Print Spooler Keeps stopping Automatically (Fixing Guide)
In Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, 8.1 Windows 10
Question
I got an error message “The print spooler service is not running” when I try to print. Then I go to services page to start the service manually. I start the printer spooler service and it started successfully but after few seconds it stopped automatically. It seems like print spooler service keeps crashing windows 7 automatically. The print spooler service doesn’t stay ON. Eventually, I gave a print command to print a document but it’s again shown me the same error message. Then I checked the “print spooler” service in services page, it was stopped there again.
Solved Answer
This post will guide you how to solve this problem “Print Spooler service keeps Stopping Automatically”, actually there are many reasons behind that, The main reason is the driver conflicting (Please update the printer drivers), however we explained everything in this post, please follow the following steps to get rid of this problem “Print Spooler keeps Stopping Automatically”. If you followed all above steps properly, i am sure about it the problem can not persist any more. Print spooler service stopping automatically, print spooler service is automatically stopping, spooler stop, print spooler stops suddenly, print spooler stopped can’t install printer.
Steps
1. Open Services page
- (For windows xp) Click on Start and then click on RUN then Type Services.msc in RUN box then hit enter
- (For windows 7, 8, Vista) Click on Start and then Type Services.msc in Search box then hit enter
2. Find “Print spooler” Service and then Double click on it.
2. You will see a “Stop” button, Stop the Service for while
3. Go to “Recovery Tab”
4. (Important Step) Change “First Failure” & “Second Failure” Value under “Recovery Tab”
- Change the value of “First Failure” to “Restart the Service”
- Change the value of “Second Failure” to “Restart the Service”
5. Make sure the RPC Service is the dependencies of the “print spooler”
6. Then Leave it until next step is completed
7. Delete all the print job from this path “c:\windows\system32\spool\PRINTERS”
- Delete all the files under this following path (make it clean)
c:\windows\system32\spool\PRINTERS
8. Now Start the print Spooler Service.
- Come again “print spooler” Configuration page and click on “Start” Button.
Restart your computer
If the problem is still persist then you must try these more Additional Advanced Steps
9. (Important Step) Run a command “SFC /scannow” in Command prompt (with Administrative Right)
SFC /scannow
10 (Important Step) Run one more command “chkdsk /f /r” in Command prompt (with Administrative Right)
chkdsk /f /r
11. (Important Step) Delete all unwanted printers from the computer.
12. (Important Step) Make sure all printers are installed with correct drivers “there is not driver conflicting”(Please reinstall printer drivers again)
Step 13 : Get the “.dll” file name & path which one is making conflicting with print spooler service.
- Right click on MyComputer and then click on Manage. You’ll get an another window.
- Click on the arrow of the “Event Viewer” (to Expand it).
- Click on the arrow of the “Windows Logs” (to Expand it).
- Click on “Application” under windows Logs.
- Now look on the right side pane, there have listed all the system LOGS.
- Now scroll down/up to find the error (Red Cross Error) which is related to print spooler service. Once you get it, double click on it to get more details about error (These logs create when system get any error or problem, so please find the error, that time you get crashed your printer spooler service.)
- Now you have the exact error message details. Here, find the name & path of “.dll” file in this detail.
- Now you have the particular “.dll” file name & path which one is doing conflicting with print spooler service.
- So, stop the conflicting via repair, rename that “.dll” file.
Do appropriate action on that file using following method below.1. If found “.dll” file is related to printer drivers then you can rename & delete the file, and then reboot your computer and then you can easily reinstall your printer driver.2. If found “.dll” file is related to any 3rd party application then you can uninstall that application and install it again if you want to use that application. You also can rename & delete the file if it is not related to windows system files any how. After that reboot your computer once.3. If found “.dll” file is related to windows system files or location then you must not rename & delete the file, because it maybe harmful for your operating system itself. To fix this issue you have to repair your windows through “SFC /scannow” or “chkdsk” or Combo Fix tool (Comobofix is a third party tool (Free Tool) however it can fix most of the windows issues). After that reboot your computer once.SFC /scannow chkdsk
FAQs
Q: “local print spooler service keeps stopping” it starts and immediately stops. I tried restarting via Computer Management Services but a few seconds after print spooler keeps crashing.
A: Hopefully, above solution will work for you to solve your problem.
Q: I have deleted the print queue from the spool folder. But it still stuck and printing nothing. A printing message appear and disappear. So why the print spooler keeps stopping. I tried to restart the print spooler.
