Troubleshooting PaperCut Hive and Pocket System Tray and Menu Bar (Task Tray)

The PaperCut Hive and Pocket System Tray (Windows) and Menu Bar (macOS) application provides end-users with visibility into print client status, notification prompts, and quick access to sign-in and device-linking workflows.

If the task tray icon fails to appear, displays an error (such as a red warning overlay), or runs into installation issues, follow this guide to identify the root cause and apply the recommended resolution.

Requirements

The PaperCut system tray application (pc-tasktray.exe on Windows, pc-tasktray on macOS) runs within the context of the logged-in user profile and communicates with local background client processes to reflect registration and connectivity status.

Task tray icon not appearing (Windows)

Symptom: After signing into Windows, the PaperCut icon does not appear in the system tray or in the taskbar overflow menu.

Causes & resolutions

1. The Print Client is not installed in the user’s local profile

The Print Client installs per-user into the local AppData directory.

• Check: Verify that the folder %localappdata%\Programs\PaperCut (Hive/Pocket)\ exists in the affected user profile.
• Resolution: If the directory is missing, redeploy or reinstall the print client under the active user account.

2. pc-tasktray.exe is missing from the active version folder

The executable resides inside the active version subfolder.

• Check: Navigate to %localappdata%\Programs\PaperCut (Hive/Pocket) and open the latest version folder (e.g., v2026-08-18-0951). Confirm that pc-tasktray.exe exists.
  
• Resolution: If the executable is missing or quarantined, review your local antivirus/EDR activity logs or reinstall the client.

3. Outdated client version

• Check: Confirm that version v2026-03-06-1735 or newer is installed in %localappdata%\Programs\PaperCut (Hive/Pocket)\.
• Resolution: Upgrade both the Edge Node and Print Client to the latest release. If you deploy using an MDM tool (such as Microsoft Intune), update your deployment package.
  

4. Print Client background processes are not running

The tray application requires the print client services to initiate.

1. Check: Open Task Manager > Details and verify whether the following processes are active:
   • pc-print-client.exe
   • pc-print-client-service.exe
2. Resolution: If missing, restart the device or manually start pc-print-client-service.exe from %localappdata%\Programs\PaperCut Hive\ (or PaperCut Pocket\).

5. Windows taskbar notification overflow settings

Windows may collapse inactive or newly installed tray icons into the overflow flyout by default.

• Resolution: Open Windows Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Other system tray icons (or Taskbar corner overflow) and toggle PaperCut Hive/Pocket to On.

Task tray icon not appearing (macOS)

Symptom: On macOS endpoints, the PaperCut Hive or Pocket menu bar icon is not visible in the top status bar.

Causes & Resolutions

1. The Print Client is not installed in the user’s local profile

The user client component installs into the user’s local Library folder.

• Check: Verify that ~/Library/PaperCut Hive/ (or PaperCut Pocket/) exists in the active user profile.
• Resolution: If missing, reinstall the Print Client while logged in as that user.

2. pc-tasktray is missing from the active version folder

• Check: Navigate to ~/Library/PaperCut Hive/ (or PaperCut Pocket/) and open the latest version directory. Confirm that pc-tasktray is present.
• Resolution: If quarantined or missing, check your endpoint security logs and reinstall the client.

3. Outdated client version

• Check: Confirm that version v2026-03-06-1735 or newer is installed in ~/Library/PaperCut Hive/ (or PaperCut Pocket/).
• Resolution: Upgrade the Edge Node and Print Client to the latest release. If managing devices via Jamf Pro or another MDM tool, update the distribution policy.

4. Print Client background processes are not running

• Check: Open Activity Monitor or run the following command in Terminal to verify that the processes are running:

  Bash

  pgrep -fl "pc-print-client"
  

• Resolution: Restart the workstation or launch pc-print-client-service manually from ~/Library/PaperCut Hive/ (or PaperCut Pocket/).

5. Menu bar space exhaustion

On MacBook models with a display notch, macOS hides menu bar extras when active application menus and status items fill the horizontal space.

• Resolution: Quit or hide unnecessary menu bar items to make room for the PaperCut icon, or manage icon density using a third-party utility like Bartender or Ice.

Access denied or locked files during upgrade / reinstall

Symptom: Installation fails with an Access Denied error. This occurs when an existing instance of PaperCut Tasktray is running in the background, which prevents the installer from overwriting pc-tasktray.exe.

