Print Spooler service not running in Windows: how to fix it

Published Sources checked By helps.wiki editorial team

The Print Spooler service (spoolsv.exe) handles your print jobs. When it crashes or stops, jobs stick in the queue and the printer stops responding. Conflicting printer drivers are a common cause. Microsoft's steps are to clear the queue, remove old or duplicate drivers and restart the service.

Applies to:Windows 11Windows 10support ended 14 Oct 2025
On this page

What it means

"Print spooler error" is not one single error. It is a name for a handful of related problems around the Print Spooler service, the Windows component that manages print jobs. When that service crashes, stops or can't start, your documents sit in the queue and the printer stops responding.

Microsoft says conflicting drivers are a common cause of spooler crashes, so the fixes below start with the queue and the drivers before touching the service itself. There is also a separate situation on print servers: since the July 2021 updates, non-administrators can't install drivers. That is by design, and it has its own section at the end.

Symptoms and causes

You are likely dealing with this problem if:

  • Print jobs stay stuck in the queue and never reach the printer.
  • The printer is unresponsive even though it is on and connected.

The usual causes, most common first:

Conflicting, duplicate, outdated or corrupt printer drivers
Microsoft names conflicting drivers as a common cause of spooler crashes.
Print server driver restriction (separate case)
After the July 2021 updates (KB5005010), only administrators can install drivers on a print server. This is intended behaviour, not a fault.

How to fix it

Work through these in order. They start with the quickest, safest checks and move to deeper repairs; stop as soon as the problem is gone.

1.Clear the print queue

Easy

Clearing the queue is the first step Microsoft gives for spooler problems, and it gives the spooler a clean start.

  1. On Windows 11, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, select your printer and choose Open print queue. On Windows 10, open Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners, select your printer and choose Open queue.
  2. Right-click each job and choose Cancel. Repeat until the queue is empty.
  3. Send a test print.

2.Remove conflicting printer drivers

ModerateChanges settings

Duplicate, old or corrupt drivers are a common cause of spooler crashes.

Before you start: Only remove printers and drivers you no longer use. Have the manufacturer's driver for your current printer ready before you uninstall anything.

  1. Open Device Manager and expand Print queues or Printers.
  2. Uninstall unneeded, old or duplicate printer entries and drivers.
  3. Download the latest driver for your exact model from the printer manufacturer's website and install it.

3.Restart the Print Spooler service

Easy

Restarting reloads the service and can clear a hung state.

  1. Press WinR, type services.msc and press Enter.
    Text
    services.msc
  2. Find Print Spooler, right-click it and choose Restart.
  3. Send a test print.

4.Print server: non-admin users can't install a driver

AdvancedBack up first

After the July 2021 updates, only administrators can install drivers on a print server. If users now get blocked, this restriction is the reason.

Before you start: Do not weaken these settings to work around the block. Microsoft recommends leaving driver installation restricted to administrators.

  1. The simplest approach is to have an administrator install the driver on the server. This is the intended behaviour (KB5005010).
  2. To check the configuration, look at the registry key below. In this key, NoWarningNoElevationOnInstall and UpdatePromptSettings (DWORD) should be 0 or not defined. A non-zero value leaves the device vulnerable to CVE-2021-34527.
    Textrun as administrator
    HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\PointAndPrint
  3. RestrictDriverInstallationToAdministrators defaults to 0 with the July to early August 2021 updates and 1 from the 10 August 2021 updates. Microsoft recommends 1.
  4. In Group Policy, go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Printers > Point and Print Restrictions and set both prompts to Show warning and elevation prompt. No restart is needed after the change.

Check that it worked

  • Open Services and confirm Print Spooler shows Running.
  • The print queue is empty and a test page prints.
  • The printer no longer stalls after the next restart.

If it still fails

  • Check the manufacturer's site for a newer driver or firmware for your exact printer model.
  • If the service still won't start, note the exact message you see and search for it on Microsoft Support.
  • Contact Microsoft Support or the printer manufacturer's support.

Sources

  1. Fix Print Spooler service not running errors in WindowsOfficial · Microsoft Support
  2. KB5005010: Restricting installation of new printer drivers after applying the July 6, 2021 updatesOfficial · Microsoft Support

Browse