Fix: Print Spooler Keeps Stopping

Print spooler is service which spools print jobs and handles interaction with the printer.  If you turn off this service, you won’t be able to use your printer. That means print spooler services should be running, so you can print properly. You can start Print Spooler service through Services tool and fix the problem. But sometimes, when you start Printer Spooler services, it automatically stopped.

So, why this problem occurs? There are different reasons including file or document corruption, driver corruption, not compatible drivers, malware infection, the problem with spoolsv.exe ownership and others.

We created 15 methods which will help you to solve this issue.

Method 1: Delete content from Spool folder

In this method, we will delete content from two folders, including folder PRINTERS and folder drivers. We will show you how to do it using Windows 10 1703 version. Also, this method is compatible with another operating system, from Windows XP to Windows 8.1. These two folders are located within Windows\System32\spool.

1. Hold Windows logo and press E to open Windows Explorer or File Explorer
2. On the left side click on This PC or My Computer
3. Navigate to following location C:\Windows\System32\spool
4. Open folder drivers and delete all files and folders
5. Delete content from folder Printers and restart Print Spooler service using tool available on this LINK
6. Restart your Windows machine
7. Enjoy printing on your machine

Method 2: Reinstall printer driver

Sometimes the bad driver can make problems with your printer. In this method, you will need to download and install the latest driver for your printer. In most cases, vendors are providing two types of drivers, basic driver, and full package driver. What is the difference between them? As the name says, the basic driver includes the only driver for the printer, and the full package includes driver and additional software for managing printer. Few users solved their problem, by reinstalling the current driver and installing the only basic driver. You will need to download the driver from official vendor’s website. For example, if you are using printer HP LaserJet 1320 you will need to open this LINK and download the basic driver. After you finish reinstalling printer driver, you will need to restart your Windows machine and restart Print Spooler service, by downloading and running tool from the link in step 5 of method 1.

Method 3: Remove duplicated drivers

In this method, you will need to remove all duplicated drivers from your Windows machine. Please follow the procedure described (Method 4). After you finish deleting duplicated drivers, you will need to restart your Windows machine and restart Print Spooler service.

Method 4: Set Driver Isolation

In this method, we will show you how to set your printer driver to isolation. Why should we do this? The main reason is to avoid conflict between drivers. This procedure is compatible with the operating system from Windows 7 and Window 10. Driver Isolation is not a part of previous operating systems. If you are not using Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10, please check method 5.

1. Hold Windows logo and press R
2. Type printmanagement.msc and press Enter to open Print Management
3. Choose All drivers
4. Select your printer driver
5. Right click and choose Set Isolation, and then choose Isolated instead of System Default (Shared)
6. Close Print Management
7. Restart your Windows machine
8. Restart Print Spooler service
9. Enjoy printing on your machine

Method 5: Take ownership of spoolsv.exe

In this method, you will need to take ownership of spoolsv.exe application which is responsible work Print Spooler service. We will show you how to do it using Windows 10. The same procedure is compatible with another operating system.

1. Hold Windows logo and press E to open Windows Explorer or File Explorer
2. On the left side click on This PC or My Computer
3. Navigate to following location C:\Windows\System32
4. Select file spoolsv.exe
5. Right click on spoolsv.exe and choose Properties
6. Select Security tab
7. Under Group and user names choose Users and then click Advanced
8. Under Owner click Change and type your user account. In our example, it is user account named Jasmin Kahriman
9. Click Check Names and then click OK
10. Click Apply and then OK
11. Click Apply and then OK, again
12. Restart Print Spooler service
13. Restart your Windows machine
14. Enjoy printing on your machine

Method 6: Reset Internet Explorer settings

If you tried to print some files from Internet Explorer and you are not able to do that because of issue with Print Spooler service, we are recommending you to reset settings on your Internet Explorer. For resetting Internet Explorer please follow method 1. After you finish restarting Internet Explorer to default settings, you will need to restart your Windows machine and restart Print Spooler service.

If you are not printing from Internet Explorer, please check next method.

