Can't add printer: Print spooler service is not running

[WCStoll]

I have an Epson Stylus CX5400 that quits working on my eMachines W2646 XP SP2 Home Edition pc every so often. Usually it is some problem with Epson's own ink that causes the problem and I have to keep replacing the ink cartridges.
This time, the pc decided it no longer would recognize that the printer is there. I have repeatedly re-installed the dang thing only to again delete it. It keeps telling me that it cannot print until a printer is installed and do I want to install one? And then it says it cannot install as the print spooler is not in service. I tried following the instruction from this site (http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/FAQPrinting.htm) by using the Command Prompt window and typing the command:
"net start spooler"
which did not solve my problem. I also went to Epsons site to get the most recent driver. I am totally stumped.
Please help me.

[Laser]

Sounds like a corrupt driver...Try opening Printers and Faxes, Delete the Epson(s), then go to File, Server Properties. Click the Drivers tab and remove all the epson drivers. A reboot wouldn't hurt at this point, then add the printer again using the driver you downloaded.

[WCStoll]

My Printer and Faxes folder shows empty and the File - Server Properties cannot display anything because "Print Spooler is not running" so I cannot delete the epson drivers.
Trying to add a printer thru the "add a printer" link or using the epson cd doesn't work.
Where would these drivers be kept on the pc? Maybe I can just delete them there?

[Laser]

Print Spooler should start automatically on boot up. Try this; right click on My Computer and left click Manage. In the left pane expand Services and Applications, then click on Services; now on the right pane scroll down to Print Spooler and double click on it. Make sure the Startup Type is set to Automatic and the then click on Start.

[ozon45]

I tried all of the fixes that I could find using a Google search to solve the same problem and thus far nothing has worked. I'm on the verge of just saying the hell with it and back-up everything I need and reinstall windows.

I get the same message whenever I try to add a printer: "Operation could not be completed. Print spooler service is not running." However, I look in services and see that it is. I go to the command prompt tna stop the service: "net stop spooler" and then restart: "net start service" and it says that it has been sucessfully restarted.

I have edited the registry and removed all driver files, rebooted, and let windows find the printer when I plug in the usb cable. It tries to install but gets an error saying that a problem was encountered during installation which may result in a problem printing. And it does! There is no printer installed.

I've deleted the drivers 3 times now. I've even excluded the RPC loading from Data Execution Prevention as 1 person suggested.

Nothing has worked. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!!!

[OldFogey]

I tried all of the fixes that I could find using a Google search to solve the same problem and thus far nothing has worked. I'm on the verge of just saying the hell with it and back-up everything I need and reinstall windows.

I get the same message whenever I try to add a printer: "Operation could not be completed. Print spooler service is not running." However, I look in services and see that it is. I go to the command prompt tna stop the service: "net stop spooler" and then restart: "net start service" and it says that it has been sucessfully restarted.

I have edited the registry and removed all driver files, rebooted, and let windows find the printer when I plug in the usb cable. It tries to install but gets an error saying that a problem was encountered during installation which may result in a problem printing. And it does! There is no printer installed.

I've deleted the drivers 3 times now. I've even excluded the RPC loading from Data Execution Prevention as 1 person suggested.

Nothing has worked. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!!!

I was in a similar position, but not identical. I couldn't even find the spooler to try to start it. Nothing anyone suggested helped and I was also on the point of re-installing Windows and afraid I'd never find half the install discs and programs to get running again. But I finally solved the problem by "restoring" to an earlier date. I tried one a week before the problem started; then a restore to a month before. I can't describe my amazement when this actually cured the problem: I was so certain nothing would work by then!

Control Panel/Performance and Maintenance/System Restore (upper left panel)/Restore My Computer to an earlier time... etc

Hope it works for you like it did for me... Tom

[ozon45]

Tom,

Hope I'm doing this right! First time novice and all that.

Good suggestion. I have tried to restore a few days back and then a few days before that with no luck, however, if I go back a whole month or so (which I wouldn't have tried as I was using the printer less than a week ago) and that works it will certainly make the task alot easier than the hassle of time and effort involved in a reformat/reinstall.

Thanks for your reply. I'll go give it a whirl and let you know what my results are. It has been a great learning experience all and all. I've been to places in Windows that I've never seen before and I intend to go back. I'm studying for my MCP and the real world experience pays off much more dividends than stupid practice tests. I susspect I'm going to learn lots from this forum; I'm glad I stumbled across it.

