Print Spooler keeps stopping
The Windows Print Spooler service stops or crashes on its own, so printers vanish and jobs fail. Find the cause and stop it happening again.
Quick fix
Stop the spooler, delete everything inside C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS, and start it again. A damaged job left in that folder is a common reason the service crashes each time it starts. If it still stops, remove printer drivers you no longer use.
You might see
- Windows says the local print spooler service is not running
- Printers disappear from Settings, then return after a restart
- Print Spooler shows as stopped in Services soon after you start it
- Errors such as 0x000006BA when you try to print
Usually caused by
- A damaged job stuck in the spool folder
- A faulty or outdated printer driver crashing the service
- Leftover drivers from old printers
- Damaged Windows system files
- Third-party print, PDF or fax software
Step-by-step fix
Work through the steps in order and check each one off. Most people are printing again before the last step.
Windows 11 / 10
0 of 7 steps tried
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Clear the spool folder
Select Start, type
cmdand choose Run as administrator. Runnet stop spooler, then the command below to emptyC:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS, thennet start spooler.del /Q /F /S "%systemroot%\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*" -
Set the service to recover automatically
Press Win + R, type
services.mscand press Enter. Double-click Print Spooler, set Startup type to Automatic, then on the Recovery tab set the failure options to Restart the Service. This keeps printing usable while you find the cause. -
Find the crashing driver in Event Viewer
Right-click Start and open Event Viewer. Under Windows Logs > Application, look for errors mentioning spoolsv.exe; the faulting module name often points to a printer driver file. Also check Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > PrintService > Admin.
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Remove printers you no longer use
In Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, remove old printers, duplicates and ones you don't recognise. Leave built-in entries such as Microsoft Print to PDF.
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Remove old driver packages
Press Win + R and run the command below to open the Drivers tab of Print Server Properties. Select drivers for printers you no longer have, or the one Event Viewer named, click Remove and choose Remove driver and driver package. If a driver is in use, remove its printer first.
printui /s /t2 -
Reinstall a current driver
Download the latest driver for your printer and Windows version from the manufacturer's official support site and add the printer again. Many printers also work with the driver built into Windows, which is a useful test.
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Repair Windows system files
In an admin Command Prompt, run
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, wait for it to finish, then run the command below and restart. This repairs damaged Windows files, including the spooler's own.sfc /scannow
Did this fix it?
Good. To confirm everything is healthy, print a test page. It takes a minute and shows any quality problems early.
Try these next
Still stuck? Our printer assistant can walk you through it by live chat, free. . Or the The troubleshooter asks a few questions and narrows it down. If your printer is under warranty, the manufacturer can repair or replace it at no cost. Find their official support site on our brand pages.
Common questions
Is it safe to set the spooler to restart automatically?
Yes. Restart the Service only tells Windows to start it again after a crash. It's a workaround, so keep looking for the driver or job that causes the crash.
Should I disable the Print Spooler?
Only on a PC that never prints. Disabling it stops all printing, including saving to PDF through Microsoft Print to PDF, and it won't fix the underlying crash.