Printing in Windows is pretty easy. Simply press the Ctrl + P shortcut, choose what to print, and you are good to go. However, what if you want to pause printing? For example, if something goes wrong with the print queue or you are performing maintenance, it is helpful to pause printing until the printer is ready. In this tutorial, we’ll show you two methods to pause printing in Windows 11. Let’s get started.
Pause Printing Using Print Queue App
First, press Windows key + I to open Settings.
In the Settings window, select the Bluetooth & Devices option on the sidebar.
Click on the Printers & Scanners option.
Click on your printer and then click on Open Print Queue option.
The above action opens the Print Queue app, click on the menu icon (3 horizontal dots) next to the printer name and select Pause All. This will pause the entire print queue.
To print a specific print job, right-click on the print job and select Pause.
Pause Printing Using the Settings App
Note: The below option is only available on Windows 11 build 26020 or higher. Learn how to check your Windows 11 version and build number.
First of all, launch the Settings window by pressing the Windows key + I shortcut.
Navigate to the Bluetooth & Devices > Printers & Scanners page.
Click on your printer.
Click on the Additional Printer Settings option and then click the Pause button. This action pauses all the print jobs on the printers.
Note: If you have multiple printers, follow the same steps for each printer.
Resume Paused Printing on Windows
If the printing is paused and you want to start printing again, follow the below steps to resume paused printing.
Launch the Settings app with Windows key + I.
Go to the Bluetooth & Devices > Printers & Scanners page.
Click on your printer.
Click on the Open Printer Queue option.
Now, click on the 3 dots menu icon next to the printer name and select the Resume All option.
And there you have it! It’s that simple to pause and resume printing on Windows 11.
