Windows equivalent of Unix spool directory

  • Thread starter Thread starter John Goche
  • Start date Start date
J

John Goche

Hello,

Under Unix a logged in user can print to a printer
with the lpr command. What happens is that the
print job goes to a special directory on the Unix
operating system's filesystem such directory
known as a spool directory. From the spool
directory the job goes into the printer's
memory from which it is printed.

When a printer is turned off its RAM is cleared
so that it does looses knowledge of such jobs
when it is turned on. However, under Unix
whatever was in the spool directory remains
there and if you power off the computer and
then back on it keeps sending it to the
printer.

Now, I don't know what the equivalent of
a spool directory under Unix is called under
Windows, but I would like to clear it by
cancelling all print jobs from the user
I am logged into.

So how do I cancel print jobs under
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1?

This would save me lots of wasted
ink and paper,

Thank you for your help,

John Goche
 
John Goche wrote:

(much snippage about Unix)
Now, I don't know what the equivalent of
a spool directory under Unix is called under
Windows, but I would like to clear it by
cancelling all print jobs from the user
I am logged into.

So how do I cancel print jobs under
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1?
Click to expand...

Of course you can do this with the gui by going to Control Panel>Printers.
The printer in question can be cleared from there. Or some printers have a
Notification Area icon that can be right-clicked for options. Or you can do
it from the command line.

Start>Search box>type: cmd
When cmd appears in Results above, right-click it and choose "Run as
administrator". This gives you an elevated command prompt. At the prompt,
type:

net stop spooler [enter]

To restart the print spooler, simply type:

net start spooler [enter]

Malke
 
PS to Malke's words:

The default spool directory is

C:\Windows\System\spool\PRINTERS

For Vista 64, ...\System32\...

Tom Ferguson
 
Right you are. My mind went on vacation in July 1998 and has not (yet?)
returned.

Thanks for the catch.

Tom Ferguson
 
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