How to Solve if Print Spooler Keeps Stopping on Windows 7 & 10
Common Printer Issues
In case you are using Windows 7 or 10 and you keep seeing the error which says your print spooler is not running, you are one among the thousands facing the same issue. You do not have to worry because there are ways to fix it. Below is a discussion on ways to fix this issue. The print spooler is a service provided by the Windows. It manages all the print jobs that pass through your printer. The printer will stop functioning if the service stops running. The following are some effective ways to solve this issue.
Method 1: Restart the Print Spooler service
1) From your keyboard, click the Windows logo key and R together to open the Run box.
2) Type services.msc and click Enter to get to the Services window:
3) First Click Print Spooler and then Restart by checking how to restart print spooler.
4) Try and see if the printer functions.
Method 2: Check if the Print Spooler service is set to Automatic
In case the print spooler service is not set to automatic, it will not be automatically switched on when the Windows starts. Therefore, the printer will not print unless you start the service manually.
Follow the below steps to set this service to auto mode.
1) Take to your keyboard and click the Windows logo key and R simultaneously to open up the Run Box.
On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time to invoke the Run box.
2) Type services.msc and press Enter to open the Services window:
3) Right-click on the Print Spooler option and then click on Properties.
4) Ensure that the Startup type is changed to Automatic, then click Apply, and then OK.
5) Try to work the printer to see if it works.
Method 3: Change the Print Spooler Recovery options
In case the print spooler recovery settings are not properly set, the print spooler will not start automatically. This could happen due to other reasons too. Follow the below steps to ensure the correct recovery process.
1) Click the Windows logo key and R button simultaneously to bring the Run box.
2) Type services.msc and click Enter to open the Services window.
3) Right click on the Print Spooler and then select Properties.
4) Select Recovery and ensure that all three failure fields are changed to Restart the Service. After this, click Apply and then OK.
5) Now you may check if the printer is functional.
Method 4: Delete Your Print Spooler Files
In case your pending print jobs are piling up, they may also cause the spooler to stop. You can delete the print spooler files and clear the pending print jobs. This may sometimes solve the problem.
1) Press the Windows logo key along with the R button simultaneously to bring up the Run box.
2) Type down services.msc and click Enter to bring the Services window
3) Press the Print Spooler, then click Stop.
4) Click the “— “ sign to minimize the Services window.
5) On your keyboard, click the Windows logo key and E simultaneously and open the Windows File Explorer.
6) Follow the path and go to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS:
In case there is a request for permission, select continue.
7) Then you may delete the files in the printers folder. Once you have done this, you may confirm that the folder is completely empty.
8) Access the Run box again by pressing the Windows logo key and R simultaneously.
9) Type control and click Enter to access the Control Panel
10) Within the open window, select the view according to Catalog. Now select View devices and printers.
11) Right-click on the printer and select Remove device.
12) Now come back and select Services icon present on your taskbar to go back to Services window.
13) Select the Print Spooler option and then Start.
14) Choose the Devices and Printers icon from the taskbar and go back to Devices and Printers window
15) Now, right-click within the blank area and select Add a printer. This should be followed by a set of instructions that appear on the screen to add your printer back.
16) Try to run the printer and see if it works.
Method 5: Update your printer driver
Another error may be caused by an incorrect or old printer driver. There are options to update the printer driver easily in a manual way. There is also a way of updating the driver automatically using Driver Easy. This automatically recognizes the system and finds the appropriate drivers for it. This method ensures that there are no confusions regarding the system running in your computer, with downloading or installing the driver. These mistakes would be avoided when you use this option.
Above are some of the effective methods that can be used for printer spooler error. Make sure you follow the instructions closely.
Turning Print Spooler Off Using Services.Msc, Regedit, Cmd, and Msconfig in Windows 7
Common Printer Issues
The print spooler service is one of those programs which can either function beautifully when you are trying to make prints, or do the opposite and get in the way a lot of the time. It basically manages all of the print jobs you send out from the computer to the printer, and lets you store multiple jobs inside a queue, which is where the printer or the print server can get at them. Sometimes, the running of the print spooler can affect system performance, or it can make things go haywire in such a way that your print jobs stall to annoying levels of slowness.
This is where it sometimes helps knowing how to stop or reset print spooler. Luckily, that can be done in a variety of ways based on how well you have maintained the software side of things on your PC. Following is a look at four ways you can get rid of a persistent printer spooler error.
Using Services.msc
This is essentially a shortcut in Windows that lets you see a list of all the services which are capable of running in your PC. The “msc” part stands for “management console”. Following are the steps you should take to turn the print spooler on or off.