I'll be back!

Alan

[ozon45]

Hi Tom,

Well, I tried as you suggested and restored Windows back to July 20 and that didn't clear the problem. I tried an earlier date, July 3 and that was of no help either.

I can't go back any earlier as July 3 was the earliest date possible. Window will not let me go back any further than that.

So, I guess it's time to back up everything current. Get all the saved progress files off my computer, list all the programs and reload Windows once again. This will be the third time for this computer. Last September I had a Hard Drive failure.

Thanks for your help. Normally, that probably would have done the trick but I believe there may be other issues. I'm getting other strange error messages about bad memory locations.

I'll check back in when I have this all fixed.

Cheers,

Alan

[ozon45]

Ross,

Restoring to a month back did not solve my problem so I'm forced to reinstall WinXP. Hope you had better luck.

Alan

[DiimH]

This error occurs because the Spooler service has not been started or has stopped working. To start the Spooler service, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel. 2. Double-click Administrative Tools, and then click Services.
3. Double-click the Printer Spooler service, and then change the startup type to Automatic. This sets the Spooler service to start automatically when you restart the computer.
4. If you want to start the spooler service immediately, click the Start button under the Service Status field.

[ozon45]

Hello DiiMh,

Thanks for trying to be of assistance. I appreciate that.

I'm well versed in the print spooler operation and have made sure that the spooler was running prior to attempting the printer reinstall.

I have started it in services, through the hardware properties, and through the command prompt (and performing a hard restart afterwards). Regardless of what I do, when I attempt to install a printer (I've tried 3 different printers) I get an error message telling me that the "Print spooler service is not running". BUT IT IS!!!!

So, I'm stuck in a Windows loop without a printer.

My only option now is to reinstall XP. I've gone back and restored Windows to the earliest date possible and the problem persists.

It's probably a good thing. Just a bain in the ass to go through.

Thanks again all for the help. This is a valuable forum.

Alan

[colleen little]

After reading all this I do not even see the "Print Spooler" verbage on my PC. This service cannot be turned on due to it not even being loaded. Any suggestions?

Print Spooler should start automatically on boot up. Try this; right click on My Computer and left click Manage. In the left pane expand Services and Applications, then click on Services; now on the right pane scroll down to Print Spooler and double click on it. Make sure the Startup Type is set to Automatic and the then click on Start.

[thomastrovato]

Print Spooler should start automatically on boot up. Try this; right click on My Computer and left click Manage. In the left pane expand Services and Applications, then click on Services; now on the right pane scroll down to Print Spooler and double click on it. Make sure the Startup Type is set to Automatic and the then click on Start.

I had a hard time with this too, woudnt work for me..untill i decided to turn my zone alarm off. then it worked. Just wanted to share.

[UFO476]

Hallo everyone! I am really new to this site and I am relatively new with computers, so I am not like a professional or anything. In fact, I stumbled on this site just because I was looking for a solution to a similar problem (I could not install my lexmark printer) although I am realy glad for the latter. So, to everyone that might be concerned! If you get an error message saying that printer cannot be installed because the spooling service doesn't work, go to services (If you read this thread, you know how by now), then select Print Spooler, double click it and in general tab select start type: automatic and under service status press start. If you get a wierd message about dependencies or error 1068, don't get disappointed: Print spooler depends on some other services. So go to the dependencies tab and check them out! (Example, Lexbce server and Remote Procedure call). Then go back to services, find the selected services and activate them the same way as you tried to activate Print Spooler.
If you get an error message when you try to do that, you may need to reinstall the specific services. If you have a Lexmark Printer, for example, you will need to find Lexbces.ex at Lexmark CD and expand it at Windows\System 32. You can find how to do that to the following link (Its really helpful)! http://support.lexmark.com/cgi-perl/...16&relevance=0. That link can probably help you even if you are installing a non-Lexmark printer. If you still have problems, if you have unresolved issues with previous printers or you want to clean the registry, or if you just want to try something else (like getting rid of Lexbces. altogether),go tohttp://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm and follow the Instructions (Really great site for Windows troubleshooting in general).
Unfortunately, the above information do not save the day if you get a message saying that spooler service doesn't work after you have succesfully activate it (Really sorry!), but it may be helpful to someone that gets an error message 1068 and just wants to get the d.. service to work. And for amateurs like me: 1.Be very carefull when you type the path to expand your file. I lost hours because I was not puttin a dot in the right place. 2. If you don't have previous printers or if they are not in your computer anymore (use search to find that out) obviously you don't have to uninstall lexbces.exe (if you get comfused!) So, a really big thanks to all previous posters (people who post), because their remarks (especially Laser's) were extremely helpful, and Good Luck to everyone
P.S. Tip! If you have to do a PC Recovery (not Format or destructive Recovery), say because your hard disk crashed out, and you don't want to have to reinstall and reconfigure everything from the start, make sure to backup System State (Windows XP users), using Backup utility, then do PC recovery and Restore System State (with same utility)! It may help save a lot of trouble. You can backup system state to external disk for safe keeping! XP Home users have to install Backup utility manually from CD Or Hard Disk. See Microsoft Knowledge Base Articles 320820 and 302894 for more. Good luck again!

