Unable to delete item in print cue, error

Here's how to check if there is an administrator:

To change these settings, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Users & Groups in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.) Click the Info button ( i ) next to a user on the right to make changes. Make sure that the "Allow this user to administer this computer" option is checked.

See Change User settings on Mac - Apple Support

Another solution is to directly delete the queue:

You can use the cancel command in the terminal with the following syntax:

cancel -a -x

This command cancels all print jobs (-a) and removes them from the queue (-x). Note that you need to have administrative privileges to run this command.

Once you run this command, all print jobs in the queue will be canceled and removed, and the printer should be ready to accept new print jobs.

See https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOS/comments/13q9spd/you_must_be_an_administrator_to_delete_this_job/

Try resetting the Printing System, as per > Reset the printing system on your Mac to solve a problem - Apple Support

When you find yourself wanting to delete a submitted print job, and before it has transferred entirely into printer memory, you can click on the Desktop to make Finder active, issue the shortcut shift+cmd+U to open the Utilities folder, double-click the Terminal application to launch it, and then enter the following at the Terminal prompt followed by a return:

lprm

Quit the Terminal application. This is UNIX for remove the current print job on the default printer.

I almost punched my computer thru a wall over this issue. Then I checked forums and people are talking about entering short cuts etc... I'm not that kind of user. However i was able to get my computer to believe that I, the ONLY USER, do indeed have the authority to delete a flipping printing project. Here is what I did:

System Settings>Printers & Scanners>Click the box that says share printer on network.

Voila.

I solved this by going to setting and switching on printer sharing (which you can do if you're the administrator). That seems to delete the stuck job. At least, my printer queue suddenly had nothing in it. Once that was so, I swtiched off printer sharing. What on earth has caused the strange and annoying glitch?!

I am already set as an administrator as well, and I am still having the issue. I don't want to have to use a command each time I need to delete print jobs from my queue. I am currently using a MBP M2 2022 model, and this has never happened on a previous mbp model I have owned. This seems to have started after a recent Mac update.

It would be helpful to have a solution that addresses the root cause so that this does not happen again.

I have the same problem. I am the Administrator of the Computer and yet when I want to delete a job that is in mid-print, it won't let me because it says I'm not an Administrator. I have had to uninstall and install the printer twice! Crazy!

Yeah i'm having the same issue also. It's on and off so i'm not sure when it's going to do it. Only one user (me) on the computer. most of the info online I see about this says to reset the print system. Well this is a fresh install of mac os, I was hoping not to have to reset the print system again. Also i'm not sure if some people realize what a pain it is to reset the print system. I have a lot of printers connected, so i have to go through and set them all up again each time I have to reset. I really with apple would allow a feature that would allow some kind of resetting without losing all the other printers. Maybe in 20 years.....

This worked for me (like Jake I was already the Admin). Thank you Jake (you clearly know more than nothing 😅).

And yeah, APPLE ARE YOU LISTENING, this is a bug that only popped up after I upgraded to Ventura. Total pain in the rear.

Also had this issue and this solution worked. One note to folks... It appears that Apple has chosen not to continue their robust performance of driver and software updating with respect to printers, print media and, now, their own print management software. How is it that our new M2 can't properly delete jobs in a print queue?

I am not ranting. I am just informing folks within this thread that this is the shape of things to come. Apple has likely chosen to abandon traditional print media. These sorts of software bugs and mistakes are way below their pay grade. Our two year old printer no longer works with Apple's new driver print and page setup software.

We are using ten year old Macs as wireless print servers because those ten year old drivers and print software work perfectly. Now, it seems that even this workaround has a timeline. I have used Macs for printing since the 80's and will probably have to invest in an inferior non-mac infrastructure to continue my printing for my professional work. Ultimately, this is a poor decision on Apple's part. Artists, Architects, Scientists and Photographers need printing services everyday. I hope they change course.

You're welcome.