Is it ever too late to cancel a print run

If printing from your computer...yes. Go to the cancel print function on your computer and cancel the print. That will stop more copies being printed once you have hit cancel.

Otherwise you would need to switch the power off to the machine and remove any paper. Then turn it on again and play with the controls until you can clear the print memory back to zero.

The best way to fix an errant printer is to uninstall it, restart the PC, then reinstall it. Also, while the printer is disconnected, pull the power from it & hold it's power button in for 45 secs. before reinstalling.

Good luck!!! :)

Kill the job on computer that sent the print job. If the job fails to clear you can stop and start the print spooler

Right click My Computer > Manage > Services.
Right click Print Spooler > Stop then Start. That should clear the job.

Same principle pertains to a network printer, but needs to be done print server.

Follow these steps to fix your problem :

Method A :
Press the cancel button or use the cancel menu command on the printer
The most obvious way to cancel a print job is to find a cancel button or a cancel menu command on the printer and to press it. So, if you have not already done this, try this method first.

If this method worked for you, you are finished with this article. However, you may want to read the "Prevention tips" section to avoid this problem in the future.

If your printer does not have these items or if this method did not work for you, try Method B.

Method B:
Turn the printer off and on
Next, try turning the printer off and then on. With certain printer models, this cancels the print job.

If this method worked for you, you are finished with this article. However, you may want to read the "Prevention tips" section to avoid this problem in the future.

If this method did not work for you, turn your printer off, and then try Method C.

Method C:
Use Control Panel to cancel printing
This method is a bit fancier. We will use Control Panel to try to cancel printing.

But what exactly are you trying to do? Are you trying to cancel printing only a single document, or are there other print jobs that you want to cancel? And are all the print job yours, or are there print jobs that other people have sent to the printer? If you have to cancel documents that other people have sent to the printer, you must have Computer Administrator status or you must have permission to cancel the print jobs. If you are using your own printer, you most likely have Computer Administrator status. If you are printing to a shared printer, you might have to ask the system administrator to cancel the print job for you.

To cancel one or more print jobs, follow these steps.

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type control printers, and then click OK.
3. Right-click the icon for your printer, and then click Open.
* To cancel individual print jobs, right-click the print job that you want to cancel, and then click Cancel.
* To cancel all print jobs, click Cancel All Documents on the Printer menu.

Note If you cancel a print job that you did want to print, make sure that you send the print job to the printer again.

If this method worked for you, you are finished with this article. However, you may want to read the "Prevention tips" section to avoid this problem in the future.

If this method did not work for you, make sure that your printer is turned off, and then try Method D.
Back to the top
Method D: Stop the print spooler and delete all spooled files
If you tried Methods A through C and you were not successful, Method D should work for you. If you came to Method D immediately only to delete a print job, some of what we say here might not apply to you, so please bear with us.

Method D is somewhat more complex and will require a bit more work than the other methods, but don't worry. Method D looks much more difficult than it really is.

First, in case that you don't know how printing works, here is a short explanation. Print jobs are sent to the printer as spooled files. This means that the files are put in a temporary location so that the printer can access a print queue and print jobs at its own speed. If you stop the spooler and its files, most of the time, you both cancel printing and delete the print job.

Note To use this method, you must have Computer Administrator status. If you are using your own printer, you most likely have Computer Administrator status. If you are printing to a shared printer, you might have to ask the system administrator to cancel the print job for you.
Step 1: Start Notepad
To stop the print spooler and its files, we will have you create and run a script file that will automatically stop the service. This sounds difficult, but it really isn't. Just follow these steps carefully.

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type notepad, and then click OK. Notice that a blank Notepad document opens.

Step 2: Copy a command script to Notepad
Now we will have you copy and paste some commands to the Notepad document.

1. Carefully select (highlight) all the following text:
net stop spooler
del %systemroot%\system32\spool\printers\*.shd
del %systemroot%\system32\spool\printers\*.spl
net start spooler
2. Right-click the text that you selected, and then click Copy.
3. In Notepad, right-click in the blank document, and then click Paste.
4. Carefully select (highlight) all the following text:
C:\DeletePrintJobs.cmd
5. Right-click the text that you selected, and then click Copy.
6. In Notepad, click Save As on the File menu.
7. In the File Name box, right-click, and then click Paste.
8. Click Save.

Step 3: Run the command script file
Now that you have created the command script file, you will run it. To run it, you will copy and paste the name of the command script file in the Run box.

1. Carefully select (highlight) all the following text:
C:\DeletePrintJobs.cmd
2. Right-click the text that you selected, and then click Copy.
3. Click Start, and then click Run.
4. In the Open box, right-click, and then click Paste.
5. Click OK.
6. Notice that the Command Prompt window opens to run the command script file that you created. Notice also that this window closes automatically when the command script file has finished running. If you do not see the Command Prompt window open, check that you saved the command script file by using the correct name and that you entered the correct command script file name in the Run box.

If this method does not work the first time, or if you cannot print anything after you use this method, restart your computer, and then try again.

Method A: Press the cancel button or use the cancel menu
command on the printer
loadTOCNode(2, 'resolution');
The most obvious way to cancel a print job is to find a cancel button or a
cancel menu command on the printer and to press it. So, if you have not already
done this, try this method first.

If this method worked for you, you are
finished with this article. However, you may want to read the "Prevention tips"
section to avoid this problem in the future.

If your printer does not
have these items or if this method did not work for you, try Method B.
Method B: Turn the printer off and on
loadTOCNode(2, 'resolution');
Next, try turning the printer off and then on. With certain printer models, this
cancels the print job.

If this method worked for you, you are finished
with this article. However, you may want to read the "Prevention tips" section
to avoid this problem in the future.

