What Causes the PCL XL Error?<\/h2>\n
\nThe problem has been reported on nearly all major desktop operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and Mac. It is frequently reported following a driver or OS update, usually on a shared printer.<\/p>\n
A PCL XL error on the printer can be caused by characters in the print data stream that the printer cannot “understand,” and these characters can be caused by the following:\n<\/p>\n
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- Mismatched Font: <\/b>If a font on the system cannot be properly parsed by the printer, the PCL XL error may occur. <\/li>\n
- Interference from Competing Applications:<\/b> If your system’s antivirus or another application (such as a print management suite) is interfering with the print data stream, rendering its characters untranslatable by the printer, the printer may exhibit the PCL XL issue. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\r\n\t\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\tPRO TIP<\/div>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\tConsider switching to a different antivirus solution that is fully compatible with Windows and printing solutions, such as Auslogics Anti-Malware.<\/a><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\n- \n
- Outdated or Corrupt Printer Driver: <\/b>If the printer’s driver is outdated or corrupt, its incompatibility with other printing modules may result in a print job that cannot be properly rendered on the printer, resulting in the problem. <\/li>\n
- Corrupt User Profile:<\/b> If the user profile is corrupt,<\/a> it may result in non-parseable characters in the print task, resulting in the PCL XL error. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nAlso Read: <\/strong>Windows Update Troubleshooter: Easily Fixing Windows Update Issues<\/a><\/p>\n
\nHow to Fix the PCL XL Error<\/h2>\n
\nFollow the methods below to resolve the PCL XL error:\n<\/p>\n
Solution 1: Perform a cold restart<\/h3>\n
\nThe PCL XL error could be caused by a temporary communication problem between the system and the printer. A cold restart of the system, networking equipment, and problematic printer may resolve the issue.\n<\/p>\n
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- Turn off the computer, printer, and networking equipment (routers, extenders, etc.). <\/li>\n
- Unplug the power cables from all of these devices and wait 5 minutes. <\/li>\n
- After that, reconnect the devices and turn on the router. <\/li>\n
- Allow its lights to stabilize before rebooting the system. <\/li>\n
- Once booted, turn on the printer and wait until it is fully operational. <\/li>\n
- Check to see if the printer is now operational. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If that doesn’t work, see if the printer works properly on another system. If that’s the case, see if the problem is limited to a single file. If this is the case, see if you can print the problematic file from another system. If not, then inspect the file for potential problems<\/a>.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nRelated:<\/strong>Keyboard Magic: How to Shut Down, Restart, or Put Windows PC to Sleep with a Keyboard<\/a><\/p>\n
\nSolution 2: Reboot the print spooler service<\/h3>\n
If the Print Spooler service<\/a> becomes stuck during the operation, the PCL XL error discussed above may occur. Restarting the Print Spooler service may resolve the issue. <\/p>\n
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- Click Windows<\/em>, then Services<\/em>, then right-click on it and choose Run as administrator.<\/em> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\r\n\r\n
![\"PCL]()
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- Now, click Yes<\/em> (if prompted by a UAC prompt) and right-click on the Print Spooler. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\r\n\r\n
![\"Restarting]()
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- Then, after restarting the printer, check to see if the PCL XL problem has been resolved. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nAlso Read:<\/strong>Why Is My Printer Offline? Quick Fixes to Get It Back Online<\/a><\/p>\n
\nSolution 3: Renaming the files associated with your printer<\/h3>\n
\nUsers reported that they had been able to get rid of the error by renaming the files related to their printer. So, it would not hurt if you tried the same solution. Here are the steps:\n<\/p>\n
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- On your keyboard, press
Windows Key + E<\/code>. Doing so should launch File Explorer. <\/li>\n- Navigate to this location: <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
C:\\Windows\\System32\\spool\\drivers\\x64\\3<\/i><\/p>\n
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- Now, you need to filter the files, showing only the ones with the .gpd extension. To do this, click the arrow beside Type. <\/li>\n
- Select GPD File. <\/li>\n
- Change the names of the files to whatever you prefer. However, before renaming these files, we suggest creating backups first.<\/a><\/li>\n
- Save the changes you made, then restart your PC. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
After booting your system, try printing a document again. Check if the PCL XL error is gone. If it isn’t, you can move on to the next solution. <\/p>\n
\nAlso Read: <\/b>How to Rename a Printer in Windows 10?<\/a><\/p>\n
\nSolution 4: Updating your printer driver<\/h3>\n
As we’ve mentioned, a corrupted printer driver can cause the PCL XL error to appear. So, one of the best ways to remove this error is to update your printer driver to the latest version recommended by its manufacturer. <\/a>Here are the three ways to update your drivers: Accessing the device manager<\/b><\/p>\n
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- Right-click the Windows icon on your taskbar. <\/li>\n
- Select Device Manager from the list. <\/li>\n
- Look for your printer from the list of devices. <\/li>\n
- Right-click it, then select the Update driver option. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Downloading the driver from the manufacturer’s website<\/b>Your system may not have the right update for your driver. So, even if you went through the Device Manager, you might still have to visit the manufacturer’s website to get the correct printer driver version. Remember to find the one that is compatible with your system and processor. Otherwise, you might have to deal with system instability issues later on. Updating all drivers with Auslogics Driver Updater<\/b>Manually updating your drivers can be risky and time-consuming. As such, we recommend installing Auslogics Driver Updater<\/a><\/p>\n
. After launching this software program, it will automatically recognize your processor type and operating system version. <\/p>\n
All you need to do is click a button, and it will update all your drivers . The best part is that Auslogics Driver Updater also comes with the driver roll-back feature. <\/p>\n
So, should anything go wrong with the driver update process, you can always restore your drivers to their original state with just a few clicks. <\/p>\n
- Save the changes you made, then restart your PC. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Navigate to this location: <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- On your keyboard, press
- Then, after restarting the printer, check to see if the PCL XL problem has been resolved. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Now, click Yes<\/em> (if prompted by a UAC prompt) and right-click on the Print Spooler. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Click Windows<\/em>, then Services<\/em>, then right-click on it and choose Run as administrator.<\/em> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Corrupt User Profile:<\/b> If the user profile is corrupt,<\/a> it may result in non-parseable characters in the print task, resulting in the PCL XL error. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Interference from Competing Applications:<\/b> If your system’s antivirus or another application (such as a print management suite) is interfering with the print data stream, rendering its characters untranslatable by the printer, the printer may exhibit the PCL XL issue. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"PCL](\"https:\/\/www.auslogics.com\/en\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Windows-10-Services-app.webp\")
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