How to Fix Adobe Acrobat Stops Printing on Windows
Question details
Users experience an issue where Adobe Acrobat randomly stops sending print jobs to the queue after the computer has been running for a few days, while other applications continue to print normally.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Attempting to print PDF documents after the computer has been running for a prolonged period.
- Observed behavior
- Acrobat stops printing, print jobs do not enter the queue, and the duplex printing option goes missing. Restarting the PC temporarily resolves the issue.
Before making system changes, verify that your printer is turned on, connected properly, and can successfully print a test page from another non-PDF application.
Clear the Print Spooler Cache and Restart the Service
This is the most effective way to clear stuck print jobs and restore Acrobat's printing capabilities without fully rebooting your PC.
When Acrobat stops printing but other applications work, the Windows Print Spooler might be retaining a corrupted temporary file from an older Acrobat document. Clearing this cache manually resets the print queue and resolves the lockup.
Press Win + R on your keyboard, type 'services.msc', and press Enter. Scroll down the list to find 'Print Spooler', right-click it, and select 'Stop'.
Open File Explorer and navigate to 'C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS'. Delete all the files inside this folder to clear the queue, but do not delete the folder itself.
Return to the Services window, right-click 'Print Spooler', and select 'Start'. Try printing your PDF document again in Acrobat.
Uninstall Conflicting Windows Updates
If the issue started after a recent Windows update, rolling back the specific update can eliminate the software incompatibility.
Update Acrobat and Printer Drivers
Outdated printer drivers or PDF software builds can trigger spooler crashes when processing complex documents.
Print PDFs Smoothly with WPS Office
Avoid print spooler crashes and complicated Adobe errors by using WPS Office. Its built-in PDF reader provides a lightweight, fast, and reliable way to view and print your PDF documents without hanging.
- 1. Install WPS Office: Download and install WPS Office Free on your Windows computer.
- 2. Open Your PDF: Right-click your problematic PDF file, select 'Open with', and choose WPS Office.
- 3. Access Print Settings: Click the 'Print' icon located on the top toolbar or press Ctrl + P on your keyboard.
- 4. Print the Document: Configure your duplex printing, page range, and copies, then click 'Print' to process the job seamlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does restarting my computer temporarily fix the Acrobat printing issue?
Restarting your computer clears out the overloaded Windows print spooler cache and resets the background printing services, which temporarily removes the stuck print jobs causing Acrobat to hang.
Will uninstalling Windows updates compromise my computer's security?
While updates provide essential security patches, some rollups may contain driver incompatibilities. If you uninstall a conflicting update to restore printing, you should monitor Microsoft's official channels for a patched version of that update.
How do I permanently prevent PDF print jobs from getting stuck in the queue?
To prevent permanent lockups, keep your printer drivers up to date, ensure you have sufficient disk space on your C: drive for spooling, and consider using a lightweight, updated PDF reader like WPS Office.
