6 Ways to Fix Print Spooler Keeps Stopping on Windows 10 and Windows 11

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.

Fix 1: Run Printer Troubleshooter

Windows comes with a dedicated printer troubleshooter that can automatically diagnose and fix any printing issues on your PC. It checks all of your printer configurations and corrects any inconsistencies. Here’s how to run it.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Ito launch the Settings app and head toSystem > Troubleshoot.

Step 2:Go toOther troubleshooters.

Step 3:Click theRunbutton next to Printer to begin troubleshooting.

From there, follow the on-screen prompts to finish the troubleshooting process.

Fix 2: Check Print Spooler Service

If the Windows troubleshooter fails to identify any issues, you can check the Print Spooler service on Windows to see if it is properly configured. Here’s how.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Rto open the Run dialog. Typeservices.mscin the box next to the Open field and pressEnter.

Step 2:In the Services window, scroll down to locatePrint Spooler. Right-click on it and selectProperties.

Step 3:Set the Startup type toAutomaticfrom the drop-down, if it isn’t set already.

Step 4:On the Recovery tab, use the drop-down menus next to First failure, Second failure, and Subsequent failures to selectRestart the Service. Then, click onApplyfollowed byOK.

Restart your PC and check if the print spooler stops again.

Fix 3: Remove Old Printers

Sometimes, the print spooler service may also stop working if several printers are connected to your PC. You can trydeleting some of your old printerdevices to see if that helps.

Step 1:Click on thesearch iconon the taskbar, type inprinters & scannersand pressEnter.

Step 2:Select the printer you want to remove.

Step 3:Click on theRemovebutton in the top right corner. Repeat this process to remove unwanted printers and try using the printing services again.

Fix 4: Delete Old Print Spooler Files

Existing print spooler cache data can also interfere with the service and cause it to crash repeatedly when corrupted. In that case, you can delete those old print spooler files to fix the issue.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Sto open Windows Search. Typeservicesin the box and select the first result that appears.

Step 2:Right-click onPrint Spoolerand selectStop.

Step 3:Press theWindows key + Eto launch File Explorer on your PC and navigate to the following folder:

Step 4:Select all folders and click on thetrash iconat the top to delete them.

Restart your PC after you delete the files. The print spooler service should start automatically upon reboot.

Fix 5: Update Printer Drivers

Issues with your current printer drivers can also cause the print spooler to stop abruptly. If the printer drivers on your PC are outdated or corrupted, then updating them should help more often than not.

To update printer drivers, download the most recent drivers from the respective manufacturer’s website. Then, open the downloaded file to begin the installation.

Fix 6: Delete Print Spooler Registry Keys

If none of the above solutions work, you can trydeleting a few registry keysassociated with the print spooler. Here’s how:

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Rto launch the Run dialog box. Typeregeditin the box and pressEnter.

Step 2:Paste the following path in the address bar at the top to navigate to Print Processors:

If you’re using a 32-bit version of Windows, use the following path:

Step 3:Delete all keys inside Print Processors exceptwinprint. To delete a key, right-click on it and selectDelete. Click onYeson the prompt.

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Last updated on 25 July, 2024

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