Resolve the macOS "Hold for Authentication" Printer Error
If you are encountering the macOS "Hold for Authentication" error when printing, there are two common solutions. For University-managed Macs, UTulsa Virtual Queues are the recommended option and are designed to prevent authentication issues entirely. If you must use a direct printer queue, you can often resolve the issue by re-entering your TUNetID credentials or removing the saved printer credentials from Keychain Access.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Option 1:
- If you are using a University-managed Mac, switch to one of the UTulsa Virtual Queues listed below whenever possible:
- UTulsa-Departmental
- UTulsa-Employee
- UTulsa-Student
- Submit your print job through one of the Virtual Queues. These queues have been configured to eliminate the macOS "Hold for Authentication" error and are the preferred solution.
Option 2:
- If you are already using a direct printer queue or cannot use a Virtual Queue, open the Printer Center window and locate the affected print job.
- Select the Refresh button when prompted for authentication.
- Enter your TUNetID and current UTulsa password. Do not use your local macOS account password unless it is the same as your UTulsa password.
- Enable the option "Remember this password in my keychain".
- Select OK. The print job should resume processing.
- If the error persists, open Spotlight Search and launch Keychain Access.
- Locate and delete the saved Keychain entry associated with the affected print queue.
- Attempt to print again. You should be prompted to enter your TUNetID credentials and can choose to save the password when prompted.
💡 Tip: Using a UTulsa Virtual Queue is the easiest and most reliable way to avoid recurring authentication prompts on managed Macs.
Important: When prompted for credentials, always use your TUNetID and current UTulsa password rather than your local macOS account password.
Need Help?