Print Spooler Problem driving me crazy

[dark ride]

Hi Everyone,

I hope this is the right place for this, if not I apologize and please move it to where it should be. Lately, I've been having a problem where spoolsv.exe uses 25% of my CPU randomly or so I thought. I finally had enough of it and tried everything google told me to try. I stopped and restarted the service, cleaned out all old printer drivers and uninstalled my printers. When I was reinstalling I discovered that it is one printer (an HP OfficeJet 6968) that seems to be causing the problem. The second the install finished and the printer connected instantly spoolsv.exe usage spiked. Shut the printer off and as soon as it was offline it dropped back down. I have tried manually removing the drivers for this printer but it won't let me delete them. Any suggestions, besides tossing this printer off the roof?

Thanks in advance!

 

[topheron]

I've run into this before.

Most of the time it requires removing every trace of the printer driver from the computer.

Here is the HP guide:

https://support.hp.com/hk-en/document/c02259020

Pay attention to the part where it says to right click and remove device... that's the important part.

Note that you need to have the printer disconnected from the computer or windows might just helpfully find a driver and install it for you!

After you have removed all traces of the printer software and drivers, reconnect the printer, let windows discover it, and then you might let windows install it's best guess for a printer driver that is compatible.

HP's software is frequently bloated, intrusive, and not customer friendly. I try to install the LEAST amount of printer support possible that still allows me to print.

I've also had printers that got flakey about the ink cartridges. Then the printer would be constantly notifying the computer that non-HP validated ink cartridges were in the printer... for best results use genuine HP...

Thing is, it WAS genuine HP cartridges, but the printer didn't think so, and it constantly was communicating this fact to the computer.

(sigh)

Yeah, worst case throw the printer away.

But try the driver removal first.

 

[dark ride]

I've run into this before.

Most of the time it requires removing every trace of the printer driver from the computer.

Here is the HP guide:

https://support.hp.com/hk-en/document/c02259020

Pay attention to the part where it says to right click and remove device... that's the important part.

Note that you need to have the printer disconnected from the computer or windows might just helpfully find a driver and install it for you!

After you have removed all traces of the printer software and drivers, reconnect the printer, let windows discover it, and then you might let windows install it's best guess for a printer driver that is compatible.

HP's software is frequently bloated, intrusive, and not customer friendly. I try to install the LEAST amount of printer support possible that still allows me to print.

I've also had printers that got flakey about the ink cartridges. Then the printer would be constantly notifying the computer that non-HP validated ink cartridges were in the printer... for best results use genuine HP...

Thing is, it WAS genuine HP cartridges, but the printer didn't think so, and it constantly was communicating this fact to the computer.

(sigh)

Yeah, worst case throw the printer away.

But try the driver removal first.

Thanks! That worked! There was a huge HP Software package under programs (that in my frustration I never thought to check) and once I uninstalled that, the printer disappeared and once I reconnected it, Windows reinstalled it and the problem is seemingly gone. Hopefully that's the end of it. I honestly don't remember installing that package, because my experience with printer software has been the same as your own, but I must have or must have allowed it to install at some point. Thanks so much for your help!