Member Avatar for b17bomber

System is a 2000Pro with a HP 7450 Printer.

Hardware Device mgr clearly shows 7450 hardware and software as installed and running properly yet printer does not appear on PRINTERS PAGE-the ADD PRINTERS icon is all that shows and when that is clicked on the "OUT OF RESOURCES" "print subsystem unavailable" messages come up. Spooler shuts down each time I manually start it.

Looking in HKEY_Current_Config\System\C..C..S\Cont\Print\Printers shows the HP Photosmart 7400 Series as "PrinterOnLine:REG_DWORD: 0x1. But then under HKEY_Current_Config\Software\MicrosoftWindows\CurrentVersion\Print I find that the "PRINT" subkey file is empty.

Also, under HKEY_Local_Machine\System\Curr..Cont..Set\Control\Print that the subkey under \Print that should be \Print\Printers is not even there.

This started as a power failure during a 3 page print job. What can I do to reconstruct these subkeys and where do I find the values to enter?
thanks,
frustrated in the mountains

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Problem summary and likely cause (short)
The symptoms described by and — Device Manager showing the hardware, nothing in the Printers folder, Print Spooler shuts down and “print subsystem unavailable” after a power-loss — strongly point to a corrupted spool database or print-related registry entries, or a third‑party port/monitor/driver left in the registry after the interrupted job. Suggestions from and (reinstall/remove drivers) are valid, but when the HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print keys are missing or the spool directory is full/corrupt, follow a careful sequence (backup first) rather than repeatedly reinstalling drivers. (learn.microsoft.com)

Practical sequence to follow (do these in order)

  1. Create a full registry/export of the Print branch and a System State or disk backup (Windows 2000: use the Backup/ERD options) before editing anything. (learn.microsoft.com)
  2. Stop the spooler, clear stuck jobs, then restart it: net stop spooler → delete all files under %systemroot%\System32\spool\PRINTERS (only after stopping spooler) → net start spooler. This removes corrupt .SPL/.SHD jobs that commonly block the service. (learn.microsoft.com)
  3. Verify service dependencies (Print Spooler normally depends on RPC); use Services MMC or sc qc spooler and ensure RPC (rpcss) is running. If non‑default dependencies remain (vendor services), remove them or reconfigure spooler to depend on rpcss only. (learn.microsoft.com)
  4. With the spooler stopped and a registry export saved, remove non‑default print Monitors/Providers and problematic drivers from the registry and from Printers → Server Properties → Drivers (as @Laser suggested). Microsoft guidance warns to export HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print first and to remove third‑party monitors carefully. (learn.microsoft.com)

If the Print keys are missing or the spooler still dies
A missing or badly corrupted HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers hive often needs a restore from a registry/System State backup or an export taken from a like-for-like working machine; there isn’t a safe “generic” tiny .REG to paste unless it’s tailored to that machine. In some cases a Repair/ERD/System‑State restore or an OS repair install is the reliable way to rebuild the print registry safely. Also check for and remove any stale CopyFiles entries left by driver swaps — that specific registry artefact is a known cause of failed installs. (learn.microsoft.com)

Notes and cautions
Always export/backup before editing or deleting registry keys. Avoid importing random .reg files from unknown sites. If these steps don’t revive the Print Spooler (persistent spoolsv crashes or entry‑point errors), restore the registry from backup or perform a Windows repair/ERD/System‑State restore — those are the supported ways to recover missing Print hive data. (learn.microsoft.com)

Recommended Answers

All 5 Replies

Member Avatar for bobbyraw

how about reinstalling the printer from the cd or downloaded drivers

Member Avatar for felix gurley

i've had the same problem for a week, and have reinstalled the drivers several times from the original disk.
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no go.
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after i see the drivers installed and i'm told that by windows2000 that i have a printer hardware and it's ok, i go to PRINT and am told to go to printer set up.
in keying SET UP, i get this error message:
printer operation cannot continue due to lack of resources. the print subsystem is unavailable.
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what's particularly bothersome is that i had the identical printer - epson8400 - working on this same computer two weeks ago. the printer failed after i corrected a paper jam and pulled out the paper and some of THAT printer's celluloid parts behind the printhead.

epson sent me a new (rebuilt?) one.

it works A-ok in copy mode.
i know the connecting link is a-ok.
once in a while windows 2000 recognizes that i have a printer among my hardware.
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"the (printing)device is working properly" my hardware review says...
it fails on the printed set up command.
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one other symptom: on the add/remove programs, it lists epson printer software but without the size of the file,while two other epson programs (photo and scan) show a file size...
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yes. the printer SUBSYSTEM IS UNAVAILABLE...where do i go to make it availanble, please...

Member Avatar for b17bomber

Thanks...I have already tried this to no avail. Two weeks and I'm still without any printer. It won't let me load ANY printer, not just the HP 7450 that was running during the power failure. (Remember, under Device Hardware MGR, the HP 7450 is shown as loaded and running properly, even though it is NOT on the PRINTERS page.)

Member Avatar for Laser

Perhaps the drivers have become corrupted. Try uninstalling the printer; then open the Printers folder and go to File, Server Properties. Click on the Drivers tab then select and Remove the driver. Also ,on the Advanced tab ensure that the spool folder is located on a drive with sufficient free space. It wouldn't hurt to restart the print spooler service or reboot the computer at this point; now re-install the printer.

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