When the Print Spooler service is down, you will not be able to interact with your printer. This is because the Print Spooler service acts as a communication bridge and facilitates the interactions you wish to make with your printer. Therefore, ensuring the service runs in the background without any issues is a high priority. In this article, we will take you through several methods you can use to rectify the problem. As it turns out, the cause of the error message can differ in each case, which is why it is essential that we go through the possible sources of the issue before diving into the solutions. With that in mind, let us start right away. Now that we have gone through various possible causes of the issue in question let us start going through the possible solutions you can implement to resolve the error message.
1. Set Print Spooler Service to Automatic
If the Print Spooler service cannot start automatically when required, you will not be able to perform any printing jobs. This can happen when the service’s startup type is set to manual. In that case, you will have to manually start the service before performing any print tasks. When you start troubleshooting the problem in question, you first need to ensure that the Print Spooler service can start automatically. If the service is not running in the background when you try to issue any printing commands, your system will not be able to communicate with the printer. If this case is applicable, you will have to change the service’s startup type so it can start automatically whenever needed. To do this, follow the instructions down below: If you still face the error message, move on to the next fix below.
2. Edit Print Spooler Service Configuration
If changing the startup type of the Print Spooler to automatic does not fix the issue for you, you can try configuring the service even further as a possible fix. As it turns out, there have been reports of users resolving the problem in question by changing the computer’s response when the service fails. You can do this from the properties window of the service. You have the ability to specify actions for the first, second and subsequent failures of the service. To do this, follow the instructions down below:
3. Remove Duplicate Printers (if applicable)
One of the reasons the problem occurs is when you have multiple printers on the same port or IP address. This can be helpful when the error message occurs only on specific systems in your network. When this happens, you will need to check if the systems use the same network printer. If this case is applicable, you must remove the duplicate printers, which should do the trick for you. Removing devices from your computer is a straightforward process with the help of the Control Panel. Follow the instructions down below to do this: If you are still a victim of the error message, move to the following method below.
4. Install Pending Windows Updates
As it turns out, in some cases, Windows updates can cause issues with certain operating system components. While Windows updates bring new features and patches to known bugs, specific updates can be problematic. However, such issues are often resolved on subsequent updates. Many users have reported that they started facing the issue after installing a specific Windows update. In addition, there have been claims of the issue being solved in the follow-up updates. As such, if you are someone who has not installed any updates recently, doing so might be a good option as it might potentially fix the problem for you. Follow the instructions down below to install any pending updates:
5. Disable Windows Defender Firewall
The Windows Defender Firewall is a vital part of the Windows operating system. As the name shows, Windows Defender Firewall overlooks your computer’s incoming and outgoing connections. As a result, this helps keep your computer securely over the internet. In some scenarios, the Windows Defender Firewall can be the culprit for the error message in question. This can happen when the Windows Firewall does not allow spooler requests to go through correctly. If this case is applicable, you will have to temporarily disable the Windows Defender Firewall to resolve the issue. To do this, follow the instructions down below: If the problem no longer persists, you can try adding your printer software to the Firewall’s whitelist. Once you do this, the firewall will allow any requests made by the software and the issue should not resurface. In addition, you will be able to turn the firewall back on. Follow the instructions down below:
6. Close Third-Party Programs
According to several user reports, the error message can also occur due to the interference of a third-party program with the Print Spooler service. Background processes interfering with another process are not new, and it happens all the time. This especially holds true for any computer security programs you might use. However, the problem may not only be due to a third-party security program. Any process running in the background can be the culprit. Some users have reported HP Wolf Security as the culprit. Therefore, we recommend closing out any third-party program running in the background that you do not need. Once you close out the unnecessary programs, check if the error message goes away. In case it does not, move on to the next fix below.
7. Delete Printer Files
As it turns out, the spooler sends files you wish to print to a folder inside the Windows directory. These files exist in the respective directory for the purpose of any pending print tasks. However, in some cases, any corruption or damage to these files can result in the malfunction of the Print Spooler service. When this occurs, you will have to clear out the contents of the respective folder to resolve the issue. To do this, you will require administrative privileges as the folder resides in the Windows installation directory. With that in mind, follow the instructions down below:
8. Reinstall Printer Drivers
Drivers are essential in the Windows operating system. This is because they are used to communicating with their respective hardware. There have been reports of the error message occurring due to a bad driver or malfunctioning drivers. As it turns out, if the drivers on your system for your printer are not working correctly, you will not be able to use your printer. If this case is applicable, you will have to uninstall your current printer drives and then reinstall them. Doing so will also update the drivers since you will download them freshly from your printer’s manufacturer. To do this, follow the instructions down below: If you still encounter the Print Spooler service not running an error message, move to the next method below.
9. Repair System Files Corruption
Finally, if none of the methods above has freed you from the problem in question, it is very likely that the issue is occurring due to the corruption of the system files. In such a scenario, you can use two built-in utilities to repair the corrupt files. The utilities in question are System File Checker (SFC) and Deployment Image Servicing Management (DISM). Running these scans will locate corrupt files and replace them with functioning copies. To do this, follow the instructions down below:
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