How to Fix “Windows Cannot Connect to the Printer” Error
Common Printer Issues
Many of the printer users complain that they are unable to print using a networked printer. There can be a few error messages that can appear when the printer is not working properly, such as:
Windows Cannot Connect to the Printer. Access is Denied or
Windows Cannot Connect to the Printer
There are many reasons for this error message to come up, and things can depend much on the set up that you use. The first thing that you need to check is if the printer is a networked one with a LAN port, or if it is just connected to some other computer and is shared on the local network. Depending on the type of printer that you use, the troubleshooting steps will differ a lot. Some of the possible fixes of printer errors are discussed below.
Shared Networked Printer
If the printer is connected to a computer, and is shared on that PC, and you are trying to add the same to some other computer on the network, you can try the following things.
- The first thing that you need to do is to go to the Add Printer wizard and then select A network printer, or a printer attached to another computer.
- Click on the Next button and select Connect to this printer. You need to type in the path to the shared printer, by entering “\\” and followed by the name of the computer on which the printer is shared. It should be followed by the name of the printer.
- If everything is ok, you will be able to connect to the printer. However, if you are still getting the “cannot connect” error message, you will need to add the printer as the local one. This can be done by selecting Local printer attached to this computer, and then un-checking the Automatically detect and install my Plug and Play printer.
- You need to select Create a new port on the next screen and then choose Local port from the displayed list.
- Click on the Next button and you will be asked to type in a Port Name. Here, you can type in the path to the printer.
You need to keep in mind that the above-mentioned steps will only work if the printer that you are trying to connect is attached to some other computer and is shared on the network.
Networked Printer
- If the printer that you use is directly attached to the wireless network or the LAN network, you also need to select a local printer that is connected to the computer.
- After that, you can choose Create a new port by following the steps discussed above. Instead of selecting the Local port, you need to choose the Standard TCP/IP Port.
- Now you need to type in the IP address of the printer and everything will be ok. If you are unsure of the IP address of the printer, you can get it by printing the configuration sheet of the printer that you use.
Windows Firewall
Another reason why you are unable to connect to the printer might be that the Windows Firewall is blocking the connection between the computer and the printer. You need to ensure that File and Printer Sharing is allowed in the Firewall of your computer as well as on the computer to which the printer is connected.
- Enable File and Printer Sharing by going to Control Panel, selecting Windows Firewall, and then choosing Exceptions.
- Ensure that the File and Printer Sharing box is checked and this will make sure that the Windows Firewall is not blocking the connection between the printer and the computer.
Drivers
Note that you will also encounter the cannot connect to Printer error if you are trying to add the network printer to a Windows 7 computer, and the printer is connected to a Windows Vista or Windows XP computer. If this is the case, you will have to download and install the printer drivers for Windows 7 operating system from the website of the manufacturer on the host PC. When you try to connect to the shared printer from the Windows 7 computer, the driver for Windows 7 will be available from the host machine for installation.
You can also run into this problem with 64 bit and 32 bit operating systems. If the PC that hosts the printer is 32 bit, and the one that is trying to connect to the printer is running 64 bit, then you will not be able to connect to the printer either. To fix the error, you will need to install the 64-bit version of the printer driver on the computer running on the 64-bit version of the operating system and then try to connect to the printer again.
If you are still facing the issues despite of trying all the above-said troubleshoots, then get in touch with our tech support team for an advanced solution to your cannot connect to printer problem.
How to Troubleshoot USB Printer Not Detected on Windows PC Error
Common Printer Issues
Some users have experienced an inability to print even when their printer is connected to a computer via USB. If you come across the issue, then try the things mentioned below to resolve it.
- If the printer is hooked up to a PC via USB and you are still unable to print, then check the printer’s LCD display for any error messages.
- In case the device is connected via USB, you cannot print, and you see no other errors on the printer’s panel, then:
- Verify that it is configured as the default printer or it is the chosen device in order to be printed to in the operating system or program.
- Verify that the PC that has the issue is the one connected to the device.
- Disconnect any devices connected amid the printer and PC such as a USB hub.
- Reseat the cable that connects the printer and system by unplugging both ends, then plugging them back in.
- Check for the pop-up message saying Found New Hardware on your Windows computer.
Note that if the printer works on an alternative USB port, get in touch with the technical support team of your computer manufacturer.
- In case the above-mentioned pop-up message is not displayed in Windows, try using a distinct USB port on the system and check again.
