Universal Print shows queue but jobs stay “Processing” — proxy/IPP trace fix

Joe B.

Expert ★★★★★ 27,853 satisfied customers

Specialities: Universal Print, IPP over HTTPS, Proxies, Print Connectors, Azure AD, Windows Server

Jobs stuck on “Processing” in Universal Print — proxy auth, IPP/HTTPS breaks, connector offline

Technician

Hey! We’ll sort out why your Universal Print queue shows up but submitted jobs sit in “Processing” forever. That symptom usually points to a connector path issue — things like proxy authentication (HTTP 407), SSL inspection breaking TLS 1.2, a blocked IPP over HTTPS endpoint, or a printer driver hang on the connector host.
To target the fix: Where is your Universal Print connector installed (server, Azure VM, desktop)? Do you traverse a PAC file or forward proxy (e.g., Zscaler/Blue Coat)? And does the device print locally outside Universal Print?

Customer

Connector is on a Windows Server 2019 VM. Internet is behind a corporate proxy with a PAC file and SSL inspection. The queue and printer share show as healthy in the Universal Print portal, but every job just stays “Processing”. Locally, the printer works via TCP/IP.

Technician

Thanks — classic proxy/inspection case. In Universal Print, the job streams over IPP/HTTPS (port 443) from the cloud to your connector service, which then spools to the device. If the proxy requires per-user auth, injects a certificate, or downgrades ciphers, the connector can’t complete the IPP Get-Job/Send-Document calls — the service keeps the job as Processing.
Plan: 1) Verify connector health/logs. 2) Bypass proxy/SSL inspection for required allowlist FQDNs. 3) Capture an IPP trace (Fiddler/Wireshark) to confirm 407/502/Handshake errors. 4) Test a direct egress or machine-account proxy config. 5) Validate printer driver and port on the connector host.

Customer

Where do I find connector logs and how do I confirm it’s the proxy? The Windows Print Spooler looks fine.

Technician

Step 1 — Check connector health & logs
• Open the Universal Print portal → Connectors to confirm the connector is Online and assigned to the printer.
• On the connector VM, review C:\ProgramData\UniversalPrint\Logs\ (Operational + ConnectorService). Search for ProxyAuthenticationRequired, certificate validation, TLS handshake, timeout or HTTP 407/502/504 against *.print.microsoft.com.
• In Services, verify Universal Print Connector is running under a service account with Log on as a service and has outbound internet.

Customer

Logs show periodic 407 and some TLS errors to print.print.microsoft.com. We use a PAC file requiring user auth. The connector runs as Local System.

Technician

Step 2 — Fix proxy authentication & SSL inspection
• Configure a machine-based proxy (WinHTTP) for the connector account or allow direct egress for these FQDNs: *.print.microsoft.com, *.azure.com, *.microsoftonline.com, *.servicebus.windows.net.
• Bypass SSL inspection for those domains. The connector requires TLS 1.2 end-to-end and valid Microsoft cert chains. Any MITM root breaks IPP over HTTPS.
• If you must proxy, allow anonymous/kerberos from the connector host without interactive credentials; avoid per-user 407 prompts.
• Update WinHTTP with: netsh winhttp import proxy source=ie or set netsh winhttp set proxy proxy-server="http=<proxy:port>;https=<proxy:port>" bypass-list="*.print.microsoft.com;*.microsoft.com;localhost" then restart the connector service.

Customer

Understood. Before we change the proxy, can we prove it with a trace? Our network team wants evidence.

Technician

Step 3 — Capture an IPP/HTTPS trace (proof for proxy issues)
• Install Fiddler Classic on the connector VM. Enable Decrypt HTTPS just for testing; add print.print.microsoft.com to filters. Start a small test print.
• Look for HTTP 407 (Proxy Authentication Required), 502/504 from the proxy, or certificate errors during GET /printers/*, POST /printJobs, Get-Job.
• Alternatively, use Wireshark and capture tcp.port==443 with SNI print.print.microsoft.com; you should see ClientHello → ServerHello. Resets/timeouts indicate middlebox interference.
• Save the session and share it with the network team. It clearly shows that IPP over HTTPS is being blocked or altered by the proxy.

Customer

If we fix the proxy, is there anything else that keeps jobs in “Processing”? Driver maybe?

Technician

Step 4 — Validate connector → printer path
• On the connector host, print a Windows Test Page using the same device/driver/port the connector uses (RAW 9100 or IPP). If that hangs, Universal Print will stall too.
• Prefer Type 4 or vendor Universal drivers known to work in service contexts; avoid interactive popups (finisher dialogs, PIN prompts).
• Ensure the printer’s firmware is current and that the port is reachable from the connector VM (no VLAN ACLs). Assign a static IP to the device.

Customer

Great. Any Azure/permissions items to double check in case it’s not the network?

Technician

Yes. For managed tenants:
• In the Universal Print portal, confirm the Printer share is assigned to the users/groups submitting jobs and that Quota isn’t exceeded.
• Make sure the connector registration hasn’t expired and appears under the correct tenant; re-sign in if needed.
• If using conditional access, allow the connector’s service principal (or the host) to reach print endpoints without MFA. CA that blocks the token refresh can freeze jobs as Processing.

Customer

We’ll bypass the proxy for Microsoft print domains and disable SSL inspection. Anything else before we retest?

Technician

Final checks:
• Restart Universal Print Connector service and the Print Spooler on the VM.
• Clear stuck jobs from the portal and send a new small PDF. Watch the connector log for Send-Document completion.
• If you still see “Processing”, capture a fresh IPP trace and verify TLS 1.2 is enabled system-wide (SchUseStrongCrypto), and the Microsoft root CAs are trusted.

Customer

Perfect — after the proxy bypass, jobs complete instantly. The “Processing” loop is gone. Thanks!

Technician

Summary: When Universal Print shows a queue but jobs stay “Processing”, check the connector path first: bypass or correctly configure the proxy, disable SSL inspection, confirm TLS 1.2, and validate the IPP over HTTPS traffic with an IPP trace. Then verify driver/port on the connector VM. Need help reading logs? Open the chat.

Quick answer: the accepted fix

Accepted fix when Universal Print jobs are stuck on “Processing”: allow direct IPP/HTTPS to *.print.microsoft.com, bypass SSL inspection and proxy auth for the connector, confirm TLS 1.2 and Microsoft certificate chains, then validate the connector’s driver/port. Capture an IPP trace to prove 407/502/handshake issues and retest.

FAQ

Step-by-step (connector host)

1. Review C:\ProgramData\UniversalPrint\Logs for 407/502/TLS errors; confirm connector is Online.
2. Bypass proxy/SSL inspection for *.print.microsoft.com and required Microsoft domains; open TCP 443.
3. Set machine-based proxy (WinHTTP) if required; avoid per-user auth for services.
4. Capture an IPP trace to validate the fix; then print a small PDF via Universal Print.

Note for mixed environments (macOS)

1. macOS clients submit to Universal Print via the same cloud path; the connector still needs clean IPP/HTTPS egress.
2. If macOS prints locally but cloud jobs stall, focus on proxy/inspection exceptions for the connector VM.

Sources

• Microsoft — Universal Print fundamentals
• Microsoft — Printer connector overview
• Microsoft — Required endpoints and connectivity

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