Fix Local Print Spooler Service is not running in Windows 10

What is Print Spooler Service?

Local Print Spooler Service is based on two essential files, namely, spoolss.dll and spoolsv.exe. Since it is not stand-alone software, it depends on these two services: Dcom and RPC. The Print Spooler Service will stop operating if any of the said dependency services fail. The FIFO or First-In-First-Out strategy is used for printing the remaining documents in queue. 

Why Print Spooler Service is not working?

If the print spooler service is not running on Windows 10 in the background, your printer will no longer receive the request and thus, the print operation will be unsuccessful. Reasons for this are plenty, like:

Fix Local Print Spooler Service is not running in Windows 10 What is Print Spooler Service? Why Print Spooler Service is not working? Method 1: Start or Restart Print Spooler Service Method 2: Start or Restart Print Spooler Dependencies Method 3: Clear Spooled Files Method 4: Run Printer troubleshooter Method 5: Reinstall Printer Drivers

Temporary glitches. Third-party applications blocking this service. Print Spooler dependent services stopped working. Printer driver might be corrupt or outdated.

Method 1: Start or Restart Print Spooler Service

Most print spooler errors are prompted by an inactive or malfunctioning Print Spooler service. So, simply restarting the service and all its dependencies should theoretically solve the issue. To fix Local Print Spooler Service is not running error in Windows, you have to first ensure that:

Print Spooler Service is in an active state. Its dependencies are also active and running.

Step I: Launch Services Window

  1. Launch the Run dialog box by holding Windows + R keys together.
  2. Type services.msc and click OK to launch Services window.

Case I: If Print Spooler is Inactive,

  1. Right-click on Print Spooler service then select Properties as shown.

  2. Print Spooler Properties (Local Computer) window will appear. Set the Startup type to Automatic as depicted below.

  3. Click the Start button and wait for the service status to show Running.

  4. Click Apply > OK to save these modifications and close the window. Case II: If Print Spooler is Active,

  5. Right-click on Print Spooler service and click on Restart as illustrated below.

  6. The Print Spooler will restart now. Click OK to exit the window. Also Read: Fix Printer Spooler Errors on Windows 10

Method 2: Start or Restart Print Spooler Dependencies

The Print Spooler Service will stop operating if any of the said dependency services fail. Hence, ensuring that these are running is equally important. Step I: Launch Services Window

  1. Launch the Run dialog box by holding Windows + R keys together.
  2. Type services.msc and click OK to launch Services window.

Step II: Check Print Spooler Activity Status

  1. Right-click on Print Spooler and select Properties as shown.

  2. Now, Print Spooler Properties (Local Computer) window will appear. Here, switch to the Dependencies tab.

  3. Click on the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) icon. Two options will be expanded:

DCOM Server Process Launcher RPC Endpoint Mapper

Make a note of these names and Exit the window.

Step III: Start DCOM Server Process Launcher Service

  1. Navigate to the Services window again and search for DCOM Server Process Launcher.

  2. Right-click on DCOM Server Process Launcher and click on Properties.

  3. In DCOM Server Process Launcher Properties (Local Computer) window, set the Startup type to Automatic as depicted below.

  4. Here, click on Apply and then click on the Start button.

  5. Now, wait for some time and click on OK to exit the Properties window. Step IV: Start RPC Endpoint Mapper Service

  6. Navigate to the Services window again and search for RPC Endpoint Mapper.

  7. Right-click on RPC Endpoint Mapper and select Properties.

  8. In RPC Endpoint Mapper Properties (Local Computer) window, set the Startup type to Automatic as earlier.

  9. Click Apply followed by OK to exit the Properties window. Also Read: Fix Windows could not start the Print Spooler service on local computer

Method 3: Clear Spooled Files

If you hit Ctrl + P on a document with several pages, chances are, the print spooler service will have a tough time managing the print jobs and end up glitching. Luckily, you can clear the print queue (spool files) manually and then restart the service to pull things back to normal. Note: Before we clear these files, we will stop the print spooler service and then, start it thereafter.

  1. Open Services window, locate Print Spooler and right-click on it then click Stop as illustrated below.

  2. Press Windows key + E to open File Explorer.

  3. Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS as shown.

  4. Delete the files in PRINTERS folder by pressing Ctrl + A keys and then, Delete key.

  5. Now, Disconnect the printer from your Windows PC

  6. Implement steps in Method 1 to start Print Spooler service.

  7. Reconnect your printer back to your PC and check if your printer works fine without any errors.

Method 4: Run Printer troubleshooter

Printer issues on Windows 10 are so abundant that Microsoft decided to include a troubleshooter for the same within the Operating system itself. The tool runs a bunch of pre-defined troubleshooting steps, for example, checking for spooler service errors, print queues, etc., and resolves them automatically.

  1. Press Windows + I keys to launch Settings

  2. Click the Update & Security tile as shown.

  3. Go to the Troubleshoot tab on the left pane.

  4. Click Additional Troubleshooters on the right pane.

  5. Under the Get up and running section, choose Printer troubleshooter, then click Run the troubleshooter button shown highlighted.

  6. This will launch the troubleshooter to begin Detecting problems as shown.

  7. Choose the printer you want to troubleshoot and click Next.

  8. Apply the fix as recommended by the troubleshooter and resume printing. Also Read: Fix Print Spooler Keeps Stopping on Windows 10

Method 5: Reinstall Printer Drivers

If your error message is regarding Print Spooler Service not running, simply replacing the current printer drivers, which are presumably corrupt or just outdated, with the latest set of driver files should settle any connection issue between the PC and the printer. Here’s how to do so:

  1. Press Windows + X keys. Click Device Manager from the given menu.

  2. Open the Print Queues category. Right-click on the connected Printer and click Uninstall device as illustrated below.

  3. Now, disconnect the printer cable and restart the PC.

  4. Once the PC has booted back on, ensure the internet connection is working perfectly and plug in the printer cable.

  5. Windows will detect the connected hardware and automatically download & install the required driver files from the internet. Q1. Why is my printer spooler service not running? Ans. Your printer spooler service may not be running if it is being blocked by a third-party application, one or both of its dependent services are not running or the service failed to automatically get going on startup. Q2. How do I start Print Spooler service in Windows 10? Ans. To manually start the service, open the Services application and locate the Print Spooler service. Select it and click on the Start option that appears over the service description. Recommended:

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We hope this article was helpful and you were able to fix Local Print Spooler Service is not running error in Windows 10. If you have any queries regarding this article, reach out to us through the comments section below. 

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