- If the same message is not shown on the PC, even when connected to a different USB port, then try using another USB cable that is working and check once more.
- Also, check by connecting the device via USB to a different computer.
- In case that fails to fix the issue, then fully get rid of or uninstall the driver of the printer from Windows.
- Click on the Start button, and select Devices and Printers from the Start The Devices and Printers window opens next on your computer.
- Right-click on the respective Printer icon shown there, and select Remove device from the shortcut or context menu that appears
- In case you are not able to remove the printer driver from the OS, then double-click on the same icon of the device. This brings up the print queue, the list where print jobs are enqueued before they are processed for print. Get rid of anything that you see in the print queue.
- Once it is cleared, try removing the device once more. After it is fully removed, restart the system.
- Now install the printer driver again from the setup disc by following the instructions on the screen. In case you do not have the disc supplied with it at the time of purchase, then visit your printer manufacturer website and download the latest driver of your specific printer model.
- In Devices and Printers, click on the Add Printer This brings up the Add Printer pop up box.
- In it, select the Add a local printer
- Click on the Use an existing port radio button, click on the drop-down menu next to it and choose USB001 (Virtual Printer Port for USB). Note that may be many USB ports appear depending upon the devices installed in Windows. You have to select the appropriate port – begin with the lowest virtual port number and install. If it fails, then try a different USB virtual port.
- Click on the Have Disk The operating system will suggest it is to install the driver from a setup disc, but since you do not have it, you have to browse through to the downloaded location of it.
- In the Install From Disk pop up, click on Browse…
- Browse through to your driver file location on the system. Also, make ensure that you select the driver for Windows 32 or 64 bit according to the OS specification.
- Select the driver’s file and click on Open. Hit the OK button upon prompt.
- Add the printer name in case you would want to change it and proceed.
- Select Do not share this printer, and click on the Next button to proceed.
- It has to be Set as the default printer by clicking on the respective checkbox, and click on the Print Test Page
- In case the test page is printed, then the issue is fixed. If it does not print, then repeat the install process choosing the next or different USB virtual port.
- In case it still does not print, then reset the device to factory default by resetting NVRAM or printer memory. Then, go through the setup process again.
In case you have tried all USB virtual ports and you still are not able to print, then get in touch with our printer service professionals through the toll-free number for advanced troubleshooting.
How to Fix Printer is in Error State in Windows 10
Common Printer Issues
The “printer in error state” is typically displayed in Windows 10 when the device is low on ink or paper, its cover is open, or it is not connected correctly. Firstly, you have to check all printer cables and connections. Ensure the devices are connecting to one another; try with a distinct USB port, and check whether the wireless network or the wired network cable used for the connection is working fine.
Also, turn off your printer and check for jammed paper. If it has, then clear the same and close all trays. If the printer is actually low on ink, then refill it. If you are using a wireless printer, then turn on its Wi-Fi and your modem router.
Make Changes to the Printer Port Settings
- Press Windows and R keys at the same time, key in devmgmt.msc and press Enter. This opens the Device Manager.
- Click on its View menu and select Show hidden devices.
- Then, expand Ports (COM & LPT), right-click on your Printer Port and select Properties. This opens the Printer Port (LPT1) Properties.
- In the dialog box, switch to Port Settings and select the checkboxes Use any interrupt assigned to the port and Enable legacy Plug and Play detection.
- Click on Apply and on OK buttons, reboot the Windows system, and check whether the printer is detected and working correctly.
Check if the Print Spooler Service is Running
- Press Windows and R keys simultaneously, key in services.msc, and click OK. This opens the list of Windows services.
- Scroll down to the list and double-click the Print Spooler This opens Print Spooler Properties.
- Ensure the service is Started, and configure its Startup type to Automatic.
- Switch to the Recovery tab, and configure First failure to Restart the Service.
- Then click on Apply and OK for confirmation of the changes.
- Check whether the printer is back online and working.
Clear Files of the Print Spooler
You need to clear the files in the system and restart print spooler also. They help to fix most printer-related issues.
- First, open Print Spooler Properties and click on the Stop
- Open Windows Explorer, type C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Drivers\w32x86 on its address bar, and press Enter. In addition, delete the files in the destination folder named C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Printers
- Then Start the Spooler service and confirm the changes, and check whether the printer is working. Restarting the service will fix the printer spooler error also.
Remove the Printer Driver from Windows and Reinstall it
If the error persists, then try to reinstall the printer driver. For that, first you have to uninstall it from the system.
- Disconnect the printer USB cable from the computer.
