How to Repair Print Spooler Issues

How to Repair Print Spooler Issues

The Print Spooler is one of many Windows services that run by default the moment
you log into your computer. The service itself may not have any visible user
interface, but it works continuously in the background monitoring print jobs
that have been carried out by applications, such as Microsoft Excel and Word.

The program file for this service is spoolsv.exe, and it functions as an intermediary between the printer and the application that you attempt to print from. If this service fails you will no longer be able to print.

The Cause of Print Spooler Errors
Print Spooler errors are caused by a number of things, with the most common
being a defective driver. A defective or corrupted driver could be caused by a failed installation or simply by the end user installing the wrong driver for the device. In other situations, the spooler service may simply not be working as it should. Lack of system resources is another cause of such errors when the user attempts to print too many documents at once.
Symptoms of These Errors
There are a number of symptoms associated with these errors, with the most common
being the following:
·
The printer failing to print a document.
·
The user receiving a stop error message while printing.
·
System freezing while attempting to print a document.
How to Fix It
When it comes to fixing Print Spooler errors, there are several things that you can
do. Attempting them all will ensure you rectify any problems you may be having with this aspect of your computer system.
Restart Print Spooler Service
Restarting the Printer Spooler service is what you should attempt if you encounter errors
when you try to print too many documents at once.
A simple restart of this service should be sufficient in rectifying such problems.
Anyway, you can do that, by doing the following:
1. First, boot into your computer with a user profile that has administrative rights.
2. Then press Windows Key + R, this will load up the Run Command box, from here, type Services.msc into it and click on OK.

How to Repair Print Spooler Issues
3.Once Services loads up, right click on Print Spooler (from the list) and
click on Restart.

How to Repair Print Spooler Issues

Note: Alternatively, you could restart the whole system, which would achieve the same result, but take more of your time doing it.

Delete the Printer
There is a good chance that the printer install has been corrupted, as a result, you
may want to consider removing it so that you can reinstall it. In order to do
that, you will need to do the following:
1. First, ensure you have booted into your computer with the appropriate administrative
rights.
2.Then unplug your printer and disconnect it from your system.
3.Then press Windows Key + R, type Control Panel (into the Run
Command
box) and click on OK.

 

4.Once Control Panel loads up, type Printer into the Search Control Panel box, then click on Devices and Printers.

How to Repair Print Spooler Issues

5.Once Devices and Printers loads up right click on your Printer Icon and select Remove Device.

How to Repair Print Spooler Issues

Once you have successfully removed your printer device, you will need to reinstall the drivers for it again.

To do that, I recommend you first visit the website of the manufacturer of your
printer. From there you should be able to download the latest drivers for your
printer and operating system.
Once you have successfully done that, run the installation file and follow the
onscreen instructions to install the printer.
Note: If you are unable to find drivers for your operating system then it means the printer is not compatible with your operating system.
Remember, 64-bit drivers will only work on a 64-bit operating system; however
32-bit drivers should work on both 64-bit and 32-bit operating systems.
Run System Restore
If the problems you are experiencing with your printer only recently started to occur,
then there is a strong chance that the problem is related to the spoolsv.exe
file, in which case, you may be able to repair it by using System Restore.
To run this tool, simply do the following:
1. First, boot into your computer with an administrative user profile.
2.Then press Windows Key + R, type rstrui.exe [Windows XP: %systemroot%system32restorerstrui.exe] into the Run Command box and click
on OK.

How to Repair Print Spooler Issues

3.Once System Restore loads up, follow the onscreen instructions to set your system back to its previously working state. Remember, you want to choose the last restore point that was created before this problem started to rear its ugly head. The downside is that any programs that were installed after this point may be lost, along with any drivers.

Note: The restore process can be quite time-consuming, so please be patient.
Use Repair Software
If you feel you lack the expertise to carry out the various tasks above, then there is
always repair software that you can use to do it for you. Print Spooler Repair Tool is a good example, I recommend you download this tool and use it to fix the error. It’s an extremely easy tool to use, just download, run and click on Repair and you’re done.
–AUTHOR INFO—
Uchenna Ani-Okoye is a former IT Manager who now runs his own computer support website compuchenna.co.uk