Member Avatar for yourmna

Dear,

I have lost all the installed printers in Win2K Server. When I tried to add new printer it say alert "Printer operation cannot continue due to lack of resources. The print subsystem is unavailable". I have tried to restart the spooler service. It successfully started but when I opened the Printer Folder, it automatically again stopped. After this try I also set the spooler to restart if failed till two-failure attempts. But the matter is still there. When I try to add new printer it again shows same alert.

Please guide me. Spooler again and again stopped (I tried to restart) when trying to add new printer. I have checked my system for viruses with Norton updated ant virus software but no virus is found in my PC.

Thank you in advance.

Regards,
Naveed Ashraf

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This kind of failure usually means the Print Spooler is crashing while it tries to enumerate drivers or print processors. Opening the Printers folder forces the spooler to load every installed driver and monitor; a single bad or incompatible driver (or a corrupt file under the spooler folders) will bring spoolsv.exe down and cause the “lack of resources / print subsystem unavailable” symptom.

A focused way to isolate the problem:

  • Check Event Viewer (System and Application) for the exact error and any “faulting module” or Event IDs (note the time stamps). That tells you which DLL/driver is failing.
  • Temporarily stop the spooler, back up then clear the spool queue and move the installed-driver folder so the spooler can start without loading drivers. If the spooler stays up after that, reinstall drivers one at a time to find the culprit.

Run these commands from an elevated prompt (adjust C:\WINNT to C:\Windows if appropriate):

net stop spooler
rename C:\WINNT\System32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3 drivers_3_backup
del /Q C:\WINNT\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*
net start spooler

Also inspect C:\WINNT\System32\spool\prtprocs\w32x86 for third‑party print processors and check registry keys under HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print for nonstandard monitors. As noted, related svchost/process crashes will show in the event log; use that to target the offending driver. Don’t rush to a full reinstall: a bad driver or print processor is the usual cause. Back up the registry before edits, test after each change, and if a vendor driver is implicated, get an updated driver from the printer maker or remove the driver until a safe one is available.

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Member Avatar for Valmian

Did you have any previus crashes. For example a svchost.exe crash (background process)?
Try to make a clean reinstall if all fails.. but makesure you destroy all of the HD paritions first since win2k reinstalls are known to be fake.. Often win2k would just use the old bad files..
Ilya

Dear,

I have lost all the installed printers in Win2K Server. When I tried to add new printer it say alert "Printer operation cannot continue due to lack of resources. The print subsystem is unavailable". I have tried to restart the spooler service. It successfully started but when I opened the Printer Folder, it automatically again stopped. After this try I also set the spooler to restart if failed till two-failure attempts. But the matter is still there. When I try to add new printer it again shows same alert.

Please guide me. Spooler again and again stopped (I tried to restart) when trying to add new printer. I have checked my system for viruses with Norton updated ant virus software but no virus is found in my PC.

Thank you in advance.

Regards,
Naveed Ashraf

Member Avatar for Valmian

Are your printers networked? Are they phisically atached to your computer? if not check what protocols you using for your network...

Did you have any previus crashes. For example a svchost.exe crash (background process)?
Try to make a clean reinstall if all fails.. but makesure you destroy all of the HD paritions first since win2k reinstalls are known to be fake.. Often win2k would just use the old bad files..
Ilya

Member Avatar for Sue Whitehead

I found this info on Annoyances. Sounds like you already did the first part but I thought maybe the reference to the KB article would be of interest.

Member Avatar for goga2004

Dear Naveed
Do u find any solution?????
I have the same problem
I have lost all the installed printers in Win2K Server. When I tried to add new printer it say alert "Printer operation cannot continue due to lack of resources. The print subsystem is unavailable".

Sheikhshafiq

Dear,

I have lost all the installed printers in Win2K Server. When I tried to add new printer it say alert "Printer operation cannot continue due to lack of resources. The print subsystem is unavailable". I have tried to restart the spooler service. It successfully started but when I opened the Printer Folder, it automatically again stopped. After this try I also set the spooler to restart if failed till two-failure attempts. But the matter is still there. When I try to add new printer it again shows same alert.

Please guide me. Spooler again and again stopped (I tried to restart) when trying to add new printer. I have checked my system for viruses with Norton updated ant virus software but no virus is found in my PC.

Thank you in advance.

Regards,
Naveed Ashraf

Member Avatar for Adamsappleone

Dear Naveed
Do u find any solution?????
I have the same problem
I have lost all the installed printers in Win2K Server. When I tried to add new printer it say alert "Printer operation cannot continue due to lack of resources. The print subsystem is unavailable".

Sheikhshafiq

Do you realize, you posted to a topic that has not been replied to in over 6 years.
When are you noob's gonna learn.
READ THE RULES, stop hijacking, stop spamming and start your own thread if you have a legitimate issue.

Member Avatar for Muhammed Javed

Mr Ashraf
Go to control panel -> Administrative tools - > to services -> search for printer spool -> right click and click on start......

it work fine .....

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