If this method did not work for you,
turn your printer off, and then try Method C.
Method C: Use Control Panel to cancel printing
loadTOCNode(2, 'resolution');
This method is a bit fancier. We will use Control Panel to try to cancel
printing.

But what exactly are you trying to do? Are you trying to cancel
printing only a single document, or are there other print jobs that you want to
cancel? And are all the print job yours, or are there print jobs that other
people have sent to the printer? If you have to cancel documents that other
people have sent to the printer, you must have Computer Administrator status or
you must have permission to cancel the print jobs. If you are using your own
printer, you most likely have Computer Administrator status. If you are printing
to a shared printer, you might have to ask the system administrator to cancel
the print job for you.

To cancel one or more print jobs, follow these
steps.

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
   
2. In the Open box, type control printers, and then click OK.
   
3. Right-click the icon for your printer, and then click Open.
   
   
   
   • To cancel individual print jobs, right-click the print job that you want to
     cancel, and then click Cancel.
     
   • To cancel all print jobs, click Cancel All
     Documents on the Printer menu.
     

Note If you cancel a print job that you did want to
print, make sure that you send the print job to the printer again.

If
this method worked for you, you are finished with this article. However, you may
want to read the "Prevention tips" section to avoid this problem in the
future.

If this method did not work for you, make sure that your printer
is turned off, and then try Method D.
Method D: Stop the print spooler and delete all spooled
files
loadTOCNode(2, 'resolution');
If you tried Methods A through C and you were not successful, Method D should
work for you. If you came to Method D immediately only to delete a print job,
some of what we say here might not apply to you, so please bear with
us.

Method D is somewhat more complex and will require a bit more work
than the other methods, but don't worry. Method D looks much more difficult than
it really is.

First, in case that you don't know how printing works, here
is a short explanation. Print jobs are sent to the printer as spooled files.
This means that the files are put in a temporary location so that the printer
can access a print queue and print jobs at its own speed. If you stop the
spooler and its files, most of the time, you both cancel printing and delete the
print job.

Note To use this method, you must have Computer
Administrator status. If you are using your own printer, you most likely have
Computer Administrator status. If you are printing to a shared printer, you
might have to ask the system administrator to cancel the print job for you.
Step 1: Start Notepad
loadTOCNode(3, 'resolution');
To stop the print spooler and its files, we will have you create and run a
script file that will automatically stop the service. This sounds difficult, but
it really isn't. Just follow these steps carefully.

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
   
2. In the Open box, type notepad, and then click OK.
   Notice that a blank Notepad document opens.

Step 2: Copy a command script to Notepad
loadTOCNode(3, 'resolution');
Now we will have you copy and paste some commands to the Notepad document.

1. Carefully select (highlight) all the following text:
   net stop spooler
   del
   %systemroot%\system32\spool\printers\*.shd
   del
   %systemroot%\system32\spool\printers\*.spl
   net start spooler
   
2. Right-click the text that you selected, and then click Copy.
   
3. In Notepad, right-click in the blank document, and then click Paste.
   
4. Carefully select (highlight) all the following text:
   C:\DeletePrintJobs.cmd
   
5. Right-click the text that you selected, and then click Copy.
   
6. In Notepad, click Save As on the
   File menu.
   
7. In the File Name box, right-click, and
   then click Paste.
   
   Note Notice that
   this file name differs from most other file names that you might have seen. That
   is because this file is a command script file.
   
8. Click Save.

Step 3: Run the command script file
loadTOCNode(3, 'resolution');
Now that you have created the command script file, you will run it. To run it,
you will copy and paste the name of the command script file in the Run box.

1. Carefully select (highlight) all the following text:
   C:\DeletePrintJobs.cmd
   
2. Right-click the text that you selected, and then click Copy.
   
3. Click Start, and then click Run.
   
4. In the Open box, right-click, and then
   click Paste.
   
5. Click OK.
   
6. Notice that the Command Prompt window opens to run the command script
   file that you created. Notice also that this window closes automatically when
   the command script file has finished running. If you do not see the Command
   Prompt window open, check that you saved the command script file by using the
   correct name and that you entered the correct command script file name in the
   Run box.

Note If this method does
not work the first time, or if you cannot print anything after you use this
method, restart your computer, and then try again.

go to Control Panel, click on Printers, find your printer and right click on it and there should be a cancel all documents option that you will want to select. that should cancel all print jobs and allow you to start over.

check any cancel botton is there on the printer press the botton to cancel the print other wise switch of the printer.............

If you haven't solved the issue yet, try this link.
I think this will resolve your issue.
http://www.topfreestuff.com/printSpool.shtml

If you're running Vista instead of XP, the command Run is in the startup folder Accessories.

Assuming you have a modern windows pc, You will need to manually stop the print service. Do this by running the command "net stop spooler" from the "run" line. Then go to "C:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\PRINTERS" and delete all the files from there. After these files are gone, start the spooler service again by running "net start spooler". You should be all set after that.

Solution by www.freaksmania.org,

We cannot turn off HP printers when the printing job is going on or it runs out of paper,Paper Jam or Cartridge runs out of Ink or any other reason,ie power failure.

To Cancel printing easily,
1)First plug out the Power Cable(the System tray icon will now disappear).

2)Plug out the USB Data Cable

3)Reconnect the power Cable and turn the printer on.

4)Turn the printer off again and Connect the USB Data Cable.

5)Turn on and then your existing printing Job will be Cancelled.

Solution provided by Team Freaksmania
http://www.freaksmania.org
http://www.freaksmania.org/forum
http://www.freaksmania.org/coderz
http://www.freaksmania.org/graphics