Fix Printer Spooler Error – Complete Guide

The Print Spooler is a Windows service that queues print jobs. When it crashes or gets corrupted, you'll see spooler errors and print jobs won't go through.

Signs of a Print Spooler Problem

• "Spooler SubSystem App has stopped working"
• Print jobs stuck in queue and won't delete
• "Print spooler service is not running"
• Printers disappearing from Devices and Printers

Fix 1: Restart Print Spooler (Quickest Fix)

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc
2. Find Print Spooler
3. Right-click → Restart

Fix 2: Clear the Spooler Queue Manually

net stop spooler
del /Q /F /S "%systemroot%\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*.*"
net start spooler

Fix 3: Set Spooler to Start Automatically

1. In services.msc, double-click Print Spooler
2. Set Startup type to Automatic
3. Under Recovery tab, set First failure to Restart the Service

Fix 4: Check Spooler Dependencies

The Spooler depends on other services. In Spooler Properties, click the Dependencies tab and ensure all listed services are running.

Fix 5: Run System File Checker

sfc /scannow

Corrupted Windows system files can cause persistent spooler crashes. SFC will repair them.

Fix 6: Check Event Viewer

Open Event Viewer > Windows Logs > System and look for Spooler errors. The error code will point to the specific cause.