- Hit the Start button, and then pick the option that says Search programs and files.
- Type in services.msc and hit Enter, and then find Print Spooler from the window that comes up, and check out the status of the service in order to see what changes need to be made.
- The General tab of the Print Spooler Properties window should show you buttons that say Start or Stop, as well as the current Startup type. Make changes as needed and then hit the Ok Close the Services window after that.
Using Regedit
Microsoft has put out a disclaimer meant for users trying to make changes in the registry, which says that even the slightest mistakes here could cause issues which require reinstalling the OS altogether. Because of that, it is wise to proceed only after you have made a backup of the current settings.
- Type regedit in the Search programs and files field in the Start menu and hit the Enter key, and then confirm authorization at any popup that comes up from User Account Control.
- Navigate to the Start registry key present in the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Spooler.
- Double click on this key and when the small box comes up, edit the value in order to change the startup type: 2 means Automatic, 3 means Manual, and 4 means Disabled.
When you change the startup type to Automatic (Delayed Start), that created a new key by the name of DelayedAutostart, which has a value of 1. When you change it to simply Automatic, this value turns to 0.
Using CMD
This method lets you change the print spooler’s status right from a command prompt window.
- Head to the Start menu and in the Search programs and files field, type in cmd. Do not click on this; instead, right click and choose Run as administrator from the drop-down. Confirm authorization at any popup that comes up from User Account Control.
- To change the startup type of the Print Spooler to Automatic, copy and paste the following in cmd: REG add “HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Spooler” /v Start /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f, and then press Enter:
- To change the startup type of the Print Spooler to Manual, copy and paste the following in cmd: REG add “HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Spooler” /v Start /t REG_DWORD /d 3 /f, and then press Enter.
- To change the startup type of the Print Spooler to Disabled, copy and paste the following in cmd: REG add “HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Spooler” /v Start /t REG_DWORD /d 4 /f, and then press Enter.
- To change the startup type of the Print Spooler to Automatic (Delayed Start), copy and paste the following in cmd: REG add “HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Spooler” /v Start /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f, and then press Enter.
- If you wish to stop print spooler, type in net stop Spooler, and hit Enter.
Using Msconfig
The following method shows how Print Spooler can be deterred from starting along with the OS.
- Click on the Start button and in the Search programs and files field, type in msconfig and hit Enter. This will bring up the System Configuration
- From here, head to the Services tab, find Print Spooler, and uncheck the box beside it so that the service does not start each time that the OS does. Hit OK to save changes.
- Restart the PC for the changes to take effect.
The above are the simplest methods to turn Print Spooler on or off in your computer, as well as change its status. Again, make sure that you make and save a backup before performing any of the steps mentioned here.
How to Resolve the Print Spooler Terminating Unexpectedly
Print Spooler Terminating Unexpectedly
The print spooler error is one of the annoying issues that Windows users often come across. Usually, when one gets rid of old print jobs and restart print spooler, the issue will be resolved. However, if you have any corrupt drivers, then you will have to delete it fully to troubleshoot the printer issue…
The print spooler application manages all print jobs sent to a printer. When someone initiates a print from a device, the data is temporarily stored in the Windows PC, and the spooler feeds it to the target printer in the background. Usually, the print spooler service works fine, but sometimes, users come across certain issues. When no printers are listed in the Print dialog box, the user normally checks if any are shown in the Printers and Faxes folder. If no printers are listed there either, they click on the Add a Printer button in the folder, and sometimes, a printer spooler error message pops up. This particular printer spooler error can be resolved easily enough though.
Identifying the Error
See if you are seeing any of these symptoms.
- You come across The Printer Spooler Service Terminated Unexpectedly
- You find Printers and Faxes is empty. To navigate to that, select the Control Panel from the Start menu, choose Devices and Printers, and select Printers and Faxes.
- When you try to print from an application, you get a message that suggests no printers are installed in the device.
Step One: Stop the Print Spooler
If the spooler service is not already stopped, then go ahead and stop it.
- Press the Windows key and R key at the same time. This then brings up the Run dialog box.
- Type services.msc in the dialog box and press Enter, or click the Ok button. This brings up another window that contains the list of Windows services.
- Find the Print Spooler service on the list. To find it quickly, select any service and keep pressing P on the keyboard until Print Spooler is highlighted.
- Then, double-click Print Spooler. This opens the Print Spooler Properties window; click on the Stop button below the Service status, and you are done.
Step Two: Delete Old Print Jobs
Now, you have to clear out print jobs that might just have gotten stuck. At times, this can cause the spooler to fail, which keeps you from printing further documents.
