Print Spooler won't start (error 1053) after recent wave of updates to Win7 64-bit

Anonymous
2012-12-14T05:57:12+00:00

Hi, all.

I have exactly the same print spooler symptoms that many seem to have but none of the posted solutions worked.  I think the issues started at the end of November when I let Windows Update install the latest .NET updates and security updates.

Yes. I cleared out the \printers directory (nothing there)

Yes. I ran the SFC /scannow. All verified.

Yes. I checked my dependencies (just RPC and http and both running)

Yes. I checked the event log file. (the canon driver crashed a couple of times but the last time was back in March)

I just finished spending the day doing a "repair install" (re-installed the OS as an upgrade on top of itself).  That fixed the problem and I had my printer back for about 30 mins, but it broke again as Windows Update caught up with the 110 updates that it needed since SP1.

At this point, I'm almost certain one of the windows or .NET updates is causing this.  If anyone could figure out which one it is then I'd just re-install again and skip it.

Any more ideas?

Thanks,

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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Anonymous
2012-12-29T07:45:18+00:00

Fixing this issue is very simple. Here was what I've done to start the Print Spooler:

  1. Click Start, type “services.msc” and hit Enter.
  2. Scroll down to Print spooler.
  3. Right-click Print spooler, then select Properties.
  4. Select the Log On tab, and uncheck the Allow service to interact with desktop setting.

(Microsoft recommends that you do not change the Allow service to interact with desktop setting. If you allow the service to interact with the desktop, any information that the service displays on the desktop will also be displayed on an interactive user's desktop. A malicious user could then take control of the service or attack it from the interactive desktop).

  1. Once you have uncheck this setting, select the General tab and click "Start" (the Print Spooler should be able to start without popping up the Error 1053 again).

Hope this helps!

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-12-28T20:50:15+00:00

    I forgot to mention that in the course of all of this I also ran Windows update and accepted all the updates available, even though they were all categorized as optional.

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-12-28T20:47:28+00:00

    Well it seems that I've fixed my problem, but I'm not sure exactly how.  To recap:

    • sfc /scannow, chkdsk, Norton secure scans all returned without finding a problem
    • I used CCleaner (twice) to clean the registry.  Did not seem to help.
    • I did not remove or reinstall any .NET framework stuff
    • the \spool\printer folder was empty of visible and hidden files  (even renamed folder and created a new one to assure it was empty to no avail)
    • the DCOM and RPC services were running.

    All of this and I still could not restart the print spooler service; it returned a 1053 error

    I went back in my Event Viewer>Windows Logs>System to find the first occurance of the printer spooler error I could. (Dec 18 for me).  I had installed iTunes 11 around then, so I uninstalled it, but that did not help after reboot.  I also uninstalled a couple of roxio programs, a Zinio reader and the Bing desktop since they were installed around this time.  None of this seemed to matter.

    I was also getting errors on the boot cycle related to my backup harddrive (western digital My Passport), so I unplugged it when powered off. 

    I also turned my print spooler service to Manual. 

    Eventually I was able to get a boot cycle with no errors reporting (although two warnings on power down

    • WLAN Extensibility Module has stopped.
    • WLAN AutoConfig service has successfully stopped.

    and one on the way up

    • Custom dynamic link libraries are being loaded for every application. The system administrator should review the list of libraries to ensure they are related to trusted applications

    Anyway, I then manually restarted my spooler and IT WORKED!  I reset to Automatic and it restarted on a boot cycle.  I don't know if I have a permanet fix but it sure feels like progress!

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-12-28T15:23:39+00:00

    JackC99 and TheWB -- I am having the identical problem and I've tried the fixes you've tried to no avail.  Not being a Microsoft System Administrator myself, could you please tell me how to view my error log?  Not that it will mean anything to me, but perhaps it matches yours....

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  4. Anonymous
    2012-12-28T09:36:22+00:00

    No it does not. It relates to the print spooler service failing to start. Trying to start the service produces error 1053.

    I have just reviewed the error log and found three other services which are failing to start:

    1. Nvidia Update Service Daemon
    2. D_Link_DWA-525_WPS Service
    3. DgiVecp service
    4. Pring Spooler service

    They must be somehow related but I cannot figure out how.

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