printer que problems on HP LaserJet M139w

[Bandit78]

I can printer for a short time and then all of a sudden the printer quits printing and the ! starts flashing. When I run the diagnose and repair on HP software it keeps saying that the printer que error couldn't be fixed. I have already stopped spooling system and cleared memory as instructed from HP website and still the problem persists. Is there a fix or do I have a junk unit?

[zoey7886]

@Bandit78, Welcome to the HP Support Community!  

Thanks for sharing the details — I can imagine how frustrating it must be when your LaserJet M139w suddenly freezes mid-task and leaves you staring at that blinking ! light. Let’s try to break this down step by step and see if we can bring your printer back to behaving normally.

Since you’ve already tried clearing the spooler and memory, here are a few more things worth checking:

1. Check Printer Firmware & Driver

Make sure the printer’s firmware is up to date. Outdated firmware can cause queue errors.

Reinstall the full HP Smart / Full Feature software (not just the basic driver) for your model.

2. USB vs Wi-Fi Stability

If you’re using Wi-Fi, try switching to a USB connection temporarily. A weak connection sometimes triggers false queue errors.

If staying on Wi-Fi, ensure the printer and PC are on the same frequency band (both 2.4 GHz, since this model doesn’t support 5 GHz).

3. Print Spooler Settings

Sometimes the spooler tries to process too much at once:

Go to Devices and Printers > right-click your HP M139w > Printer Properties > Advanced tab.

Change "Spool print documents so program finishes printing faster" to "Print directly to the printer".

Apply, then restart the PC and printer.

4. Clear Stuck Jobs at the Root

Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS

Empty this folder (it may need admin rights).

5. Hardware Reset

Power down the printer, unplug the cable and power cord.

Wait 60 seconds, then reconnect and turn it back on. This often clears the internal memory cache that can lock things up. 

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!  

Regards, 

[Bandit78]

I have updated software along with clearing jobs at the root and reset hardware. When I went in to change the settings for the printer the option to print directly to the printer is grayed out. Waiting on more toner and paper to come in order to run anymore printing to test it more.

[Garp_senchau]

Hey @Bandit78,

Thank you for your response

 My colleague @zoey7886 is currently out, but don't worry – I’ll be taking over and making sure we get this sorted for you.

It sounds like you're already troubleshooting thoroughly! Since you’ve updated the software, cleared the print queue, and performed a hardware reset, and you're still running into issues, let’s dive into a few more steps to try to narrow things down further.

Check Printer Settings

Set Printer as Default: Go to Devices and Printers > Right-click your HP printer > Set as default printer.

Reinstall Printer: Remove the printer from your PC, then Add Printer again.

Run HP Smart:

• Download and run the HP Smart. Follow the prompts to diagnose and fix common printing issues.
• Refer: Use Diagnose & Fix in HP Smart to repair common printing issues (Windows, macOS) | HP® Support

Reinstall HP Software

Uninstall the printer software from your PC, reboot, then reinstall the latest software from the HP website.

Check for Paper Jams or Low Toner

Ensure there are no paper jams and check toner levels. A low toner can cause errors.

I hope this helps.

Please feel free to reply here if you have any questions or if you need further clarification on any of the steps. 

Take care and have a good 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!

Regards,