HELP!!!!Spoolsv.exe error
 

I have been receiving this message:

spooler subsystem app has encountered a problem and needs to close

Microsoft at first said that my spoolsv.exe file was corrupt and to replace it. I did and the problem was still there. I went into the system administrator and check the systems. The spooler was off. I turned it back on and for a minute, I could see my printers again. Then it shut itself down again. I changed it to manual but the result was the same.

I have no idea what to do at this point. Can someone out there help me?

Spoolsv.exe
 

Hello, uninstall your printers replace spoolsv.exe again, run a disk check ( preferably through the recovery console if you have a CD ).

Then re-install your printers and check for driver updates from the manufacturers website once installation is complete .

Let me know how you get on.:icon_wink:

Regards

Martin

Thanks
 

Thanks Martin. I'll give it a try and let you know.

Cheers,

Don

It didn't work
 

Hey Martin,

Well, I did what you dais except that with the spooler not active, it won't let me delete the print drivers. I managed to get it open to see the drivers that are there but when I try to delete, it say that I can't because the spooler isn't running. I tried replacing the spoolsv.exe file anyway. That worked but the problem is still the same. I have tried putting it on manual in the Administrator/Services but it starts up but kicks off in about 5 seconds. I REALLY need my printers. Any other suggestions?

Thanks,

Don

Spoolsv.exe Error
 

Ok, do you have a CD? What I want you to try is to boot from the CD and access the recovery console and if the disk check spots the problem it should repair the file and solve the problem. Then the next time you restart your PC you will be able to access your printers.

Also, to be on the safe side, run a full scan with any anti-virus\spyware software you've got. As even if the recovery console fixes the file, a virus on your PC may well just do it again!

Regards

Martin

Which CD?
 

Pardon my ignorance but when you say CD, do you mean the Windows CD or a bootable CD? I am assuming you mean the Windows one. Could you be a bit more specific as to how I do this?

Thanks,

Don

Spoolsv.exe Error
 

Hello Don, the XP CD is the one you'll need. First you need to put your XP CD in to your CD drive and then restart your PC and go into your bios settings, usually by pressing F2 when the computer is booting up. Once you're in, you need to change the boot priority so that it is set to boot from your CD drive first.

When you've done this, select the 'save settings and exit' option and your PC will restart.

If everything is going well you will see a small message at the top of the screen instructing you to press any key to boot from CD, press any key you like.

Next you will see windows starting, give it a few minutes to load everything in. Once loading is complete you should see an option to repair a windows installation by pressing 'R'. This will load up the windows recovery console.

When it's loaded you will be asked which installation you would like to log on to. Press the appropriate number and enter your password, if you haven't set a password that you use to log on then just press enter.

When you done all this you need to type: CHKDSK /R. This will start a disk check and repair\replace any corrupt windows files ( and hopefully the one we're after! ).

When the disk check is complete, take note if any errors were fixed.

Did you try just uninstalling the printers instead of removing the drivers?

Let me know how you get on

Regards

Martin

Didn't Work
 

Hi Martin,

Well it didn't work. My Cd only gave me two options, 1) reinstall windows or 2) Boot from command prompt....and that prompt was the A drive. It didn't even recognize the C drive. I have sent you an email.

Thanks,

Don

you can always try using task manager, and stop the spool process, then you should be able to delete it. If not, try uninstalling the printer under control panel -> printers and faxes.

Ok, you should get the option of repairing a windows installation by pressing 'R' as it is loaded from the CD.

Try again and if it doesn't show it I want you to post exactly what it's telling you on the screen when the CD has finished loading.

I haven't received your email, check the notes next time you click on the MSN symbol.

Alternatively, you can start your PC as normal and go to Start>My Computer>Right-click your hard drive and go to Properties>Tools>Check disk for errors.

When you have chosen the disk check, you will get a small window explaining that in order for the disk check to be carried out it will have to be done the next time your computer starts, click 'Yes'.

Have you carried out a full scan for viruses and spyware?

Regards

Martin:boxing:

I Tried It Again
 

Hi Martin,

Well, I tried it again to no avail. In my email, I stated that my Windows CD's are OEM from E Machines. I have heard that the OEM disks do not have repair on them and that you have to get them separately from Microsoft.