- Open the Device Manager as mentioned above.
- Expand Printers and Scanners.
- Right-click the printer driver, and click on uninstall device.
When the pop-up You are about to uninstall this device from your system appears, select delete the driver software for this device, and click Uninstall to continue. Once it is completed, reboot the computer.
Now, you have to install the printer driver again. You can download the driver from the website of your printer manufacturer. Make it a point to download it according to your printer model, and install it in your system by running the setup file and following the onscreen instructions.
Steps to Add or Install a Wireless Printer
Navigate to Settings > Devices > Printers and Scanners. Choose the Add a printer button. Wait for the system to find nearby or available printers, then select the one you need, and choose Add device. In case the device is on and connected to your network, the Windows OS should be able to find it. Available printers can comprise those on a network, like Bluetooth and wireless printers, or those plugged into another PC and shared on your network. To add some printers, you might require permission.
Steps to Add or Install a Local Printer
In case you need to connect to the printer, plug its connected USB cable’s end into the PC’s USB port also, and turn it on. Then, click on the Add a printer button as mentioned above. Wait for Windows to find available or nearby printers, select the one you need, and click on Add device. If prompted, select the driver from the downloaded destination.
Installing up-to-date driver might help fix the “printer is in error state” and several other similar issues. If it persists though, then you also have the option to get in touch with our printer support professionals through the toll-free number for an advanced solution.
How to Troubleshoot the “Cannot Delete Network Printer” Error in Windows
Common Printer Issues
If you are working in an office, you most likely have a list of printers added to the PC that are network printers, which are not connected directly to the system. However, as printers in the network become non-existent or if computers move places, the devices from the list have to be cleared occasionally.
Sometimes, when you attempt to remove a network printer, you may receive an error message from the Windows OS that reads, “Cannot delete network printer”. Thankfully, you can get rid of a network printer from the system through the Windows Registry. This way, you can avoid having several unwanted printers clogging up the list of devices. Yet note that in order to perform the following troubleshoot, or to clear some steps in it, you have to sign in as an Administrator or get the required permissions first.
Prior to making any changes to the Registry, make it a point to back it up. If you are not familiar with making changes to the Windows Registry, then it is best to seek professional help. Besides, you can also try the last method mentioned below to work around the issue and delete unnecessary network printers.
Steps to Remove a Network Printer through Windows Registry Editor
- Press and hold down Windows and R keys at the same time. This opens the Run dialog box.
- In the dialog box, type regedit and click on the OK This opens the Registry Editor.
- Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Printers\Connections
- In the Connections folder, you should see the network printers list. They will be mentioned with the name of the server, a comma, and the actual printer’s name at last.
- Right-click the printer and select Delete. When done, you have to get rid of the printer from another registry location, in order to clear any traces of it from the system.
- Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control and open Print\Providers\LanMan Print Services\Servers\Printers
- Now expand the registry key named Servers, select the Print Server key, and press on Delete to remove the target printer. You should also be able to expand the print server, hosting the device you want to remove.
Close the Windows Registry Editor and restart the system. Now, the network printer should be gone. In case you have a local printer, which you want to delete you can do the same through the registry. For that, navigate to the below registry keys and follow the same procedure.
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Environments\ Windows NT x86\ Drivers\Version-3\
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers\
Clear the Print Queue
The print queue in Windows contains a list of documents sent to a target printer and waiting to be printed. In other words, the print jobs are being enqueued. It is a known fact that you will not be able to get rid of a printer in case a print job is in the queue. A shortcut to know whether a print job or document is stuck in the print queue is to navigate to the C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS directory and ensuring that the Printers folder is empty. To open the directory, open Windows Explorer, type the aforementioned path in the address bar and press the Enter key.
Alternatively, you can forcefully clear the print queue. Once you clear the enqueued print jobs, you should be able to delete a printer from the system.
Steps to Clear Windows Print Queue and Restart Print Spooler
- Open the Run dialog box as mentioned earlier.
- In the command box, type services.msc and press Enter key. This opens a list of local services in Windows.
- Select any service, and press P on the keyboard to quickly highlight the Print Spooler. Right-click on the Print Spooler service and then select Stop. This means that no other users in the network will be able to send print jobs to the system that hosts the print server
- Then, you have to open the Printers folder as mentioned above.
- Delete the files in the Printers This clears the print queue.
Note that if you are doing this in a Windows Server, it is advisable to first ensure that there are no print jobs being processed for other printers, as doing this deletes all those print jobs too.
