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Print queue could cause your Mac to delay when going to sleep

When attempting to put your Mac to sleep, it may not respond right away. This could be related to a printer not being recognized or due to a print job being in progress.

Joe Aimonetti MacFixIt Editor
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Joe Aimonetti
2 min read
When attempting to put your Mac to sleep, it may not respond right away. The issue also could occur if you have your Mac set up to sleep automatically after a given period of idle time. This could be related to a printer not being recognized or due to a print job being in progress.

Despite the perceived inconvenience this issue may present, it is expected behavior for Mac OS X. The operating system prefers to finish any open printing jobs (whether in progress or waiting to connect to a printer) before going into Sleep mode. If you are experiencing delays when attempting to put your Mac to sleep, check the printer queue:

  1. Choose System Preferences from the Apple icon on the menu bar.
  2. Choose Print & Fax.
  3. In the Printers list on the left side of the window, check the status (colored dot with current status in gray) under each installed printer.
  4. If any of your printers (or fax machines) are "In use," click the "Open Print Queue" button and delete or hold any print jobs that are delayed or attempting to print on a printer that may not be available.
  5. If none of your printers are set to "In use," you should be ready to put your Mac to sleep.
If you are having issues with your printer, be sure to check that all cables are plugged in correctly, the printer is being shared over the network correctly, and/or all printer drivers are installed correctly and compatible for your current operating system.


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