try Printing in Black and White:

• Open the document you wish to print, go to Print Properties, and ensure Black & White or Grayscale is selected.
• Then, print a test page to check if the device is still busy or if it functions normally.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Alden4

HP Support