[magembe]

I have an Epson Stylus CX5400 that quits working on my eMachines W2646 XP SP2 Home Edition pc every so often. Usually it is some problem with Epson's own ink that causes the problem and I have to keep replacing the ink cartridges.
This time, the pc decided it no longer would recognize that the printer is there. I have repeatedly re-installed the dang thing only to again delete it. It keeps telling me that it cannot print until a printer is installed and do I want to install one? And then it says it cannot install as the print spooler is not in service. I tried following the instruction from this site (http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/FAQPrinting.htm) by using the Command Prompt window and typing the command:
"net start spooler"
which did not solve my problem. I also went to Epsons site to get the most recent driver. I am totally stumped.
Please help me.

Iam also in the same problem for the last three days; please help me to solve the problem

[awed1]

I am facing a similar problem. The only difference is that I am trying to access a network printer (Workgrouped printer) in the process.

I am using XP home, SP2.

The spoller says it is on, until I stop it and restart it. However, even when it is on, the pop-up window tells me that the service is off.

One guy suggested a Windows repair. Does home Edition have that option? I don't seem to have a disk anyway though. If you try the repair and it works, let me know.

Thanks, B.

[sumesh.sharma]

when i give print command for more then page in woord printer gives me only one page of response .this problem is occured only in wod doccument

[Shasha Dew Dew]

Control Panel/Performance and Maintenance/System Restore (upper left panel)/Restore My Computer to an earlier time... etc

Hope it works for you like it did for me... Tom

Hi Tom, I had the same error message problem, "Can't add printer: Print spooler service is not running" I did as you suggested, and it did fix my problem.!!! My computer guy charges me 100 each time I visit him, so thank you!

But, I have a question on this issue if you or any others on this board can answer:

1. My husband has a laptop (HP) 10 days ago he had the EXACT error message. So, he has not been printing at all for 2 weeks. My PC (Lenova) just experienced this same error message today, but thanks to you, I fixed it. Is that pure chance, that 2 computers in the same household get the same error within 10 days? FYI, he runs Vista and I have the new 7. Your thoughts...comments are greatly appreciated.

[doubleodolley]

Also for those who have had a printer all of a sudden cannot be accessed because the spooler won't stay on I have another fix for you. Go into your windows\system32\spool\printer and delete the files there. Should be a .shd file I believe and another one that'll probably have the same name. I'd create a copy of the files just to be safe and store them somehwere before deleting them. After they are deleted, go into your services or into command prompt and use the net start spooler command. It should stay started this time. I realize the original poster posted this 5 years ago but I noticed noone posted a working fix for this issue.

[Computer_1]

Ensure Printer on XP machine is shared - assume it's called SHAREDPRINTER.

2) On the Network Browsing on your W7 machine ensure you can "See" the Printer share.

Now on the W7 machine do the following (doesn't matter if it's X-86 or x-64).

3) Control Panel==> add LOCAL (Yes LOCAL) printer. I know it's on a Network but hold your horses -- what we are actually doing is "Poodlefaking" the W7 machine into thinking it's running the printer.

4) Create NEW port==>Local port

5) Portname is \XPMACHINE\SHAREDPRINTER

6) Now W7 will load a driver and you'll be able to print on the XP machine.

Simple

If the printer is on the W7 machine and you want to print on the XP machine then do the same instructions on the XP machine --
port name in this case will be \W7MACHINE\SHAREDPRINTER

If this is a Network / WiFI printer run this on ALL the computers who need access to the printer

Start at 3) - you don't need a printer name in this case just the IP address on the LAN.

at 4) chose TCPIP port
and at 5) enter the IP address of the printer on your LAN.