Method 7: Delete unnecessary key from Registry

End users do not like to do some changes in Registry Editor because wrong changes can damage your Windows, drivers or applications. Do not worry, we will show you how to do it step by step. In this method, we will delete unnecessary keys from Registry database on following location Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Providers. Before you do any registry configuration, we are recommending you to backup registry database. Why do you need to do registry backup? In the case of some misconfiguration, you can revert registry database to the previous state when everything worked without any problems. For this method, you will need to use a user account with Administrator privilege, because Standard user account is not allowed to do any system changes.

1. Hold Windows logo and press R
2. Type regedit and press Enter to open Registry Editor
3. Click Yes to confirm running Registry Editor with Administrator privilege
4. Click File, and then Export to save current registry configuration
5. Choose Desktop as location where you will export registry configuration
6. Under File name type Backup06092017 and choose All under Export range
7. Click Save
8. Navigate to the following location: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Providers. You will need to delete all keys, but LanMan Print Services and Internet Print Provider which are the default and which should not be deleted. In case you find the additional key, you should delete that key. In our example, there is an additional key named Printing Services.
9. Delete key Printing Services
10. Close Registry Editor
11. Restart Print Spooler service
12. Restart your Windows machine
13. Enjoy printing on your machine

Method 8: Scan your hard disk for malware

In this method, you will need to scan your hard disk for malware using Malwarebytes. Please follow instructions to download and run a scan on this internet explorer has stopped working, method 10. Also, you can scan your hard disk for malware using Avira Antivir or Microsoft Defender. You will find more information on this LINK, method 5. After you finished removing malware from your machine, you will need to restart your Windows machine and restart Print Spooler service

Method 9: Use CCleaner

CCleaner is a powerful tool for deleting unnecessary files from your Windows machine. In this method, we will download and install CCleaner and delete unnecessary files stored on hard disk. We will show you how to do it on Windows 10.

1. Open Internet browser (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Edge or other)
2. Download CCleaner from this LINK
3. Install and run CCleaner on your machine
4. Under Windows, tab select all actions and click Run Cleaner
5. Follow the same procedure under Application tab
6. Wait until CCleaner is finished procedure
7. Close CCleaner
8. Restart your Windows machine
9. Restart Print Spooler service
10. Enjoy printing on your machine

Method 10: Uninstall Oracle SealedMedia or IRM

Sometimes some applications can block Print Spooler service and you will need to uninstall that application, to continue printing without any problems. In this method, we will uninstall Oracle IRM from Windows machine. If this method did not solve your problem, then you can install Oracle IRM again.

1. Hold Windows logo and press R
2. Type appwiz.cpl and press Enter to open Program and Features
3. Navigate to Oracle IRM
4. Right click on Oracle IRM and choose Uninstall
5. Wait until Windows is finished procedure
6. Restart your Windows machine
7. Restart Print Spooler service
8. Enjoy printing on your machine

Method 11: Run CHKDSK /R

In case you have a problem with system file corruption or you can not write or read data from hard disk, you should do CHKDSK /R. Check disk is a utility which will help you to find bad sectors, and fix them in case there are fixable. The procedure is the same for all operating system from Windows XP to Windows 10. Please check instructions here (Method 10)

Method 12: SFC /SCANNOW

System File Checker (SFC) is a command line utility integrated into Windows that checks for system file corruption. In case SFC found some issues with system file corruption, SFC will try to fix them.  SFC includes additional commands as SCANNOW. SCANNOW scans integrity of all protected system files and repairs files with problems when possible. How to run SFC /SCANNOW? Please follow instructions on this msvcr71.dll missing, method 4

Method 13: System Restore

System Restore is recovery mechanism integrated into Windows operating systems. It is not enabled by default, and it should be enabled by the end user or IT Administrator. If System Restore is not enabled on your Windows, please follow instructions for enabling System Restore on this system restore. If System Restore is already enabled on your Windows machine, you will need to do System Restore by reading method 13 on this remote procedure call failed.

Method 14: Replace your old printer

If you do not want to downgrade your operating system and you have planned budget for a new printer, then you can purchase a new printer. Before you change printer, you will need to uninstall all drivers and software related to old printer. Which brand should you purchase? There are different vendors including HP, Lexmark, Canon, Samsung, Kyocera, and others. Today, almost all new printers are compatible with the operating system from Windows 7 to Windows 10.