Resolution: Terminate background processes and “Try again”

1. Terminate background processes:
   • Windows: Open Task Manager > Details, locate, and end the following processes:
     • pc-tasktray.exe
     • pc-print-client.exe
     • pc-print-client-service.exe
   • macOS: Open Activity Monitor (or run killall <process_name> in Terminal) to terminate:
     • pc-tasktray
     • pc-print-client
     • pc-print-client-service
2. Select Try again in the installer dialog, or download a new setup package and re-run.

Resolution: Clean reinstallation procedure

1. Uninstall: The print client and edge node. If needed, please see our guide on how to uninstall Hive/Pocket from user devices -
   How to uninstall the PaperCut Pocket / Hive Print Client (Edge Node and Printer)
2. Reinstall: Re-run the PaperCut Hive /Pocket installer using elevated administrative permissions.

Task tray status: “PaperCut: Client not configured”

Symptom: The task tray icon appears with a red badge or “X” overlay and reports the tooltip or status: PaperCut: Client not configured.

Background process dependencies

The task tray icon’s launch is managed by the print client, but its active operational status relies on the Edge Node service and its sub-processes (subservices). For a full list of these services, please see our article -
How the Edge Node Print Client and Service work with PaperCut Pocket & PaperCut Hive.

Causes & resolutions

The task tray relies on local inter-process communication with the Edge Node service. If the Edge Node service or subservices stop, crashes, or is blocked, this error appears.

1. Edge Node service is stopped or uninstalled

• Check (Windows): Open Services (services.msc) and ensure PaperCut Hive/Pocket Edge Node Service is in the Running state. Ensure C:\Program Files\PaperCut (Hive/Pocket)\ exists.
• Check (macOS): Open Terminal and run:
  Bash
  sudo launchctl list | grep papercut
  
  Confirm /Library/PaperCut (Hive/Pocket) exists.
• Resolution: If the Edge Node directory is missing, reinstall the Edge Node package. If present, restart the Edge Node service (refer to How to restart an Edge Node).

2. Security software blocking Edge Node executables

• Resolution: Add directory exclusions for the Hive/Pocket install locations, or add the individual executables listed above to your firewall/EDR allow list.

3. Edge Node subservices in a “Suspended” state (Windows)

If subservices associated with Edge Node processes are suspended unexpectedly, inter-process communication stops.

• Check: Open Task Manager, type pc- in the search bar, and check the Status column for any processes marked Suspended.
• Resolution: Open services.msc, locate PaperCut Hive/Pocket EdgeNode Service, and click Stop. Wait for the service to stop then click Start. If subservices are suspended intermittently, add the full PaperCut folder tree to your endpoint security exclusions.

Task tray status: “PaperCut: Connection limited”

Symptom: The task tray icon displays a red warning badge with the tooltip: PaperCut: Connection limited.

The workstation has lost internet access or cannot establish outbound communication with PaperCut’s cloud notification broker (MQTT).

Required network endpoints & ports

Ensure outbound firewall and web proxy rules permit traffic to:

• Host Wildcard: *.notifications.cloud.papercut.com
• Specific Hosts:
  • mqtt.notifications.cloud.papercut.com
  • mqtt2.notifications.cloud.papercut.com
  • mqtt3.notifications.cloud.papercut.com
• Required Ports:
  • TCP 443 (HTTPS / WSS)
  • TCP 8883 (MQTTS / TLS)

For more details on firewall and network requirements, please refer to Hive and Pocket System Requirements

Resolution

1. Verify the workstation has active internet access.
2. From a command prompt or terminal, test network connectivity:

   • Windows (PowerShell):

     PowerShell

     Test-NetConnection -ComputerName mqtt.notifications.cloud.papercut.com -Port 443
     Test-NetConnection -ComputerName mqtt.notifications.cloud.papercut.com -Port 8883
     

   • macOS (Terminal):

     Bash

     nc -vz mqtt.notifications.cloud.papercut.com 443
     nc -vz mqtt.notifications.cloud.papercut.com 8883
     

3. If SSL/TLS deep packet inspection or TLS decryption is active on your network gateway, configure an exclusion bypass for *.notifications.cloud.papercut.com.

Further help

Need further assistance? Please reach out to your PaperCut Reseller/Partner, or open a ticket with our PaperCut Support team via Support Portal.

Related articles

· PaperCut Hive Installation Troubleshooting

· Client Configuration & Verification Guide

· How does the Edge Node Print Client and Service work with PaperCut Pocket & PaperCut Hive