220-1101 Question 321
Single answerPrint serverA small office uses a Windows print server to share a network laser printer with 25 users. Several users report that their documents remain in the print queue with a status of "Error - Printing," but the printer itself shows Ready and can print a configuration page from its control panel. Other network services are working normally. You log on to the print server and see multiple stuck jobs for that printer. What is the BEST next step to restore printing for users as quickly as possible?
- A
Restart the Print Spooler service on the print server and clear the stuck print jobs
- B
Replace the printer's toner cartridge because low toner often causes jobs to remain in the queue
- C
Reboot all user workstations so their print jobs are resubmitted to the server
- D
Assign the printer a new IP address so the print server can rediscover it
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The best answer is to restart the Print Spooler service on the print server and clear the stuck jobs. In a shared-printing environment, the print server handles job spooling and queue management. When multiple users experience stalled jobs while the printer itself is online and able to print internal pages, the issue is commonly with the server-side queue, spooler service, or a corrupted print job. Standard Windows print troubleshooting practice is to pause or cancel the affected jobs, restart the Print Spooler service if necessary, and then test printing again. This aligns with common Microsoft troubleshooting guidance for Windows print queues and spooler-related issues. The other options either fail to address the server-side symptom or introduce unnecessary changes.
- A. Correct.
Correct. In a print-server-based environment, stuck jobs in the queue commonly indicate a spooler or queued-job issue on the server rather than a hardware failure at the printer. Restarting the Print Spooler service and clearing the jammed jobs is a standard first troubleshooting step to restore service quickly. Because the printer can print its own configuration page and shows Ready, the hardware is functioning, which further points to a server-side queue problem.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Low toner can affect print quality or eventually stop printing, but it would not be the most likely cause when the printer reports Ready and can successfully print a configuration page from its control panel. The scenario specifically points to jobs stuck on the print server, not a supply-related failure.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Rebooting user PCs is time-consuming and does not address the root problem shown in the scenario: multiple jobs are already stuck in the print queue on the print server. Since the server manages the queue for shared printing, fixing the queue and spooler on the server is the more appropriate and efficient action.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Changing the printer's IP address would likely create a new problem by breaking the existing port configuration on the print server. The printer is responding locally and appears operational, so there is no evidence that IP addressing is the issue. In production environments, changing a printer IP without need is not a best-practice first step.