After doing all these steps, you can restart the spooler service to get it up and running. For that, go back to the Services list, right-click the Print Spooler and select Start. For your information, restarting will fix the print spooler service not running error too.
Once you clear the print queue, go ahead and remove the unwanted printer from the computer. Of course, if you want to troubleshoot print spooler service not running or assistance with anything else related to printing, getting in touch with our service professionals through the toll-free number would be the best bet.
How to Improve the Stability of Windows Print Spooler Service
Common Printer Issues
A common gripe among printer users is regarding the stability of print spooler. It is the software, which manages print jobs on Windows. The common spooler stability issues typically manifest as follows:
- Queued print jobs randomly get stuck from time to time. A print job has to be cleared.
- The same happens with enqueued print jobs but they cannot be cleared.
- The print spooler hangs, taking down print queues.
In most cases, these issues have been narrowed down to print driver bugs or driver issues. To improve the stability of the spooler service, it is worth getting an abstract idea as to how it works. If you know how to restart print spooler, you can take an action after it fails to take printouts.
Printer Spooler Service’s Architecture is Monolithic
The print spooler service works as one process. It loads the code of the driver into the address space of the spooler process. This means driver code’s crash will bring down not just the present print job, but the print spooler or pending print queue as a whole. This affects all print drivers. It is recommended to consider the below steps in order to improve printing reliability in a network environment, especially.
Turn Off Bidirectional Support
In case you isolate a problem print queue, that is, the one with print jobs jamming always, consider disabling the bidirectional support of the port. For that, follow the steps mentioned below:
- Click on the Start button on your computer, and choose Devices and Printers from the menu that appears.
- Right-click on your printer icon, and choose Printer properties from the context menu.
- In the new window, switch to the Ports tab, and deselect the checkbox Enable bidirectional support.
- Click Apply and OK to confirm the changes.
A printer vendor can implement a channel of communication, outside the methods of the supported OS, which can be turned on and turned off inside the interface provided with vendor-specific code.
This option will disable driver features, which are related to tasks like printer’s hardware status reporting. In case bugs or issues exist in this area of the driver code, the stability can improve.
Stick to Quality Drivers
It only takes a faulty print driver to take down rest of the drivers. In case you feel a print driver is causing issues, consider hosting the driver on a different server system so that crashes do not affect other printers. Large business environments will run more than one print server – one for most of the printers and the other for the drivers that misbehave.
Configure the Print Spooler Service to Automatic Restart upon Failure
The spooler service or the system that host it is subject to failure. Therefore, you have to implement procedures in order to monitor the print service and have a clear plan to tackle the same. Ensure the restart print spooler options are configured to automatic upon failure. This will maximize the probability of the spooler resolving its issues, and will minimize the probability of causing a crash. Follow the below steps to make these changes.
How to Restart Print Spooler Automatically on Failure
- Press Windows and R keys at the same time on your keyboard. Type services.msc in the Run dialog box and click OK button.
- In the list of Local Services window, select any service and keep pressing P key until you find the Print Spooler. Double-click on it.
- In the Print Spooler Properties window that pops up, switch to the Recovery In that, make sure the first three fields are configured to Restart the Service.
- Click on Apply and OK buttons to confirm the changes.
Also, check whether the spooler service is configured to start up automatically. This ensures that your computer receives print jobs from other systems or that it will not miss out any. Follow the steps mentioned below to configure the setting.
- Under the General tab of the Print Spooler Properties, find the Startup type drop-down menu. If it is not configured to Automatic, then click on the menu and choose the said setting from the drop-down list.
- Click Apply to save the change.
Isolate a Single Point of Failure
Partitioning problem drivers of your printer onto a different service is one way to isolate point of failure. Bigger sites may want to consider advanced methods too like server system clustering and/or dividing load across several servers. These methods engineer out SPOF, making sure a failure in a department may not affect all users as well as services. For instance, a server that hosts printer drivers of the engineering department will not affect those of other departments.
If you come across any stability issues or print spooler crashes, get in touch with our printer service professionals through the toll-free number mentioned above. Alternatively, you can start a live chat session for quick assistance.
How to Troubleshoot the Printer Spooler Service Keeps Stopping
Troubleshoot Printer Spooler
Print spooler service manages the print jobs on Windows. The service should be in a running state to take printouts. You can start it through the list of local Services. This resolves the issue, but sometimes when you begin the spooler service, it is stopped automatically. There can be many reasons to this, including corrupt document or file, incompatible driver, and computer malware. If you were wondering how to fix printer spooler error, find the following methods for that. Before you start, sign into Windows administrator account.
