What to do when you get a User Intervention Required error with your printer

The “User Intervention Required” error message is a common issue that can occur when printing documents on Windows 10 or Windows 11. This error typically indicates that there is a problem with the print spooler service or the printer driver.

When you find yourself in such a situation here are some steps to help resolve the issue.

Steps to help resolve the issue

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1 – Restart the Print Spooler Service

Press the Windows key + R and enter services.msc.
Locate the “Print Spooler” service and right-click on it.
Select “Restart” to restart the service

2 – Update the Printer Driver

Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
Navigate to Printers and expand the section.
Right-click the printer and select Properties.
Select the Details tab and copy the first row of the Hardware Ids.
Paste it into a browser to find the correct drivers to install

3 – Run the Printer Troubleshooter

Open the Settings app and go to Update & Security.
Select Troubleshoot and then Printer to run the troubleshooter

4 – Run the Hardware Troubleshooter

Open the Settings app and go to Update & Security.
Select Troubleshoot and then Hardware & Devices to run the troubleshooter

5 – Reinstall the Printer Driver

Uninstall the driver via Device Manager.
Restart the computer and Windows will automatically reinstall the driver.
Alternatively, manually install the latest driver from the manufacturer’s website

6 – Check for Windows Updates

Go to Settings > Updates & Security and check for updates (Where applicable look at View Optional Update for any ready to install drivers or software available for our printer).
Install any available printer drivers or updates

7 – Uninstall Recent Updates

If recent updates are causing the issue, go to Settings > Updates & Security > Update History.
Uninstall the problematic update and restart the computer

8 – Reset the Windows Printing Environment

Stop the print spooler, delete print job files, and restart the computer and printer

9 – Reset the Printer

Reset the printer to recover from printer errors or failures

10 – Run the Windows Printer Troubleshooting Tool

Open Troubleshoot Settings and select Printer to run the troubleshooter

11 – Create a Manual IP Connection

Print a Network Configuration or Wireless Network Test Results Page.
Use the information on the page to connect your printer wirelessly

By following these steps, you would be able to resolve the “User Intervention Required” error and continue printing without issues. You should note that the order of 1 to 11 is from the most obvious solution to the least resort. You may however do as you please at your own risk. We hope it works for you as it certainly works in our use cases.