Fix Print Queue Full 0XC00000C6 (Fast)

Yeah, that error's a pain. You're trying to print and Windows just throws up STATUS_PRINT_QUEUE_FULL (0XC00000C6). Don't panic. Here's the quick fix, then I'll explain why it happens.

The Quick Fix: Nuke the Spooler

The print queue is stored in a folder on your disk. When it gets full or corrupted, the spooler chokes. The fastest way out is to stop the spooler, delete the queued files, and restart it.

Open Command Prompt as administrator. Press Win, type cmd, right-click it, and choose Run as administrator.
Stop the spooler service. Type:

net stop spooler

If it's already stopped, fine. Now delete the temporary print files. Paste this:

del /Q %systemroot%\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*.*

That empties the queue folder. Now restart the service:

net start spooler

Try printing again. That's it 90% of the time.

Why This Works

The spooler service holds every print job as a file in C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS. If a job gets stuck—say the printer went offline, or the file is corrupt—the spooler keeps waiting. Eventually the folder fills up (there's a size limit) and you get 0XC00000C6. Deleting those files clears the backlog. Simple.

I had a client last month whose entire office couldn't print. Turned out one user sent a 500-page PDF to a dead printer. That single job filled the queue. Killed it with the command above, everything came back.

Less Common Variations

Sometimes the standard fix doesn't cut it. Here's what else I've seen.

1. The Spooler Won't Restart

If net start spooler throws an error, it's often a corrupted spooler file. You'll need to delete the files manually via Explorer. Open C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS, and if it won't let you delete, you probably didn't stop the service first. Or the service is stuck. Reboot into Safe Mode and delete from there—that almost always works.

2. Registry Corruption

Rare, but I've seen it. The spooler's registry key gets messed up. Open regedit and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers

Export that key as backup. Then delete the specific printer entry that's causing problems. Restart spooler. You'll need to re-add the printer, but it beats the error.

3. Third-Party Print Software

If you run papercut or a print management tool, those can mess with the queue. Disable them temporarily and test. I've seen a print driver update from a vendor completely bork the spooler. In that case, roll back the driver via Device Manager.

4. Disk Space

Believe it or not, the spooler needs free space. If your C: drive is nearly full, it can't write new jobs and throws 0XC00000C6. Check that before you pull your hair out.

Prevention: Stop It Happening Again

You don't want this every Tuesday. Here's how to keep the queue clean.

Set spooling to start directly on the printer. In Printer Properties > Advanced, change to "Print directly to the printer". That bypasses the spooler for small jobs. But note: you lose the ability to queue multiple jobs, so only do this if you're the only user.
Limit print job size. If you're on a network, set a size limit on the spooler via Group Policy. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Printers and enable "Limit print job size". Set it to, say, 100 MB. That stops giant PDFs from clogging things.
Keep drivers updated. Old, buggy drivers love to hang the spooler. Check for updates quarterly.
Restart the spooler weekly. I have a scheduled task that runs net stop spooler & net start spooler every Sunday night. Takes two seconds, clears everything out.

If you're on Windows 11, the same commands work. I've seen this exact error on both 10 and 11, and the fix is identical.

One last thing: if you're using a network printer and this keeps happening, check the printer's own memory. Some cheap units have tiny buffers and genuinely fill up. In that case, reduce the document resolution to 300 DPI or lower before printing.

That's the whole story. If the quick fix didn't work, run through the variations. It's always one of those.