Print Spooler stops after trying to print a PDF file and it will not restart.

Anonymous
2010-09-08T17:02:07+00:00

Original Title: Print Spooler![](http://i4.social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/resources/images/trans.gif?cver=2.13.0068.4)

Hello,

The print spooler stops after trying to print a PDF file and it will not restart.  The only way I have been able to print again is to do a System Recovery.  When I try to print a PDF file again the print spooler does the same thing.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanx,

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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Anonymous
2010-09-09T05:04:00+00:00

Hi binofelix,

·        What happens when you try to restart print spooler when it stops? How are you trying to restart the print spooler service? Do you get any error message or any error code?

Try the steps below and check if it helps:

Step 1:

When the print spooler service stops, try restarting it and check if it helps. If you have already tried the steps then ignore Step 1.

a. Click Start and then type "services" (without quotes) in the Start Search box.

b. In the results area, right-click services, and then click “Run as administrator”.

You will be prompted to type the password for an administrator account. Click Continue if you are the administrator or type the administrator password. Then, click Continue.

c. In Services Window locate the service “Print Spooler” and double click on it.

d. Make sure that the Startup type is set to “Automatic” and the Service status is “Started”.

Step 2:

Try running the printer troubleshooter and check if it helps.

Open the Printer troubleshooter

Step 3:

Try the following Microsoft Fixit and check if it helps.

Fix printing problems by resetting the print spooler (Applicable to Windows 7)

Also, have a look at the following article links:

Why can't I print?

Printer problems in Windows

****Hope this helps. Let us know if you need further assistance.

Thanks and Regards, Santosh Y – Microsoft Support

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Anonymous
2014-09-18T08:18:36+00:00

Hello Joe,

Thank you for your reply.

I would suggest you to rebuild print spooler service and check if it helps. Please follow these steps:

a. Press Windows + R keys, type notepad in run window and press Enter.

b. In notepad, copy and paste the following:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Spooler]

"DisplayName"="@%systemroot%\system32\spoolsv.exe,-1"

"Group"="SpoolerGroup"

"ImagePath"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\

  74,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,\

  00,70,00,6f,00,6f,00,6c,00,73,00,76,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,00,00

"Description"="@%systemroot%\system32\spoolsv.exe,-2"

"ObjectName"="LocalSystem"

"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001

"Start"=dword:00000002

"Type"=dword:00000110

"DependOnService"=hex(7):52,00,50,00,43,00,53,00,53,00,00,00,68,00,74,00,74,00,\

  70,00,00,00,00,00

"ServiceSidType"=dword:00000001

"RequiredPrivileges"=hex(7):53,00,65,00,54,00,63,00,62,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,\

  00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6d,00,70,00,65,00,\

  72,00,73,00,6f,00,6e,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,\

  00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,41,00,75,00,64,00,69,00,74,00,50,00,\

  72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,43,00,68,\

  00,61,00,6e,00,67,00,65,00,4e,00,6f,00,74,00,69,00,66,00,79,00,50,00,72,00,\

  69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,4c,00,6f,00,61,\

  00,64,00,44,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,65,00,72,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,\

  6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,41,00,73,00,73,00,69,00,67,00,6e,\

  00,50,00,72,00,69,00,6d,00,61,00,72,00,79,00,54,00,6f,00,6b,00,65,00,6e,00,\

  50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,00,00

"FailureActions"=hex:80,51,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,14,00,00,\

  00,01,00,00,00,60,ea,00,00,01,00,00,00,60,ea,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Spooler\Performance]

"Close"="PerfClose"

"Collect"="PerfCollect"

"Collect Timeout"=dword:000007d0

"Library"="winspool.drv"

"Object List"="1450"

"Open"="PerfOpen"

"Open Timeout"=dword:00000fa0

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Spooler\Security]

"Security"=hex:01,00,14,80,78,00,00,00,84,00,00,00,14,00,00,00,30,00,00,00,02,\

  00,1c,00,01,00,00,00,02,80,14,00,ff,01,0f,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,01,00,00,\

  00,00,02,00,48,00,03,00,00,00,00,00,14,00,8d,01,02,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,\

  05,0b,00,00,00,00,00,18,00,ff,01,0f,00,01,02,00,00,00,00,00,05,20,00,00,00,\

  20,02,00,00,00,00,14,00,fd,01,02,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00,01,\

  01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00

c. Save the file as .reg file on the desktop.

d. Right click .reg file and select run as administrator.

e. Click yes, when message prompts.

Note: Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/back-up-registry

I hope this helps.

Thank you

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-11-11T17:57:35+00:00

    As a follow-up to the previous note.  Perhaps a better fix here is to go into the properties page for the printer (LaserJet 1011) select the "Advanced" tab.  Down towards the button is a check box for "advanced features".  Uncheck that box so the printer does not use or report its "advanced features".

    Apply that change and exit.

    There should be no problem printing the troublesome PDF files.

    The solution to print "as an image" will also work but you need to remember to check that selection before each PDF print.

    Hope that helps.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-11-11T17:49:20+00:00

    We have this problem pretty consistently.  There are many PDF files that when printed immediately cause the "Print Spooler" to crash. 

    Once the "Print Spooler" crashes, you cannot restart it until you delete all the files in the "...windows\system32\spooler\PRINTER" and then you can restart the print spooler.

    However, if you attempt to print the same document again it will again crash the "Print Spooler".  And you have to repeat that process to restart it.

    The fix to print any PDF document that does this is to print the PDF file as an "image".  It will then print perfectly with no problem.

    So when in the Adobe print screen, select the button "Advanced" and on that screen you see the box for "print as image".  Click on that check box and you are good to go.  No more crashes.

    Hope this helps you.

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-10-14T16:42:39+00:00

    This problem just cropped up again, but NOT with a PDF file.  It is a publisher file with graphics in it.  Trying to print wiped out my printers again.  Deleted spool files and they came back.  I am going to check which graphic is the problem.

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