Have you ever been frustrated when you’d tell your PC to print a document, and it gets stuck in a queue or won’t print at all? This post will guide you on how to fix the print spooler service not running in Windows 11/10.
Why does this problem occur?
It could be due to a problem with the Print Spooler. The print spooler is a component of Windows 11/10 that helps organize printing jobs and schedules them for delivery to linked printers or printing services. If the print spooler is overtasked with jobs, or if other components of the operating system conflict with the spooler, or maybe if there’s a glitch due to a faulty driver, you may face issues with the spooler.
Fix Print Spooler Service Is Not Running in Windows 11/10
There could be a variety of reasons why the print spooler isn’t working on a computer. Here’s a list of the best possible solutions to how you can fix the print spooler when it is not running on Windows.
- Run the Printer Troubleshooter
- Restart Print Spooler Service
- Update Printer Drivers
You will need admin permission to resolve this problem.
1] Run the Printer Troubleshooter
- Open the Settings panel by searching for the same in the Start Search Box or pressing Win + I on your keyboard.
- On a Windows 11 PC, go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other Troubleshooters and click on the Run button next to the Printer Troubleshooter.
- For users on Windows 10, head over to Settings > Update and Security > Troubleshooter > Additional Troubleshooter > select Printer and choose Run Troubleshooter.
- With this, Windows will detect any problems with the printer and, if any, will walk you through the necessary fixes.
Once fixed, restart your computer and try printing a test page to check the results.
2] Restart Print Spooler Service
The following fix is to restart the printer spooler service manually. Here’s how you can accomplish that with the services manager.
- Open the Start Search Box, search for Services, and select the best match to open the Services Manager.
- Here, locate the Print Spooler service, right-click and choose Properties from the drop-down.
- Next, in the Properties window, channel the Startup type to Automatic and choose Start.
- Finally, click on Apply and then choose OK to save.
With this done, try printing a page or a document to check whether the printer is back online.
3] Update Printer Drivers
Faulty or old drivers are one of the most prevalent difficulties that consumers confront and often overlook. Here’s how to get the most recent version of your printer drivers.
- Start by opening the Control Panel and navigating to Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers.
- Here, find and right-click on your Printer, which users can see under the Printers subsection.
- Next, choose Remove Device or Uninstall from the dropdown.
- Now, restart your computer and connect your printer to the computer. Windows should automatically find and install the latest drivers on your computer.
- Alternatively, you could also download the driver package from the manufacturer’s website and install them manually.
That said, how often do you use your printer every week? How often do you face issues with the printer?
What Is a Print Spooler Service?
The Print Spooler service in Windows handles print jobs by receiving files to print, queuing them, and scheduling them, among other things. Users can also utilize the printer spooler to check current tasks in the print queue and more. You can follow the tutorial mentioned above if the print spooler service isn’t running.
How to Check Printer Spooler Service Status Using Powershell (Script)?
You can follow the below-mentioned command to find your Printer Spooler service status from a Windows Powershell terminal.
Get-Service -Name Spooler
How Can I Download the Latest Printer Drivers?
While Windows 11/10 can automatically recognize and install a printer’s drivers, it is important to install the printer driver in certain cases manually. Check out this post to learn how you can download the printer drivers for Windows.