Print spooler service won't start

[laptop5000]

New computer build with fresh install of Windows 7 (64) on formatted hard drive. I have no printers installed and am allowing window to download all updates. I can't install any printers as windows print spooler service is not loaded. If I go to services, and attempt to start the service, I get an error message that says "Windows could not start the Print spooler service on Local Computer" "Error 1053; The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion".

All dependant services are loaded and running. I have restored the computer to an earlier point and was able to determine the spooler services are running. I continue to allow updates and at some point the service becomes corrupted again. I check in services.msc after every restart. I can't seem to figure out what's corrupting the spooler service. I've even gone as far as to re-install a system image created just after all motherboard divers where installed. The service appears to be working fine and during the process of doing Windows updates,after a random restart, it's not working again. Once it stops working it never comes back until I do a system restore.

 

[Brett928S2]

Hi

Install the 64 bit printer drivers/software...

All the best Brett

 

[laptop5000]

Hi

Install the 64 bit printer drivers/software...

All the best Brett

Once the spooler service stops, you cannot install a printer or driver until the service starts and is running. You need to get the spooler service to run/start and that's my issue. I've only been able to start the service by a system restore, only to have it randomly stop again!

 

[danny2000]

What action is the Print Spooler service set to in Recovery?

 

[danny2000]

This issue can be caused by the following reasons:

1. Printer driver is corrupt.
2. Contents in printer spooler are corrupt.
3. Other incompatible printer drivers conflicts.

To resolve this issue, please try the following steps.

Method 1: Reinstall the installed printers

To reinstall the printers, please refer "How to reinstall a printer".

If the issue persists, go Step2.

Method 2: Reset Spooler

1. Click "Start", type "Services.msc" in the "Start Search" box press "Enter".
2. Double-click "Printer Spooler" in the Services list.
3. Click "Stop" and click "OK".
4. Click "Start", in the "Start Search" box type "%WINDIR%\system32\spool\printers" press "Enter", and delete all files in this folder.
5. Click "Start", in the "Start Search" box type "Services.msc" (without the quotation marks) in the open box and press "Enter".
6. Double-click "Printer Spooler" in the Services list.
7. Click "Start" and click "OK".

Method 3: Isolate each printer drivers and find if any driver is the root cause.

To isolate printer driver, please:

1. Click "Start", type "Print Management" in the "Start Search" box and press "Enter".
2. Click "All Drivers" in the left pane. In the right pane, right-click on one printer driver and choose "Set Driver Isolation"->"Isolated".
3. Start printing job and see if printer spooler crashes. If it still crashes, change the driver isolation of the driver back to "System Default (Shared)". Then continue to isolate the next driver.

Once the issue does not occur after you isolate a driver, the driver should be the root cause of the print spooler crash issue.

 

[laptop5000]

What action is the Print Spooler service set to in Recovery?

1st failure: restart service
2nd failure: restart service
3rd failure: take no action

Have also tried with 3rd set to restart service, makes no difference.

 

[danny2000]

If the above does not work, you can do this from your Windows 7 DVD
To resolve this problem, follow these steps:1.Click Start, click Run, type %windir%\system32, and then click OK.

Note %windir% represents the folder where Windows is installed.
2.Right-click the spoolsv file, and then click Rename.
3.Type oldspool, and then press ENTER.
4.Insert the Windows XP disk in the computer's CD or DVD drive. Press and hold down the SHIFT key as you insert the disk to prevent the Windows XP installation from starting automatically.
5.Click Start, click Run, type expand CD drive:\i386\spoolsv.ex_ %windir%\system32\spoolsv.exe, and then click OK.

Notes◦Make sure that there is a character space between "spoolsv.ex_" and "%windir%."
◦CD drive represents the drive letter of the CD or DVD drive that contains the Windows XP disk. For example, if the letter of the CD or DVD drive is E, type the following, and then click OK:
expand E:\i386\spoolsv.ex_ %windir%\system32\spoolsv.exe


6.Restart the computer.

 

[danny2000]

The spoolsv file is in the same location for Windows 7, and should be the same on the Windows 7 dvd.

 

[laptop5000]

This issue can be caused by the following reasons:

1. Printer driver is corrupt.
2. Contents in printer spooler are corrupt.
3. Other incompatible printer drivers conflicts.

To resolve this issue, please try the following steps.

Method 1: Reinstall the installed printers

To reinstall the printers, please refer "How to reinstall a printer".

