Spooler stopped (MS Windows XP Home SP2)

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I found a thread that is two years old on this topic but no conclusion was reached. However I am hoping for a solution by posting this message.

Why I don’t know but the Spooler service has stopped running on my PC notebook; the operating system is MS Windows XP Home with SP2 & fully updated. Previously across my LAN & directly installed several printers were available & from time to time used. Now there are no installed printers. When I start the Spooler the following message appears:

Could not start the Spooler service on Local Computer.
Error 1075: The dependency service does not exist or has been marked for deletion.

I have investigated the dependencies of Spooler & found that there is one; Remote Procedure Call (RPC). I have checked & in fact RPC is running!

I have tried to install a printer driver. This also produces an error message in the printer set up dialogue that the printer is not connected to the computer & the installation cannot proceed until it is. As the printer is on & connected the message indicates that the printer is not recognised.

I have searched the MSKB & found some articles referring to this situation but nothing that helps with a MS XP operating system. Can you help please?

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Malcolm,

What kind of printer is it? Have you checked the manufacturers website? How is it connected? Parallel port, USB?
Have you checked the status of the printer in Control Panel>Printer & faxes?
Check in the C:windowssystem32 folder for the spoolersv.exe file.

I think I would try to uninstall the printer, then run the new hardware wizard to see if it is recognized and then try for an update of the drivers.

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(Edited by HansV to make URL clickable – see Help 19)

>What kind of printer is it? Have you checked the manufacturers website? How is it connected? Parallel port, USB?

It isn’t possible to install a printer unless Spooler is running. It is an essential Windows system file that loads files to memory for later printing. If it isn’t running then not only will there be no printing but also there will be no printers. According to both MS & HP the Lexbceserver is known to cause problems with the Spooler service & prevent the installation of other manufacturers’ printers but I have never had a Lexmark printer installed on my notebook & that server does not appear in Task Manager | Processes. Neither does spoolsv.exe which confirms it is not running or perhaps corrupted.

>Have you checked the status of the printer in Control Panel>Printer & faxes?
There are no installed printers in the Printers & Faxes folder. My apologies if that wasn’t clear from my original message.

>Check in the C:windowssystem32 folder for the spoolersv.exe file.
That file is present as is its related file spoolss.dll. Previously I had replaced both of these files from the System Configuration Utility (msconfig) | General | Expand File.

I suspect that there is a damaged Registry entry that is stopping Spooler from running or not starting. If that is not so the solution might be to reinstall Windows XP but I am reluctant to do that as I only have a Recovery Disk for the notebook.

I have been searching again & found thisat the URL http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/FAQPrinting.htm#_Toc88804924%5B/url%5D:

1. open a Command Prompt window
2. key `sc config spooler depend= RPCSS’ (note the space after depend=) and press Enter.

As a result Spooler is running!

Please accept my thank for your interest in replying to my enquiry. I hope that the issue is now resolved.

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