How to Fix Print Spooler Error on Windows 10 & 11

The Print Spooler is a Windows service that manages print jobs. When it crashes or gets stuck, no printer on the computer can print. Here's how to fix it.

Symptoms of a Print Spooler Error

• Printer shows offline even though it's on and connected
• Print jobs disappear from the queue without printing
• Windows shows "Print Spooler service is not running"
• Error 1068 or error 1053 when trying to restart the spooler

Fix 1: Restart the Print Spooler Service

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, press Enter
2. Scroll to Print Spooler
3. Right-click > Restart
4. If Restart is greyed out, try Stop first, then Start
5. Try printing immediately after

Fix 2: Clear Stuck Print Jobs Manually

If restarting the spooler doesn't work, clear the spool folder:

1. Open Services and Stop the Print Spooler
2. Open File Explorer and navigate to: C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS
3. Delete all files inside the PRINTERS folder (do not delete the folder itself)
4. Return to Services and Start the Print Spooler
5. Try printing

Fix 3: Set Spooler to Start Automatically

1. In Services, double-click Print Spooler
2. Set Startup type to Automatic
3. Click Apply > OK
4. This ensures the spooler starts every time Windows boots

Fix 4: Check for Dependent Services

The Print Spooler requires two services to run:

1. In the Print Spooler properties (double-click in Services), click the Dependencies tab
2. Ensure Remote Procedure Call (RPC) and DCOM Server Process Launcher are both running in the Services list

Fix 5: Run Windows Printer Troubleshooter

1. Open Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters
2. Click Run next to Printer
3. Follow the prompts — Windows will automatically detect and fix common spooler issues

Fix 6: Repair via PowerShell

For persistent spooler issues, run in PowerShell as administrator:

Stop-Service -Name Spooler -Force
Remove-Item -Path "C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*" -Recurse -Force
Start-Service -Name Spooler

Fix 7: Reinstall the Printer Driver

A corrupt driver file can cause repeated spooler crashes:

1. Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers
2. Right-click your printer > Remove device
3. Open Print Management (search in Start) > Drivers
4. Remove the driver entry for your printer
5. Download and reinstall the latest driver from the manufacturer's website