If the issue persists, go Step2.

Method 2: Reset Spooler

1. Click "Start", type "Services.msc" in the "Start Search" box press "Enter".
2. Double-click "Printer Spooler" in the Services list.
3. Click "Stop" and click "OK".
4. Click "Start", in the "Start Search" box type "%WINDIR%\system32\spool\printers" press "Enter", and delete all files in this folder.
5. Click "Start", in the "Start Search" box type "Services.msc" (without the quotation marks) in the open box and press "Enter".
6. Double-click "Printer Spooler" in the Services list.
7. Click "Start" and click "OK".

Method 3: Isolate each printer drivers and find if any driver is the root cause.

To isolate printer driver, please:

1. Click "Start", type "Print Management" in the "Start Search" box and press "Enter".
2. Click "All Drivers" in the left pane. In the right pane, right-click on one printer driver and choose "Set Driver Isolation"->"Isolated".
3. Start printing job and see if printer spooler crashes. If it still crashes, change the driver isolation of the driver back to "System Default (Shared)". Then continue to isolate the next driver.

Once the issue does not occur after you isolate a driver, the driver should be the root cause of the print spooler crash issue.

Method 1-> I have no printers installed yet. The lack of a running spooler service prevents installation of printers. See Error 1053 in original post.

Method 2 -> Service is set to automatic, it is already stopped/not running and will not start. Clicking start brings up the Error 1053

Method 3 -> There are no drivers installed. Typing "print management <enter>" flashes a command window open and closed so fast I can't determine what it even says.

 

[laptop5000]

If the above does not work, you can do this from your Windows 7 DVD
To resolve this problem, follow these steps:1.Click Start, click Run, type %windir%\system32, and then click OK.

Note %windir% represents the folder where Windows is installed.
2.Right-click the spoolsv file, and then click Rename.
3.Type oldspool, and then press ENTER.
4.Insert the Windows XP disk in the computer's CD or DVD drive. Press and hold down the SHIFT key as you insert the disk to prevent the Windows XP installation from starting automatically.
5.Click Start, click Run, type expand CD drive:\i386\spoolsv.ex_ %windir%\system32\spoolsv.exe, and then click OK.

Notes◦Make sure that there is a character space between "spoolsv.ex_" and "%windir%."
◦CD drive represents the drive letter of the CD or DVD drive that contains the Windows XP disk. For example, if the letter of the CD or DVD drive is E, type the following, and then click OK:
expand E:\i386\spoolsv.ex_ %windir%\system32\spoolsv.exe


6.Restart the computer.

Danny

Thanks for the help. Right now I have been working on a image restore of my system taken after all motherboard drivers were installed. I've been allowing windows to install all available updates. To this point all is well. I've created a "services shortcut" on my desktop and I constantly check the spooler services after every restart. So far the services have not failed.

Windows Update is finally showing no more updates and all is well. The only thing I've done differently this time is to not install McAfee Total Protection. I'm starting to wonder............... I have 2 other computers running McAfee Total Protection with Windows 7(64) with no issues.

I'm going to monitor this one for a couple of days and see what happens. Installing the print drivers is not going to happen until I'm sure the "Spooler Service" is stable. It's easier to un-install a driver that doesn't exist than try to clean it up if the Spooler fails.

 

[danny2000]

good. I agree. The printer is probably the last thing that needs to be installed on someone's computer.

 

[Outlander_04]

do you have media center enabled on this pc?

 

[laptop5000]

do you have media center enabled on this pc?

Windows features shows media center on, but I have yet to use it.

 

[laptop5000]

Well so much for thinking it's fixed. Fired up computer this morning, check services and print spooler isn't running and can't start it. Come to find out "Print Management" isn't available with Win 7 (x64) Home Premium, only comes with proffessional(wish I'd known that one before). I have one wireless network printer and an older brother parallel printer connected by usb to parallel cable. Neither printer has been turned on, but, the brother is connected. I noticed than windows has installed an unknown device (maybe for the brother printer???). I will try to remove the device, physically disconnect all printers and see if I can get spooler to run. Possibly try to rename the spoolsv file, run sfc/scannow and see if I can get the spooler to run. Stay tuned..................

 

[izzy_m]

I had a customer came to me with a brand new HP Laptop running Windows 7 that could not print on his HP printer.

The error was:
"Windows could not start the Print Spooler service on Local Computer
Error 1053: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion."

