I'm a new computer repair technician and I'm dealing with a frustrating issue. A customer has a printer that gets stuck on 'spooling' for any documents they try to print, whether it's from Microsoft Edge or a downloaded file. I took both the PC and the Epson Printer to my store and connected them to the store's Wi-Fi, where everything printed perfectly. However, once the customer took them back home and connected them to their own Wi-Fi, the issue returned. They've already tried some troubleshooting steps, such as using the command prompt to disable and re-enable the print spooler. I'm going to their house tomorrow and could really use some advice on what to check next.
5 Answers
I recommend trying to connect the PC directly to the printer using a USB cable and see if that resolves the issue. You could also connect both the computer and printer to the router via Ethernet to rule out any wireless problems.
Update: The issue was tied to Microsoft Edge. When I use Task Manager to close Edge, all documents in the print queue go through immediately. Using the shortcut CTRL-SHIFT-P instead of printing directly through Edge also helps. I couldn't find a specific setting in Edge to fix this, though. Any ideas? I've already stopped the spooler service and cleared the files, updated the printer firmware, and ensured that both the driver and Edge are up to date.
Have you looked into the Windows spooler service? That’s often where these issues stem from. I’ve had similar problems in the past that were fixed by reconfiguring the print spooler settings.
Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll check those settings out.
It sounds like the router could be part of the problem. If your customer’s Wi-Fi isn’t set up properly or is having interference issues, it can definitely cause spooling problems. Check how the devices are connected wirelessly and see if replacing the router or adjusting its settings helps.
Thanks for the tip! I'll look into the router setup when I get there.
Great idea! I'll make sure to try that.