Remove the Spool Folder’s Content
Precisely, you have to delete content from folders namely Drivers and PRINTERS. To access the Spool folder, which contains both folders, type the following path on the address bar of Windows Explorer and press Enter key.
- C:\Windows\System32\spool
- First, delete folders and files contained in the Drivers Then, delete content from the other folder.
- Then, restart print spooler.
- Reboot the computer and retry printing.
Reinstall the Driver of your Printer
Download the latest driver from your printer manufacturer website and install it on your computer. Once you install the driver, reboot your system and restart the spooler.
Delete Duplicated Drivers
To remove unwanted printer drivers, which prevents the spooler service from adding new printers, follow the below steps:
- Press Windows and R keys simultaneously.
- In the Run dialog box, key in msc and click OK.
- Open All Drivers by double-clicking, and get rid of an unwanted printer driver by right-clicking on the respective driver and choosing Delete option in the context menu.
- Once you remove the driver in question, reboot your computer, and restart the spooler service.
Configure Driver Isolation
To fix printing issues by avoiding conflict between printer drivers;
- Launch the Run dialog box using Windows and R short keys combo.
- Open Print Management as explained above.
- Open All drivers
- Right-click on the driver of your printer, move the cursor over to Set Isolation and select Isolated.
- Exit Print Management.
- Reboot your computer and restart the printer spooler.
Remove Unwanted Registry Key
Type regedit in the Run dialog box and press Enter key. Navigate to the path:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Providers
Prior to doing registry configuration, it is recommended to back up its database. The registry backup is required because in case of mis-configuration, the database backup will help to revert to its earlier state. For that, follow the below steps.
- Click on File and choose Export from the context menu.
- Select Desktop to save the present registry configuration.
- Type Backup as its file name, and select All below Export range.
- Then, click on Save
- Navigate to the aforementioned path and delete all keys except the default ones namely Internet Print Provider and LanMan Print Services. If you find an additional key, delete it. In the following example, the additional key is Printing Services.
- Then, close the Registry Editor.
- Reboot the computer.
Scan the System for Malware
Find an antivirus software and do a system cleanup or quarantine procedure to get rid of virus from your PC. After that, restart your computer and then spooler.
Run CHKDSK /R
If you have a corrupt system file problem or you cannot read or write data from the hard disk, you should run the command CHKDSK /R. Check disk utility will help you find bad sectors, and resolve them if they are resolvable.
- From the Start menu, open Command Prompt.
- Type the said command and press Enter It will say, “Check disk cannot run since the volume is in use by the computer”, and that calls for a reboot.
- Key in Y and hit Enter to accept rebooting your system.
- Reboot your system.
- Wait until it is done repairing the file system. Windows will reboot after repairing the hard disk.
Run SFC /SCANNOW
System File Checker checks for file corruption in Windows. Run it on Command Prompt. If the utility found any system file corruption issues, it will attempt to resolve them. It comprises additional commands such as SCANNOW. It scans the integrity of protected files and repairs problem files when that is possible.
System Restore
This is a recovery mechanism in the Windows OS. It is not one that is enabled automatically. End users or IT administrators should enable it. Assuming a restore point is consistent with whatever you are trying to achieve, here is how to execute it.
- Type exe on the Run dialog box and click OK.
- Click on Choose a different restore point followed by Next.
- Select correct checkpoint and then click on Next.
- Click on Finish.
- Reboot the OS and wait until it is completed restore.
The above steps will help you to resolve the errors you were experiencing. If you were wondering how to fix printer spooler error, or restart the spooler, you can get in touch with our printer service professionals anytime through the toll-free number or start a live chat session for quick help.
Ensuring Better Printing on LRS VPSX Printers
Common Printer Issues
LRS is famous for its VPSX printers that streamline office operations in a variety of ways. Configuring your printer setup correctly is often sufficient to ensuring that things run smoothly in the course of a workday. Following are some on doing exactly that.
Set the RETAIN and QTIME Values
This should not be hard to do no matter how many printers you have to do it for. There is an easy way, which involves using the Printer Definition and Deployment Tool (PDDT), which can significantly automate the work.
- Assign a value for the RETAIN setting for each printer. Most users keep in mind to set the former, so the system knows how long the document has to be kept after a successful print. This allows users to later get a duplicate quite easily, because there is no need to return to the original application and then start from scratch. Retaining a document can also be helpful in case you wish to troubleshoot some issue with it. The RETAIN value can be set by choosing Basics on Printer Configuration.