I did sfc /scannow, chkdsk /r /f, and so on without success. And pretty much everything described in this topic.

Then I decided to play with the Spooler service properties and Voala! Problem solved!

Here is my solution:
Go to Start, type services and hit enter.
Go to Printer Spooler, right click Properties.
Go to Log On tab and uncheck Allow service to interact with desktop and hit Apply.
Go back to General tab and start the service.
Hit OK and enjoy.

You are welcome. I hope this would save you some time looking for an answer. I think it is caused by some of Microsoft recent updates. You know, after Patch Tuesdays always come Frustration Wednesdays .

Izzy M.
www.yourcomputerhealer.com

 

[pat_72]

I had a customer came to me with a brand new HP Laptop running Windows 7 that could not print on his HP printer.

The error was:
"Windows could not start the Print Spooler service on Local Computer
Error 1053: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion."

I did sfc /scannow, chkdsk /r /f, and so on without success. And pretty much everything described in this topic.

Then I decided to play with the Spooler service properties and Voala! Problem solved!

Here is my solution:
Go to Start, type services and hit enter.
Go to Printer Spooler, right click Properties.
Go to Log On tab and uncheck Allow service to interact with desktop and hit Apply.
Go back to General tab and start the service.
Hit OK and enjoy.

You are welcome. I hope this would save you some time looking for an answer. I think it is caused by some of Microsoft recent updates. You know, after Patch Tuesdays always come Frustration Wednesdays .

Izzy M
www.yourcomputerhealer.com

Thankyou sooooo much, after I did this I had to restart my computer then I could install the hp drivers and now I can use my printer again, in time for finals.

 

[BillCar]

I had a customer came to me with a brand new HP Laptop running Windows 7 that could not print on his HP printer.

The error was:
"Windows could not start the Print Spooler service on Local Computer
Error 1053: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion."

I did sfc /scannow, chkdsk /r /f, and so on without success. And pretty much everything described in this topic.

Then I decided to play with the Spooler service properties and Voala! Problem solved!

Here is my solution:
Go to Start, type services and hit enter.
Go to Printer Spooler, right click Properties.
Go to Log On tab and uncheck Allow service to interact with desktop and hit Apply.
Go back to General tab and start the service.
Hit OK and enjoy.

You are welcome. I hope this would save you some time looking for an answer. I think it is caused by some of Microsoft recent updates. You know, after Patch Tuesdays always come Frustration Wednesdays .

Izzy M.
www.yourcomputerhealer.com

 

[BillCar]

Unchecking "Allow service to interact with Desktop" allowed me to start print spooler. Thanks for tip.

 

[bobg3rd]

I had a customer came to me with a brand new HP Laptop running Windows 7 that could not print on his HP printer.

The error was:
"Windows could not start the Print Spooler service on Local Computer
Error 1053: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion."

I did sfc /scannow, chkdsk /r /f, and so on without success. And pretty much everything described in this topic.

Then I decided to play with the Spooler service properties and Voala! Problem solved!

Here is my solution:
Go to Start, type services and hit enter.
Go to Printer Spooler, right click Properties.
Go to Log On tab and uncheck Allow service to interact with desktop and hit Apply.
Go back to General tab and start the service.
Hit OK and enjoy.

You are welcome. I hope this would save you some time looking for an answer. I think it is caused by some of Microsoft recent updates. You know, after Patch Tuesdays always come Frustration Wednesdays .

Izzy M.
www.yourcomputerhealer.com

 

[staunch]

Unchecking "Allow service to interact with Desktop" allowed me to start print spooler. Thanks for tip.

Tnx for Trip.

 

[thechromepoet]

I had a customer came to me with a brand new HP Laptop running Windows 7 that could not print on his HP printer.

The error was:
"Windows could not start the Print Spooler service on Local Computer
Error 1053: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion."

I did sfc /scannow, chkdsk /r /f, and so on without success. And pretty much everything described in this topic.

Then I decided to play with the Spooler service properties and Voala! Problem solved!

Here is my solution:
Go to Start, type services and hit enter.
Go to Printer Spooler, right click Properties.
Go to Log On tab and uncheck Allow service to interact with desktop and hit Apply.
Go back to General tab and start the service.
Hit OK and enjoy.

You are welcome. I hope this would save you some time looking for an answer. I think it is caused by some of Microsoft recent updates. You know, after Patch Tuesdays always come Frustration Wednesdays .

thechromepoet

Thank you so much man it worked!!!!!!!