Buzz
The situation where a printer receives commands but doesn't print is quite common in office environments, especially where printing is frequent. This issue is similar to the paper jam problem, a perennial issue. In reality, mid-range printers or budget-friendly models today provide excellent print quality, but their drivers and management software are often not well taken care of. So, facing issues like printing errors, paper jams, or system freezes is not surprising.
In this article, Mytour will help you fix the printer issue where it receives commands but doesn't print using simple methods. These solutions can temporarily resolve the problem of a printer receiving commands but not printing. Apply them when needed to troubleshoot the issue.
Guide to fixing the issue of a printer receiving commands but not printing.
1. Check the printer connection cable
The connection cable is one of the first issues to check if the printer receives commands but doesn't print. Simply put, the cable may be too old or physically damaged, such as being pulled or stepped on, which can lead to internal wire breakage causing slow data transmission from the print file to the printer or issues where the printer receives commands but doesn't print.
In reality, we can't directly check if the cable is damaged. Instead, find another similar cable and plug it in as a replacement. If the new cable works fine and the printer has no issues, it's definitely a problem with the cable in use.
2. Too many print commands in the printer
This issue often occurs in every office setting where 5 to 6, or even a dozen people share a single printer. Just imagine having nearly a dozen print commands, possibly more, due to multiple individuals sending multiple files to the printer , not to mention the varying file sizes, all of which are primary factors causing the printer to receive commands but not print. To resolve this issue, follow the instructions below.
Step 1: Open the Start Menu , search for 'control panel ', and access it.
Step 2: In the Control Panel , navigate to the View devices and printers section.
Step 3: Here, select the printer that's facing the issue of receiving commands but not printing and right-click >See what's printing.
Step 4: After opening the printer status, click on Cancel All Documents to delete all print commands on the printer.
3. Printer is in offline mode
Due to conflicts between certain printer processes and the operating system, the printer may be set to Offline status. Readers, follow the steps above, and then in the Printer section, uncheck Use Printer Offline.
4. Reboot the printer.
If you're unsure of the cause, rebooting the printer is the wisest choice. Mytour suggests two methods: reboot the printer by turning off and on the power on the device to fix the issue of the printer receiving commands but not printing. The second method is to restart the printer process on Windows using the guide below.
Step 1: Right-click on the bottom-left corner of the screen to activate the Power Menu, then choose Powershell as Admin.
Note: For Windows 7 or Windows 10 machines without Powershell, simply search for 'cmd' and right-click on Command Prompt, select Administrator to open Command Prompt in administrative mode.
Step 2: In the Powershell / Command Prompt interface, type the command 'net Stop Spooler' to pause the process on the printer.
If you see the notification The Print Spooler service was Stopped successfully, it means we have successfully stopped it.
Step 3: Immediately after, restart this process by entering the command 'net Start Spooler' and press Enter.
After this step, you will be able to print normally again, and the issue of the printer receiving commands but not printing will be resolved.
Through these methods, it is hoped that readers will review and remember them, gaining insights into various ways to troubleshoot printer issues, not just the case of the printer receiving commands but not printing, especially when printing over LAN.
In addition, Mytour also offers readers another insightful article on fixing the issue of printers not receiving print commands. Find out the causes and solutions for this issue at this link.