- Assign a value for the QTIME setting for each printer. This tells the printer how long a print file should stay in a queue before it prints. This feature is in place to avoid obsolete queues, as well as queues that get filled with spooled files which never make it to a print. In the case of the latter, it may simply look like the print spooler keeps stopping. The default setting leaves the output in the queue until it gets printed or explicitly removed, so as to make sure no data is lost inadvertently. If you set a good value for this, it can save you storage space and system resources, not to mention bringing down the VPSX initialization time. The QTIME value can be set by choosing Advanced on Printer Configuration.
Define the Printers Correctly
- Leave the Don’t bind outbound connections to TCPHOST checkbox selected. This is how the LRS software will know not to bind specific NICs. On top of that, the OS gets the chance to choose the best NIC for sending data to any destination. In most work environments, this is seen to be the best option.
- Some companies have strict firewall rules, which entail explicit NIC binding. If that is the case at your office, put in a call to LRS and find out if there are other ways, in which you can configure performance, network security, and flexibility in optimal balance.
- If you get a TCP/IP BIND REQUEST FAILED message in the VPSX log, check that box to streamline connections, and to prevent further errors.
Set Server Ports to Open Only after the Printer Activates
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LRS VPSX Printer Errors
The VPSX software starts and opens all the inbound ports, after which the printers are activated alphabetically. Based on how many jobs there are in the queue, the latter may take awhile. Wait while this happens.
- If you see the Printer Not Defined error when trying to send a job to a printer ranked lower in the alphabet, this is probably because it has not been activated yet. What until it gets there, and try again.
- Choose the Open server ports after printer activation option, so that the LRS software knows not to open ports or accept jobs before all current jobs are finished. This ensures that every printer stays ready to receive output before such time as an application sets up a connection to the VPSX. Additionally, the VPSX initialization time gets cut significantly, which also frees up server resources.
Set the Logging System to Display Maximum Information
This is in case you decide to call tech support to fix a printer spooler error or some such, and want to make the job easier for them. Your VPSX system has a few logging parameters you can adjust.
- Log Expiration decides how long the logs are maintained before they get deleted. Setting this to a week’s time is optimal, but if you have plenty of hard disk space left, you can set a longer duration. The higher the number of log files available, the more quickly a certified technician would typically be able to fix your printer problem.
- Log Size is another parameter you can set. A job can span up to several logs, making it hard to see all messages on a single screen. Dial up the Log Size to fix this. Do the math on how much a day’s logs add up to, and choose either that or 50 MB, whichever is lower.
That was a look at how to best configure your LRS VPSX systems at the office. If you see any problems, such as a printer spooler error, or any other issue, call us on 844-203-1916 for quality assistance from certified printer technicians. We can fix it in minimal time.
How to Speed Up an Office Print Server
Printer Server Error
Not all printers are created equal, but most work the way you want them to, as long as you know how to make that happen. Sadly enough, plenty of users have no clue as to why their printers stall, and end up frustrated if this happens when they need something printed stat. An office printer that stops printing can leave employees deterred from finishing important tasks.
A slow printer in your department can be the result of a variety of things, inefficient print job processing being chief among them. Given below are some great ways to speed it back up, and resume the work you were supposed to be completing.
Locate the Server Bottleneck
It is imperative to first figure out what is causing the printer to respond so slowly. There could be something wrong with the processor, or the memory. Maybe an invisible background service is hogging resources. When a user tries to print, any one of these can suffice to disrupt the operation. Luckily, Windows has a built-in task manager that lets you compare the printer’s idle state with the time when someone attempts to make a print.
Adjust the Print Server Configurations
Windows Server 2012 has a “print spooled documents first” option, which you should definitely enable if your printer gets used a lot by multiple people. Otherwise, a small job that was submitted after a larger job would have to wait for the latter to complete. This would be the case even if the smaller job had finished spooling while the larger one had not, and also when the printer is idle. To all outward appearances, it would seem your problem was the print spooler service not running properly.
Utilize Dedicated Drives for Spooling
In a busy office, the print spool server would have multiple jobs sent to it simultaneously, requiring the disk drive to write and delete data a lot of the time. The latter can quickly cause a bottleneck. You should try to optimize performance by setting a dedicated drive for the spooling alone. Microsoft® recommends having separate physical disk drives for spooler file storage and operating system use. Most people would simply need to reset print spooler file storage settings.