Anyway, as you asked, here is what I get on the screen when I boot from the CD:

Microsoft Windows Setup Menu

1. Restore Windows XP
2. Boot to command prompt from CD

(at the bottom is the following)

F5 = Safe Mode Shift + F5= Command Prompt Shift F8=Step by step configuration (n)


As I mentioned in the email, I tried the command prompt but to would not even recognize the C drive. The prompt was for the A drive

I notice them when I hit Shift+F8, it changes the (n) at the end of it to (y).

In April of 2006, my hard drive crashed. I got a new one and has to install XP again. I also noted that it gives you no option but to format the hard drive.

So, if it is necessary, do I have to get the repair files from Microsoft?

I also ran CHKDSK from safe mode and it did it when I restated. It came through clean. My Virus software scan my computer every night along with a spyware scan fro PC Tools Spy Doctor. I also update my definitions in both programs at least twice a week. The virus scan is clean and I get a list of spyware to remove each morning.

So, that's where I am at. This is such a hassle for me and I would like to thank you so very much for all of your help. I will be watching for more ideas.

Thanks again,

Don

Windows Recovery Console
 

You can dowload a file to create 6 floppy disks for XP from here: http://www.syschat.com/download91.html. Once all the disks are loaded you can access the recovery console.

Check to see if there are any files pending and delete them by going to C:/Windows/System32/Spool/Printer and double click on the printer in 'Printers and Faxes' and delete any files pending there. Try running the printer again.

If your still getting the same problem, run the task manager and stop the service spoolsv.exe. This is an hidden file so make sure you have the 'Display hidden files and folders' checked by going to the Control Panel and then Folder Options and click on the view tab and check the Show hidden files and folders box. There should only be one spoolsv.exe and it should only be in the system32 folder as a hidden file. When you found it delete it and check the window again as some system files once deleted are automatically replaced by windows. Go to your printers and uninstall them from the add/remove programs section in the control panel and then delete the printers from the printers and faxes section.

Restart your PC using the six diskettes and load the recovery console and then do the disk check again. When it's finished, exit and restart your PC and when it's up and running again run task manager and see if the spoolsv.exe is there again.

Re-install your printers and see what happens.

You might want to search for spoolsv.exe after you've displayed the hidden files and folders to make sure there is only one copy.

You haven't got a Dell by any chance?!

Regards

Martin:boxing:

Hi,

sorry to jump in here in the middle but what printers do you have installed? The error message you mentioned in the 1st mail strongly suggests that it's a corrupted or "mis-installed" printerdriver that't the culprit. For a generic fix (complicated but doable, have done it meself in the past with a Canon MP) check this KB article from MS:

"Spooler subsystem app has encountered a problem and needs to close" and "Operation could not be completed" error messages

Tell us what printerdrivers you have, maybe someone has experience with some of them...

/Petri

Hi William

What has XP's Recovery console got to do with the price of eggs ?

The fault is with the Printer or Printer Driver, not XP

if you have a problem, mail me personally

Thanks

Roger

dunno, my only post in this thread was:
which i meant as stop the process, uninstall the driver and re-install.

I did not mention the Recovery once, do not slander members who have done nothing wrong.

Also mailing you personally might be great, but it does not help the forum, which is how people find help in the first place. Personally i like getting several views on a topic rather than just one, sometimes there is more than 1 right answer to solving a problem.

Maybe a RAW or EMF problem?
 

We can see that frustration is beginning to rear its toothy grin ;)

The first place I start with any problem or error message is to type it into google...which I just did "spooler subsystem app has encountered a problem and needs to close" Apparently, there are up to 540 hits touching on these exact words and this topic...one of them should have an answer. Independent of that search, I went to search RAW errors and found the first couple to possibly be helpful, depending on the exact nature of the issue...then there is the last note, which is my own case, and noted previously in url #3. Good luck...

1. Anything here help... Microsoft Corporation
2. How about: ACC97: Cannot Print Black Lines on Report When Spool Set to Raw "If you want to have black lines print on your report and gridlines print on your table, query, or form in Datasheet view, change the spool setting of the printer to EMF (Enhanced Metafile format).
3. Or, here...Spool Settings (EMF/RAW) The following is covered on this page, with images to help...and is what my settings are like in XP Home...

My printer is set up so: Enter your Printer setup off the Control Panel...then go to Properties, then to Advanced, then down at the bottom you may see "Print Processor," tap on it...over in the right frame you will see the "RAW" references...these are spooling commands... Tap on each item in the left pane under "Print processor" ...to be sure that RAW appears under each setting...close it up... Go back to the Advanced tab and be sure the "Spool print documents" ...is ticked off and the "Start printing immediately" is ticked off and below, tick off "Print spooled documents first," and "Enable advanced printing features" ...