To get rid of print jobs in the print queue, one method is to open the spooler service and clear them from it. However, when this is not possible, the earlier print jobs can also be deleted from the PRINTERS folder. For that, follow the below steps.
- Open Computer or My Computer from the Start menu.
- Open the C: drive
- Open the Windows folder, navigate to system32 > spool and open PRINTERS.
- Select all files or folders in PRINTERS by pressing the Ctrl and A keys simultaneously, and press the Delete
Step Three: Start the Print Spooler Again
Now, go back to the Print Spooler Properties, and click the Start button under the Service status. The issue might resolve itslef when you restart print spooler. However, if any of your printer drivers had become corrupt, then you need to do further troubleshooting.
Continue with the Following Steps If Your Printer Driver is Corrupt
First, you have to stop the print spooler again before proceeding.
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Delete the Corrupt Driver
You will need to manually remove the corrupt driver from the registry. In your Windows system, open Run as mentioned above, type regedit in the dialog box and click Ok. This brings up the Registry Editor. In that, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Control > Print > Environments and open Windows NT x86 > Drivers. Once you expand Drivers, select the key for the problem driver, right-click on it and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
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Start the Spooler Again
Before deleting the driver, and when the spooler is turned on, it would stop whenever users try to print something or access the Printers and Faxes folder. Once the corrupt driver has been deleted, and after you restart the spooler service, these symptoms should disappear. So, go back to Print Spooler Properties and click the Start button.
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Uninstall Your Printer Software
Ensure that you remove the program from your Windows PC. Is there a suite of printer tools installed in it? If so, get rid of this fully before you could install your printer again.
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Reinstall the Printer
Once you are done with the above-mentioned steps, go ahead and install the printer again in your system. For that, you can use the setup disc that came with your printer. Else, you can download the printer driver from your printer manufacturer site. Just follow the instructions to complete the installation process.
You should now be able to print. However, if you are still having the spooler issue, you can get in touch with one of our printer service professionals through our toll-free support number.
How to Remove a Corrupt Printer Driver from Windows
Corrupt Printer Driver
Any of the following issues can happen if your printer’s driver(s) are corrupt.
- Print spooler service is crashing
- Cannot add a printer as print spooler service not running or crashing while you try to add a new printer to Windows
- Print spooler error (code 0x000006BE)
If you are wondering how to fix printer spooler error, then you have to fix the corrupt drivers in your Windows computer. To fix them, follow the below steps.
Step One: Remove your Printers and Drivers from Windows
First, you have to remove the printers installed in your Windows computer. For that, follow the steps mentioned below.
- Press the Windows key, and select Devices and Printers from the Start Menu. Next, a new window opens that contains printers and other devices installed in the operating system.
- Select your printer, right-click and choose the Remove Device Repeat the same for all the printers you want to remove from the system.
- Click on the Start button, and choose Control Panel. This opens a new window, where you have the options or tools to adjust your system’s settings.
- Click on the System and Security link, and open Administrative Tools. You can also type Administrative Tools in the search box at the top-right corner of the main Control Panel window, and the OS will reveal the results for the respective searched item. Once you click on the link, it opens the Administrative Tools
- In the folder, find the Print Management shortcut, and double-click on it. You can see a new window opening up on the screen.
- Then, click to expand Print Servers. When you click on it, you will be able to see <PC name> (local). For instance, if your computer name is “PC007”, it will be written as PC007 (local).
- Then choose Drivers, select drivers in the middle, and click on More Actions under the Drivers subheading that appears to the right side of the window. This then reveals Print Server Properties Under the open Drivers tab, you can see the list of Installed printer drivers.
- Select the target driver and click on the Remove Do the same for each target driver you want to remove from the system. Click on the OK button for confirmation each time you do this.
Step Two: Clear Windows Printing Subsystem
- Open a folder or Windows Explorer or press the Windows and E keys at the same time. In the address bar, type C:\windows\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86, and press the Enter key to navigate to the folder.
- From w32x86, either remove all the folders and files or move them all to a temporary folder.
- Then, press Windows, key in regedit in the Start menu search box, and hit Enter. This opens the Registry Editor. Be careful when you make any changes to the editor.
- Find and expand the registry key named Windows NT x86 by navigating through HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Control > Print > Environment
- Once you expand it, there should be only the subkeys titled Drivers and Print Processors.
- If you see any other subkeys than the two above-mentioned ones under the expanded Windows NT x86, then perform the following:
- Choose a subkey
- Choose File, and then Export.
