Printer Issues: What to Do When the Spooler Subsystem App Encounters a Problem

Print spooler subsystem application forms an essential component of the Windows operating system (OS). The application establishes communication between a Windows-based computer and a printer. Therefore, if the application malfunctions, the printer will not print as it would not receive printing material from the computer. Why the Printer Spooler Error Occurs? • Damaged or corrupted printer drivers • Crashed printer spooler application • Virus/malware infection How to Fix Guide: Reboot computer – Disconnect the power cord from your computer and printer, and also disconnect the printer from computer. Now power on the computer first and then connect the printer back to it. Power on the printer, the computer should now detect the printer and the problem should be resolved. Rebooting resolves many problems as it readjusts the software/program. Update Driver – Printer driver should be updated regularly; an old or corrupted driver will lead to multiple problems including the printer spooler error. Damaged/corrupted driver – If the driver has gone faulty or damaged then remove the driver and download and install the latest driver for whichever Windows version you have from your manufacturer’s website. Reinstall printer software – Remove the old printer software along with its registry entries and .dll files. Restart the computer and then reinstall the printer software Printer Spooler Fix Wizard – Download the wizard from www.microsoft.com, save, and run it on your system and let the wizard fix all the internal problems. Run antivirus scan – Update your antivirus program, and run a full system scan in order to check if your computer is infected with virus/malware etc. Wait for the scan to finish and let your antivirus delete the infections if there are any. Repair Damaged Windows files: • Click on the ‘Start’ menu> click on ‘Run’ • In the box, type in ‘sfc /scannow’ (as it is and without quotes) and click on ‘OK’ • Note, when you run this command, you should have the Windows XP CD inserted in your CD drive. The command will now scan for missing Windows files as well as repair the corrupted files. For Windows Vista: If after installing a new driver, Windows Vista accidently turned off the LDP and LPR ports and left only the ‘Internet Printing Client’ port open, the print spooler sub. app error will occur. If this is the case, follow the below mentioned instructions to: • Click on the ‘Start’ menu (the Windows button at the extreme bottom left hand corner)> Control Panel> select ‘Programs’ • Click on the ‘Turn Windows features on or off’ in the ‘Program’ windowrn• In the window, scroll down till you reach ‘Print Services’ • Click on the ‘+’ sign before the ‘Print Services’ • Put a checkmark in both ‘LPD Print Service’ and ‘LPR Port Monitor’ boxesrn• Remove the checkmark from the ‘Internet Printing Client’ boxrn• Reboot the computer to let the changes take placern• Now add the printer driver again Additional Tidbits: If you recently upgraded to Windows XP/Vista/7 from the older versions such as 2000, NT etc. and did not remove old printer related files, it will result into printer spooler error. So whenever you upgrade to newer Windows versions from the older one, delete the previous files and registry entries also to avoid the problem. The article has been specifically designed for people who are not tech-savvy or not very familiar with computer troubleshooting. If you still have the same problem, don’t try to fix it on your own as the advanced troubleshooting procedure requires thorough knowledge that you may not possess. Contact a certified support help for further solution.