This tutorial will show you how to add "Reset and Clear Print Spooler" to the desktop context menu for all users in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
The primary component of the printing interface is the print spooler. The print spooler is an executable file that manages the printing process. Management of printing involves retrieving the location of the correct printer driver, loading that driver, spooling high-level function calls into a print job, scheduling the print job for printing, and so on.
A printer spooler enables storing multiple print jobs within a print queue where it’s retrieved by the printer or print server. Print jobs are stored in a queue at the speed of the computer, then retrieved and printed at the speed of the printer. Multiple processes can send print jobs to the spool without waiting, and can then perform other tasks, while the "spooler" process operates the printer.
If you have a stuck print job in the print queue, you can reset and clear the print spooler to remove the stuck print job.
If you need to reset and clear the print spooler often, then adding "Reset and Clear Print Spooler" to the desktop context menu can make it faster and easier to do on demand.
When you use this Reset and Clear Print Spooler context menu, it will UAC prompt for elevation, then quickly open a command prompt, reset and clear the print spooler, and close the command prompt.
Reference:
Print Spooler - Win32 apps
The primary component of the printing interface is the print spooler.
learn.microsoft.com
You must be signed in as an administrator to add, remove, and use the "Reset and Clear Print Spooler" context menu.
EXAMPLE: "Reset and Clear Print Spooler" context menu
In Windows 11, you will need to click/tap on Show more options first by default, then click/tap on Reset and Clear Print Spooler.
Here's How:
1 Do step 2 (add) or step 3 (remove) below for what you would like to do.
2 Add "Reset and Clear Print Spooler" to Desktop Context Menu
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Add_Reset_and_Clear_Print_Spooler_context_menu.reg
(Contents of .reg file)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\PrintSpooler]
"Icon"="imageres.dll,-51"
"HasLUAShield"=""
"MUIVerb"="Reset and Clear Print Spooler"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\PrintSpooler\command]
@="powershell -windowstyle hidden -command \"Start-Process cmd -ArgumentList '/s,/c,net stop spooler & DEL /F /S /Q \"C:\\Windows\\System32\\spool\\PRINTERS\\*\" & net start spooler' -Verb runAs\""3 Remove "Reset and Clear Print Spooler" from Desktop Context Menu
This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Remove_Reset_and_Clear_Print_Spooler_context_menu.reg
(Contents of .reg file)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\PrintSpooler]4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.
5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
7 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
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