Expand the Increase Hard Disk Space Available to the Print Server
A disk drive of insufficient size can cause problems in spooling. Most print jobs tend to grow tremendously in size whenever they get rendered, and with multiple print jobs submitted simultaneously for spooling, the whole thing can become unresponsive pretty quickly. As a remedy, make sure the hard disk used by the print server is not too small.
Utilize Dedicated Print Servers
Dedicated print servers can be easier to maintain, because even when they get bogged down with print jobs, they would not cause other important applications to stall or crash. By the same token, applications hogging resources would not after the performance of a print server.
Close Open Connections
Common Printer Issues
Some users connecting to print servers leave their connections active for a long while, and this is bad because every connection needs resources to stay up. Windows has a server management functionality you can use to locate such connections, and when you do, you can close the unneeded ones. If the server gets repeatedly bogged down with day-long connections, there is probably something wrong with the client applications, and you may want to take that up with the manufacturer to come up with a workaround.
Cut the Number of Printer Drivers and Remove Monitoring Software
Using a high number of printer drivers is a bad idea, especially in Windows. The main problem with this is that it takes up a lion’s share of resources, while getting little work done. The other issue is that a lot of printer drivers are known to leave monitoring services in their wake after being uninstalled, and these too are a drain on resources. You can prevent them by standardizing the drivers used, preferring universal printer drivers, and getting software that lets you centrally manage printer drivers without the need to install it on the servers.
Ramp up the Processor Speed
The processor is a possible source for a bottleneck you are likely not prepared to deal with, especially during times when heavy printing needs to be carried out. To avoid that, make sure that any conversion to PostScript/PCL takes place on the client, as opposed to the server. If the problem still occurs, you should look into getting more powerful hardware.
Most times when your print server slows down, a quick fix would not solve the problem completely, because there is simply too much printing to be done. So you should call us on 844-203-1916 for technical assistance instead. Our certified printer support experts can get on it right way in minimal time, and get your network printer working right once more.
How to Restart Print Spooler Service on Windows 7
Print Spooler Error
Not all common printing issues in a Windows computer are related to the hardware. Sometimes, a paper jam in the printer could lead to unwanted work stress. Likewise, even a stuck print job or malfunctioning printer spooler will hinder productive printing.
The print spooler is software, which manages documents or files sent to a connected printer. In most cases, the spooler does its function of giving printouts, but on occasions, it tends to malfunction. If something interrupts with print requests, the spooler could crash and halt print jobs.
If that happens, you can try the following workarounds to see if that lets you take printouts subsequently. Even when you sent print jobs by mistake, you would want to cancel it from the print queue. That is one of the ways to avoid a stuck print job.
Cancel Print Jobs Manually from the Print Queue
You can not only pause, restart, and resume printing, but also cancel all or each print job from the print queue.
- Click on the Start button and choose Devices and Printers from the Start Menu.
- From the window that opens next, containing drivers of Devices and Printers, right-click on your printer icon, and choose See what’s printing from the pop-up menu. This will open the Print Queue, which contains pending printing tasks.
- If you want to cancel or delete all print jobs in the queued list, click Printer option from the toolbar and choose Cancel All Documents.
- If you want to delete individual print jobs, right-click on one to highlight it and choose Cancel option from the context menu.
Having learned how to cancel print jobs from the print queue, if spooler is stuck and you cannot cancel that, you would want to restart print spooler. Note that if the spooler malfunction has got to the point of being stuck, restarting the computer alone may not do the trick. If you are wondering how to restart print spooler, there are two ways to do that. Note that after each method to restart the spooler service, you should reboot the computer before you do a test print.
Steps to Restart Print Spooler Manually
- Click on the Start button, and choose Control Panel. From the next window, choose Administrative Tools, and select Services. If you are prompted to choose the administrator user profile and password, follow the instructions.
- Once you are in the Services list presented in alphabetical order, scroll through it and right-click on Print Spooler. Then, you can choose Stop the spooler if its status is Started and then click Start. You can see the status next to the Print Spooler listed there.
- If you are not able to find it, click on a service and continue pressing P until it is highlighted. Moreover, you can double-click the spooler and restart it from Print Spooler Properties.
- Under the General tab of the dialog box that opens on double-click, choose Stop button and then Start.