Any help?

More troubleshooting
 

I don't quite have enough information to tell you what you need to do. Was this something that occured out of the blue? Did your windows update anything? Did you update the printer drivers? What kind of printer are you using and how is it connected? Is there any special software that the printer uses?

If any update was made on the printer drivers, then you might have to step back a version. If there is any special software the printer came with that is installed (and I don't know how it would effect the Spoolsv.exe), then it may need to be uninstalled. Connection problems I imagine wouldn't cause any errors regarding the Spoolsv.exe, but then who knows, maybe by the domino effect... You using Network, USB, or good old parallel?

Running a repair?
 

I would think that would be your last choice right after the drastic step of running a system restore.

Have you emptied the contents of your spool directory?

First do this:
Start | run
type in "net stop spooler"
Then delete all files in the folder "C:\windows\system32\spool\PRINTERS" this will clear any offending job you have. Please note if you have changed the location of your print spooler folder you need to clear the proper folder out.

Now restart the spooler:
Start | run
type in "net start spooler"

Good Day

Take a look at: Troubleshooting general printing problems in Windows XP

when you post the same link 3 times in a row in separate posts... that is spamming a thread.

spamming?
 

Who's spamming...me? Don't know what you are referring to...

...Al

HORRAY!!! Things are working again!!!!
 

First of all, thank to everyone who helped me with this. I appreciate it so very much! I have finally got things working again. The problem was in one of the printer drivers. I'm not sure which one. The problem that I had was that with out the spooler, I couldn't uninstall the printers.

What finally worker was the instruction on the link posted by Petri. It was a bit of a pain taking out the drivers from Windows and then editing the registry but it worked...and that's what was important.

So, to Martin, Petri, William, Al, Dmon, Bones090980, b1caez01, Roger, thank you all for taking the time to help. Sorry that I took so long to reply back but I have been dealing with a few family issues in the last while.

It's great to know that you guys are here and so willing to help.

Thanks again,

Don

de nada...
 

Hey, ...that's what "we" get paid the big bucks for!

spools
 

>>>> sir i've try this solution,, still its wasn't able to fix my spools,,, what to do then?

Pretty Old Thread
 

Hi,

This is quite an old thread. Look at my post entitled "Horray, it worked". That might tell you what happened. If memory serves, I had to do a lot of file replacing, etc. I wish I could help but I reallt don't remember how I fixed this. Sorry

I had a similar problem with a maxtor hard drive. I used my maxtor cd to format the hd and reinstalled xp. Had to reinstall everything. Worked fine after that.

It all comes back to me now. I had to delete and reinstall everything too. I haven't had a problem since. I believe that I had to uninstall all of the print drivers from Windows and the registry keys then reinstall the printers again.

printer spooler
 

dear,

pls go to start and select run and type services. and find printer spooler right click on this service and stop it after restart and after restart start this services and remove doubtfull printer.

Hey! I'm having a similar problem with the spoolsv.exe that was evidently an infection of some sort. Avira shows:

Virus or unwanted program 'TR/Patched.CK.6 [trojan]'
detected in file 'C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Local Settings\Temp\tmp6.tmp

Now, I couldn't get into that file, BUT there was another file, tmp5.tmp that didn't seem to set off an alarm, but in it, it showed the following:


%c;%d;%s;%d \\?\globalroot\systemroot\system32\advapi32.dll advapi32.dll spoolsv.exe \ T D K P tmp \\?\globalroot\tdl.dat

I couldn't find the tdl.dat file (which is probably because when I got suspicious of the install, I canceled the install, but the only thing that would stop it was to rename the spoolsv.exe file. Running Avira over that file shows nothing, but it'd seem to me we're looking at a script. The problem is, I can't find out where the script is originating. I checked my boot stuff with Autoruns, and there is nothing there. I turned off the spools service for now, just in case, but I figure as long as spoolsv.exe has been renamed, this script will not work. Now I jush have to figure out where the script is hiding.

Any ideas?

******

Nevermind! I found it! it was hiding in the Autorun.inf file on C:\ I renamed and moved it and put a blank autorun.inf in it's place. If replacing a system file like spoolsv.exe doesn't fix it, you probably have a script running that's causing the problem like I did.