Print Spooler Service is not running?!

[Hulk]

Ok, I have a paper due tomorrow and all of a sudden my printer won't print, the PC wont even detect it and I cant even install it.

So I went out and bought another printer and I get the message "Print Spooler Service is not running."

Question, how do I make it run???

PLEASE reply ASAP.

[sprocket]

Start>My Computer (right click)>Services.
Double click on Print Spooler and choose "enable" and "start service".

[Hulk]

thanks, I did a search on the net about the error message and followed the steps and its working now. It's weird how things always change themselves on this PC.

[Phoenix86]

Things don't just change themselves on a PC...

[J32P2006]

Things don't just change themselves on a PC...


I've had services that were set on manual go back to automatic on there own. I've also had automatic updates disabled and have it go back to automatic. Not all the time, actually only a few times but it has done it.
And that's with out any type of roll back software or services = no system restore service.


Of course proving this would be hard and no worth my time. But just thought I'd share.

[Direwolf20]

If you had a lexmark printer, I've seen their software do some VERY funky things.

I installed my g/f's Lexmark printer on my computer once, and used it fine for a couple weeks, then got a new one from a friend. Since I wasn't using the Lexmark printer anymore, I uninstalled their software (Note: I did NOT just delete their files, I actually ran their un-installer). When I went to print something next, I couldn't, and found out that the Print Spooler was not started. "Strange", I said.

Upon investigation, I determined the following:

Lexmark creates a service called "LexBCE" or something similiar, and makes that service required to start the print spooler. I.E. you can't start the Print Spooler without starting the LexBCE service. However, when uninstalling their "driver" software, it did not remove the service, just the files that the service called. When I tried to start this service, it told me that it couldn't find the files, yada yada yada. "No problem" I said to myself, I'll just re-install their files and fix this mess later. "Yes problem" it said, because when I tried to re-install their driver software, it promptly informed my that the Print Spooler service was not started, and could not complete the install until it was.

The solution was to modify the registry entry for the Print Spooler service to eliminate the dependency on the LexBCE service.

I then vowed never to buy a Lexmark printer :).

[SJConsultant]

Things don't just change themselves on a PC...

I'll back up Phoenix86 on this one, there is a reason for something changing, whether it be by user, virus, spyware, script, etc. Just because we don't know why doesn't mean it's doing it "just because".

[Phoenix86]

I've had services that were set on manual go back to automatic on there own. I have *never* seen this behavior. Not that I'm looking for "proof", but something always causes the change. Installed software, patch, user error, *something*. I'm not saying "you changed it by hand" when I say the PC didn't do it itself. You ran the code.

I've also had automatic updates disabled and have it go back to automatic. Not all the time, actually only a few times but it has done it.
And that's with out any type of roll back software or services = no system restore service.
Sure, but there again, you ran that patch. The PC didn't "up and disable the service because it didn't like it".

Maybe the OP disabled it because one of the bajillion service tweak guides recommended it, maybe it was 3rd party software, who knows. But something he did changed that setting, and this is important to note say when you go to reinstall later down the road.

[S1nF1xx]

Things don't just change themselves on a PC...

Hah! Try to explain that to my customers. lol

[SJConsultant]

Hah! Try to explain that to my customers. lol

Been there done that, only to find out they convienently forgot what they were doing to fix it themselves. :p

[J32P2006]

I'm not saying your wrong Phoenix86 but I just thought that it was system errors or the system getting shutdown wrong or freezing then reverting back to a previous state that was not the last state that I setup. I know disabling services don't do much, maybe 1% for perfromance or something like that but I still find myself setting services.msc to my liking.

I guess for security, or making Taskmgr easier to monitor.


off topic sorry

[Phoenix86]

Hah! Try to explain that to my customers. lol
I have people skills; I am good at dealing with people. Can't you understand that? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!?!

J32P2006, you use services.msc *cough*blackviperrecommendationtoaT*cough* and you have had service issues... Whodathunkit? ;)

I have never had a service issue on my machine, and I don't ever look at services...

The only time I deal with ANY service issue is helping people over the forums...

Seeing a trend? ;)

[J32P2006]

Take sudafed for that cough.

Oh yeah,
And I use microsoft's service.msc guide, not coughy*cough*blackviperrecommendationtoaT*cough*.

And all my services run great and just the way I want them to run.

[S1nF1xx]

I have people skills; I am good at dealing with people. Can't you understand that? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!?!

J32P2006, you use services.msc *cough*blackviperrecommendationtoaT*cough* and you have had service issues... Whodathunkit? ;)

I have never had a service issue on my machine, and I don't ever look at services...

The only time I deal with ANY service issue is helping people over the forums...

Seeing a trend? ;)

Hah! That's good stuff. :D

[Phoenix86]

Sudafed makes me groggy.
And all my services run great and just the way I want them to run.
O RLY? But you said:

I've had services that were set on manual go back to automatic on there own. I've also had automatic updates disabled and have it go back to automatic. Not all the time, actually only a few times but it has done it.
And that's with out any type of roll back software or services = no system restore service.
So I would tend to say you have had issues with services in the past. Just an observation. :)

edit: S1nF1xx, I'll be here all night (for another hour), don't forget to tip your waitresses!

[J32P2006]

Hitting start or stop doesn't equal a problem for me.Maybe you but I've had way harder things to figure out then services.


And look at my post you quoted. If they all went back to automatic how would that even be a problem. hmmmmm


Was it even an observation ?

[Phoenix86]

Hitting start or stop doesn't equal a problem for me.Maybe you but I've had way harder things to figure out then services.


And look at my post you quoted. If they all went back to automatic how would that even be a problem. hmmmmm
You can do with your PC as you wish... All I'm saying is you had problems where a "normal" setup wouldn't. These issues are likely a direct effect of editing the services.

What's the problem with that statement?

Also the fact you even generated the error indicates you weren't aware of what all the service did, otherwise it'd be enabled when you tried to use it. I'd recommend you get a little more familiar with the uses of each service before you disable it.

You have not had to TS a bad error message related to a stopped service, so you think every error says "XYZ service is not started". I *guarantee* you it's not always that simple.

[J32P2006]

Also the fact you even generated the error indicates you weren't aware of what all the service did


What error ?

[Phoenix86]

Didn't the OS/app generate an error when you tried to use a service that went "back to automatic on there own"?