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🖨️ Spooler Service Fix

Print Spooler Service Keeps Stopping in Windows Fix

Every print attempt ends with a spooler error, or the service stops again the moment you start it. Here is the full repair — clear, reset and, if needed, rebuild the spooler.

✍️ Technical Anshu🪟 Windows 10 / 11⏱️ 10 minute fix
🎥 The full printer training video — spooler repair and every other check shown live

The Print Spooler is the Windows service that accepts every print job and feeds it to the printer. When it stops, all printing stops — for every printer on the PC. It usually crashes for one of three reasons: a corrupt job file sitting in the spool folder, a bad printer driver that crashes the service each time it loads, or a service that was left on Manual startup. The fixes below go in that order, from the two-minute clear-out to the deeper driver cleanup.

The Error You See When Printing
Windows can't open Add Printer. The local print spooler service is not running. Please restart the spooler or restart the machine.
services.msc — Print Spooler statusStopped
Startup typeManual — should be Automatic
Different wordings, one meaning: the spooler service is down. Bring it back properly with the steps below, not just a single start.
1

Clear the Spool Folder — the Corrupt Job Is Usually the Cause

If the spooler crashes again seconds after starting, a damaged job file in its folder is crashing it on load. You must empty that folder while the service is stopped.

  1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
  2. Run net stop spooler
  3. Run del /Q /F /S "%systemroot%\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*.*" to delete every stuck job file
  4. Run net start spooler — if it now stays running, print a test page and you are done
2

Set the Service to Automatic With Recovery

A spooler set to Manual or stopped by a crash will keep "forgetting" to run. Lock in the correct behaviour.

  1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, Enter
  2. Double-click Print Spooler and set Startup type: Automatic
  3. Open the Recovery tab and set First failure and Second failure to Restart the Service
  4. Or do it from admin Command Prompt in one line: sc config spooler start= auto
3

Check the Spooler Dependencies

The spooler depends on the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) service. If RPC is disabled or broken, the spooler cannot stay up no matter how often you start it.

  1. In the Print Spooler properties, open the Dependencies tab and note the listed services
  2. Confirm Remote Procedure Call (RPC) shows as Running in services.msc
  3. Some PCs also list an HTTP service or a manufacturer's spooler helper — make sure none of them is set to Disabled
4

If It Still Crashes — a Driver Is Killing It

When the spooler starts cleanly with an empty folder but dies the moment you print to one specific printer, that printer's driver is crashing it. This is very common after a driver update or with old drivers carried over from Windows 7-era installs.

  1. Remove that printer from Settings → Printers & scanners
  2. Press Windows + R, run printui /s /t2, select the printer's driver and choose Remove → Remove driver and driver package
  3. Restart the PC, start the spooler, and confirm it stays up with no printer installed
  4. Install the latest driver for your exact model from the manufacturer's website, then add the printer back
5

Last Resort — Repair Windows Files With SFC ⭐

If the spooler fails on a clean system with fresh drivers, the spooler files themselves may be damaged.

  1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run sfc /scannow
  2. Let it reach 100% — it repairs protected system files including spoolsv.exe
  3. Restart the PC and start the spooler again
  4. Honest limit: if SFC reports unrepairable corruption, the Windows installation itself is damaged and a repair install of Windows is the real fix — no spooler trick will hold

🎥 Complete Knowledge and Installation in the Video

The complete printer training shows the spooler repair, driver cleanup and all the related checks live on a real PC.

▶️ Watch Full Video
❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the Print Spooler stop again as soon as I start it?

Almost always a corrupt job file in the spool folder that crashes the service every time it loads, or a faulty printer driver. Stop the service, delete everything in the spool PRINTERS folder, and start it again. If it still dies when you print to one printer, that printer's driver is the culprit.

Will clearing the spool folder delete my saved documents?

No. The spool folder only holds temporary copies of jobs waiting to print. Your original documents in Word, Excel or PDF stay untouched — you just send the print again afterwards.

Is it safe to set the Print Spooler to Automatic?

Yes — Automatic is its factory default. If you do not print for long periods and prefer it off for security hardening, Manual works too, but then you must start it before printing. For normal office and home PCs, Automatic with recovery restart is the right setting.

This guide is based on the printer training video by Technical Anshu • Stuck on a step? Ask in the video comments — you will get an answer there 🙏