How to fix a printer that is printing too slowly or pausing mid-print in Windows

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to fix a printer that is printing too slowly or pausing mid-print in Windows. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

When your printer is slow to start a job or pauses partway through printing, the cause is usually one of three things: the print spooler is struggling to process the data, the print driver is set to a high-quality mode that takes longer to render, or the network connection between your computer and the printer is unstable. This guide walks you through resolving each of these issues in Windows 10 and Windows 11, covering both USB-connected and network printers.

Quick Fix Steps

Try these steps first. Most slow-printing issues are resolved here.

1. Cancel any stuck print jobs in the print queue.
2. Set the print quality to Draft or Normal instead of Best.
3. Restart the Print Spooler service.
4. Move closer to your wireless printer, or check the network cable on wired models.

Detailed Instructions

1. Clear Stuck Print Jobs

A backed-up print queue is the most common reason a printer pauses mid-job. Clearing it forces the spooler to start fresh.

1. Open Settings (press Win + I) and go to Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Click on your printer, then select Open print queue.
3. Click Printer in the menu bar and choose Cancel All Documents.
4. Confirm the action and close the window.

2. Lower the Print Quality Setting

Higher quality modes require more data to be sent to the printer and more ink or toner to be applied. Switching to a lower quality dramatically improves speed.

1. In the application you are printing from (for example, Word or your browser), press Ctrl + P to open the print dialog.
2. Click Printer Properties, Preferences, or More settings (the wording varies by driver).
3. Find the Quality or Print Quality section.
4. Change it from Best or High to Normal or Draft.
5. Click OK to save, then print your document.

3. Change the Paper Type Setting

If your driver is set to print on glossy photo paper or heavy cardstock but you are using plain A4, the printer will pause to adjust its rollers and heat settings. Match the paper type to what is actually loaded.

1. Open Printer Properties from the print dialog as described above.
2. Click the Paper/Quality tab.
3. Set Media Type to Plain Paper.
4. Click OK.

4. Restart the Print Spooler Service

The Print Spooler manages all print jobs in Windows. Restarting it clears corrupted data and resolves most mid-print pauses.

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Scroll down and find Print Spooler in the list.
3. Right-click it and select Restart.
4. Wait 10 seconds, then try printing again.

5. Check the Network Connection (Wireless Printers)

Wireless printers pause mid-print when the Wi-Fi signal drops or the printer moves to a different network. A weak signal causes the printer to buffer pages, which appears as long pauses.

1. Print a configuration or network test page from the printer's control panel (usually under Settings or Network).
2. Confirm the printer is connected to your 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz Wi-Fi network.
3. Check the signal strength shown on the test page. If it is below 50 percent, move the printer closer to your router or access point.
4. Restart your router by switching it off for 30 seconds, then switching it back on.
5. Once both devices are back online, try printing again.

6. Check the Network Connection (Wired Printers)

For printers connected by Ethernet or USB, a faulty cable or a slow network port can cause pauses.

1. Check that the Ethernet or USB cable is firmly seated at both ends.
2. Try a different cable if you have one spare. Cables wear out over time, especially in busy offices.
3. If the printer is on a different floor or in another room, try connecting it directly to your computer with a USB cable to test whether the network is the issue.

7. Update or Reinstall the Printer Driver

An outdated or corrupted driver can cause the spooler to take a long time to process each page.

1. Open Device Manager (right-click the Start button and select it).
2. Expand the Print queues section.
3. Right-click your printer and choose Update driver.
4. Select Search automatically for drivers and follow the prompts.
5. If Windows reports the driver is up to date but the problem continues, right-click the printer, choose Uninstall device, then restart your computer. Windows will reinstall a fresh driver on startup.

Troubleshooting

The printer still pauses after trying all steps

If the printer continues to pause or print slowly, the issue may be with the printer's internal memory or firmware. Most modern printers have a web interface you can access from your browser:

1. Find the printer's IP address from its configuration page (printed from the control panel).
2. Type the IP address into your browser's address bar.
3. Look for a Firmware Update option and run it if available.
4. Restart the printer from the web interface.

Only one program prints slowly

If printing is fast from most programs but slow in one specific application, the issue is with that program's print settings rather than the system. Reset the program's print preferences by opening the print dialog, clicking Preferences, then Restore Defaults or Reset.

The printer is slow on every job, including single pages

This usually points to a driver or spooler issue rather than a network problem. Reinstall the driver using the steps in section 7, then restart the spooler using the steps in section 4.

Related Articles

• Printer not printing / offline
• Clearing a printer paper jam
• Setting up a wireless printer
• Installing a printer driver manually

If you have completed all steps above and the printer is still slow or pausing, our support team can help diagnose the issue further. Please open a ticket through the 220 support portal with the printer model, how it is connected, and a description of the issue.

Still Having Issues?