Restart the Printer Spooler Service – Windows

Introduction:

The Printer Spooler service on Windows plays a crucial role in managing print jobs and ensuring smooth printing functionality. However, encountering issues with the Printer Spooler service can disrupt your printing workflow and prevent print jobs from being processed. In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of restarting the Printer Spooler service on Windows, helping you troubleshoot printing issues and restore normal printing functionality.

Step 1: Open Services Management Console

• Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.

• Type "services.msc" into the Run box and press Enter to open the Services management console.

Step 2: Locate Printer Spooler Service

• In the Services window, scroll down to locate the "Print Spooler" service from the list of services.

Step 3: Stop the Print Spooler Service

• Right-click on the "Print Spooler" service and select "Stop" from the context menu.

• Wait for the service to stop completely before proceeding to the next step.

Step 4: Clear Print Queue (Optional)

• While the Print Spooler service is stopped, you may choose to clear the print queue to remove any stuck print jobs.

• Navigate to the following directory: C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS.

• Delete all files in the PRINTERS folder to clear the print queue.

Step 5: Restart the Print Spooler Service

• After clearing the print queue (if necessary), right-click on the "Print Spooler" service again.

• This time, select "Start" from the context menu to restart the Print Spooler service.

Step 6: Verify Printing Functionality

• Once the Print Spooler service has restarted successfully, try printing a test page or document to verify that printing functionality has been restored.

• If the issue persists, proceed with additional troubleshooting steps or seek further assistance.

Step 7: Set Printer Spooler Service to Automatic (Optional)

• To prevent future printing issues, you can configure the Printer Spooler service to start automatically with Windows.

• Right-click on the "Print Spooler" service and select "Properties" from the context menu.

• In the Properties window, set the "Startup type" to "Automatic" and click "Apply" followed by "OK" to save the changes.

Step 8: Restart Your Computer

• After configuring the Printer Spooler service, it's a good idea to restart your computer to ensure that the changes take effect.