A: Please check if print spooler service is running or not. If not then refer print spooler service not running for the fix. If it is running then the steps given in this article should work for you. Or if you are still facing the issue, then please leave your comment with more detail.
Q: I tried to print from the HP printer diagnostic Print. And got the same problem Spooler starts and stops.
A: I suggest you to please remove your all printer then you can get rid of Printer Spooler service crashes problem, you can try Restarting spooler via services.msc then you can resolve that problem, Print spooler starts and automatically stops Because of print spooler service.
Q: I had the same problem Printer Spooler Service Terminated Unexpectedly. I have tried to stop and start the service but problem still persist printer spooler service is not running/stopped.
A: Hopefully steps mentioned above will fix your issue.
Thx Guys, very well explained. help me out of the sh…
Only one thing that I had to deal with additionally in my case: I had to get rid of HP special reg entries specially. More information I found here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/947477.
Thx again for your support.
Thanks for sharing, it is a good KB from Microsoft.
Amazing! Method 1, it worked on Windows 10. I have no clue how it stopped. I came back to work (share the pc with someone else) and couldn’t print anything. Thank you so much!
Works so far. I will reboot to make sure. Thank you.
This worked great – saved my ***! THANK YOU!!
worked like charm Thank you
it,s grate …thank u…all the best….
I have this print spooler service stops automatically since my Win 7 was upgraded to Windows 10. It was a big annoyance as I couldn’t print or even view pdf file from Edge or Chrome when browsing website. I have been searching websites after websites for fixing tips but failed….. until I found yours!!
You were the only one that showed the “Advanced Steps” as even your standard procedures didn’t help. At last, I found that my Primo pdf dll file that caused the problem. I deleted it and now everything works just fine!!!
Thanks a lot !
Phil Shum
@Hong Kong
Perfect, I had the printer spool stalling and freezing, followed the instructions and found 4 odd files in the spool/printer directory, deleted them and restarted the spool service and now can print. Running MS diagnostics had done nothing.
Thanks
You’re most welcome!! Thank you for your appreciation!!
Great! I tried the Answer and it works. Thanks
ABSOLUTELY WORKS!! GREAT THANKS
Great it work thanks
Actually I found a DLL with problems, localspl.dll, but that is a system file. I have already ran
SFC /scannow
and
CHKDSK /F /R
so what more is there to do?
It seems like printer driver registry is conflicting with print spooler service, you can try 2 steps then contact us again if doesn’t work. If it doesn’t work then we have to uninstall the drivers manually from registry as well then re-install the drivers. Follow the following steps:
1. Open given location C:\windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS and Delete all files in this folder.
2. Run Combo Fix tool.
Thanks
To remove printer driver manually – first you have to uninstall the drivers from control panel then follow the following link and remove it from registry and system files. http://www.techsupportall.com/how-do-i-fix-unable-to-install-printer-operation-could-not-be-completed/
Thanks. I’ll try this one before coming back to you.
Just a follow-up questions before resuming this in the evening: Should I remove the subdirectories of spool\printers\ too? If yes, only the files, or also the directory structure?
Yes, you can remove all the files and folders in this location C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS\ however don’t delete \PRINTERS\ folder. This location is related to print queue – print documents are keep there before printing or while giving print command to printer to print, so maybe a possibility some print documents are stuck in this queue.
Do reply, if doesn’t solve or need more help.
ComboFix asks me to turn off antispyware and antivirus. Are they to be trusted?
Yes, it is legitimate software you can trust on that.
Hi,
I tried all your suggestions, but the wierd thing is that I could not find any error in the Even Viewer. That is where I got stuck.
/Lars
Please explain your problem in detail here then we can give you solution.
My mistake here. The even viewer looks slightly different in my version of Windows 7. As you may have seen in an email to you.
Spooler runs now, but I still have printing problems. I have issued them in e-mail. If you think it is good for other users, I could post it here too, or maybe you could even add the screenshots?
I’m getting error code 1068. I’m running windows 10. None of the above is working to resolve my issue. Help please!!
For this particular error message, we refer you a link which will help you particular 1068 error message. http://www.techsupportall.com/solved-print-spooler-error-1068-the-dependency-service-or-group-failed-to-start/
WinXP. Tried installing SAM4s …20p and that made print spooler stop working. After fix tool all is working fine again
Worked like a charm the first time. Thank you.
You are the best. It worked after the first 8 steps. Thank you a lot!!!
Oh my God thank you so much! Your fix worked perfectly!
Was a problem that the impression service was restarting alone, was so delete the files from printers resolve Thanks
Thank you kindly for this post. Just saved me a lot of time and effort.