- Type any descriptive name for the subkey, and Save it to the desktop. If you face any issues, you can restore it.
- Then, Delete the subkey.
- Repeat the above-mentioned four sub-steps for each subkey save Drivers and Print Processors.
- Find and expand the registry key named Monitors by navigating through HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Control > Print
- There should only be the below-mentioned subkeys in it.
- Local Port
- BJ Language Monitor
- Microsoft Shared Fax Monitor
- Microsoft Document Imaging Writer Monitor
- USB Monitor
- Standard TCP/IP Port
- WSD Port
- If you see any other subkeys than the seven above-mentioned subkeys under Monitors, perform the following:
- Click on a subkey
- Click File, and then Export.
- Enter any descriptive name for the subkey, and Save the key to the desktop. If you come across any issues, you can restore it.
- Then, remove the subkey.
- Repeat the aforementioned four sub-steps for each subkey except for the ones mentioned.
- Disconnect printers connected to the computer if any.
- Restart the PC.
- Install the printer with its manufacturer’s instructions, which you can find in the user manual or its website.
If you come across any related issues when in a local printer or networking printing environment, feel free to get in touch with our technicians through the toll-free number mentioned here.
How to Fix Print Spooler Error 0x800706b9 on Windows
Common Printer Issues
Many of us use printers on a daily basis and can encounter a plethora of issues while trying to print. Some of the users have reported print spooler error 0x800706b9 preventing them from printing. Encountering errors while trying to print can be a really frustrating situation and you will need to fix the errors quickly to resume printing. Some of the common printer errors that users have reported are listed below.
Error 0x800706b9: Not Enough Resources are Available to Complete This Operation
This is the error message that you can encounter while trying to print. If you see this message, make sure that you perform a full system scan of the computer.
Print Spooler Not Enough Storage is Available to Complete This Operation
You might get this error message while trying to print something. If you encounter this error, you will have to make a few changes to the Windows Registry to get rid of the error. It will be a wise idea to get help from an experienced tech support team to make changes to the Windows Registry if you are unsure of editing the registry.
Windows 10 Print Spooler Won’t Start Not Enough Resources
This is yet another common error, which you can encounter while trying to print. If you encounter this error while printing, you need to make a new user account and try to print again.
How to Fix Print Spooler Error 0x800706b9
When you encounter the print spooler error 0x800706b9, there are few things that you can do to fix the error. These are explained below.
Scan the Computer for Malware
You need to scan the computer for malware when you encounter the print spooler error 0x800706b9, as many users have complained that the error was caused by malware infection. Therefore, to get rid of the problem, you need to perform a full system scan to get rid of the malware infection. You can use a reliable antivirus program to find and fix the malware infection. The issue should be resolved once you find and get rid of the malware infection.
Make a New User Account
If you encounter print spooler error 0x800706b9 often, a corrupted user account might be leading to the problem. It will be a tedious task to repair and fix the corrupted account. Therefore, it will be better to make a new user account. Follow the below steps to make a new user account.
- Open Settings and go to Accounts To reach the Settings app fast, you can press the Windows and I keys together.
- Select Family and other people and click on Add someone else to this PC.
- Select I don’t have this person’s sign-in information.
- Choose Add a user without a Microsoft account.
- Type in the desired username and password, and click on the Next button to continue.
After making the new user account, you need to switch to the new account and check if the problem is fixed. If you find that the issue is not present in the new user account, you can move all your personal files to the new account and use it for print jobs.
Reset winsock
You can also fix the print spooler error 0x800706b9 by resetting the winsock. The procedure to reset winsock is very simple and can be done by running a command in the Command Prompt window. Follow the below steps to reset winsock.
- Press Windows and X keys to choose the Command Prompt
- In the Command Prompt window, you need to run the netsh winsock reset command, click OK, and then restart your computer.
After the computer restarts, you need to check if the problem is still present.
Modify Registry
Some settings can also lead to print spooler errors. You will be able to access these settings via the registry of the computer. Therefore, to fix the problem, you need to access the Windows Registry and then modify it. You can follow the below steps to edit Windows Registry.
- Press the Windows and R keys together and type in regedit. You can then click the OK button or hit the Enter
- Move to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Services > Spooler located in the left pane. If you need, you can export the key and use it as a backup to use it in case things go wrong after the registry modification. Double click on the DependOnService located on the right pane.
- Delete http located on the value data field and then click on the OK
After editing the Windows Registry, you need to restart the computer, and check if the problem is resolved. Editing the Windows Registry has helped many users resolve print spooler errors. Yet if yours persists, you need to contact our printer tech support team for advanced troubleshooting.
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.