Steps to Restart Print Spooler Using Command Prompt
- Click Start, type cmd in the search box of Start Menu, and open it from the search results. If you are not signed in to the administrator account, right-click on cmd, select Run as administrator, and click Yes to confirm it. If you are prompted to provide administrator profile credentials, such as username and password, enter the same to proceed.
- On the DOS box, key in net stop spooler and press the Enter Also, make sure that you get a confirmation message on the black window.
After doing that, see to it if you can print a document or text file. Moreover, to make sure print spooler malfunction will not repeat, follow the below pointers.
- Update Windows to make sure even the spooler service is running up to date. Besides software related problems, updating the OS can prevent problems related to the spooler.
- Update the printer drivers. The printer manufacturers typically launch latest updates with bug fixes and solutions for other problems that may hinder user experience. This will make sure a printer is able to communicate with a PC, which is essential for print jobs to be printed.
- Keep the computer free of malware by scanning and quarantining detected malware. It can make the system files corrupted, but you can prevent that to an extent with regular scan and quarantine.
If you come across any further printer issues, or need with print spooler errors, feel free to get in touch with our printer service professionals over the toll-free number listed above to get a timely assistance.
Fixing Error 0XC19A0035 and Error 49 in HP Printers
Fixing Error 0XC19A0035
These days, it is useful to know how to fix the print spooler service not running. That said, there are plenty of other issues that can come in, especially if you use the printer a lot, and share it with a crowd of other people at the office, or even a small bunch if miscreants at home. Printers are supposed to make work go faster, and not heap the user with troubles they have no need for.
HP puts out some of the best printers in the industry, and for the most part these perform like clockwork – precisely and reliably. That and the fact that the company provides top-of-the-class support for its customers, makes the majority of their products widely popular. However, issues such as Error 0XC19A0035 and Error 49 can render HP printers hard to use. It is often imperative that these be resolved before the user loses too much time staying hung up on a single problem, much the same way they would if they had to deal with the print spooler service not running.
Resolving Error 0XC19A0035
- Turn off the printer after the error code gets displayed. Turn it back on. Repeat this twice, and if the issue persists, move on to the next step.
- Open the portion of the printer that lets you access the cartridges.
- Take out the ink cartridge head.
- Many ink cartridges carry connectors placed on the lower side of the chip. If that is the case here, move on to the next step.
- Clean the connector using a damp napkin, or an isopropyl alcohol swab if you want to remove minute dust or dirt.
- Ensure the connector is clean before putting the cartridge back in.
- If you see the error again, you may want to call a certified printer support service and have an expert check the problem out for you, and maybe even have them fix the printer spooler error while they are at it.
Resetting Error 0XC19A0035
- Pull out the power cord.
- Wait for half a minute.
- Hit the # and 3 buttons on the front panel, and hold down.
- Plug the power cord back in.
- Release the two buttons you were pressing earlier.
As you probably surmised, Error 0XC19A0035 occurs when the ink system has stopped working the way it should. This can be from a variety of reasons, but the basic fix often suffices to resolve the issue and get the printer back to working properly. If the above does not work for you, calling tech support may be the best and only option, unlike when dealing with the print spooler service not running.
Resolving and Preventing Error 49
Common Printer Issues
- Turn off the printer after error code gets displayed. Turn it back on. Repeat this twice, and if the issue persists, move on to the next step.
- Find out if a corrupted driver is the cause of the issue. If the one your printer is using is mismatched, you will need to download the proper one for it from the manufacturer’s website, and then install it in the PC.
- To Error 49 from returning, you should hit the Cancel Job This will remove the print job from the memory.
- Turn off the printer. Turn it back on.
- Try printing something from a different application. Return to the previously used application, open a different file, and hit Print. If you keep getting the error message regardless what application you use, move on to the next step.
- Remove all the cables connecting the printer to the PC. Turn it off.
- Disconnect all EIO devices connected to the computer.
- Turn on the printer. Assuming the error does not reappear, separately install each DIMM and EIO device. After each turn the printer off and back on without fail, so that necessary system changes will take effect.
- At this point, you will need to remove any DIMM and EIO device that you think may have originally caused the problem.
- If you still have the error, you will need to change the firmware DIMM.
- Following that, you need to first replace the formatter, and then calibrate the printer.
It is fairly obvious that that Error 49 is an issue arising from the printer not being able to communicate properly with the application that started of the print job. Replacing the firmware DIMM should take care of the problem for the most part, but this may not work if there is an underlying cause that you have not noticed.
To fix this issue or others, such as the print spooler service not running, call us on 844-203-1916, and have our experts take a look.