Experiencing printer problems can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you need to print important documents. One common culprit behind printer issues is the Print Spooler. This essential Windows service manages all print jobs, sending them to your printer in the correct order. Sometimes, the Print Spooler can encounter errors or get stuck, leading to print jobs getting stuck in the queue or printers not responding at all. Restarting the Print Spooler service is often a quick and effective solution to resolve these common printing problems.
This guide will walk you through the simple steps to restart the print spooler service on different versions of Windows, including Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows 8, and Windows 7. By restarting this service, you can clear out any potential glitches and get your printer working smoothly again.
Restarting the Print Spooler on Windows 10 & Windows 11
For users running the latest versions of Windows, accessing and restarting the Print Spooler is a straightforward process. Follow these steps to get your printer back on track:
Accessing Services
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Begin by locating the Start button, typically found in the bottom-left corner of your screen. Right-click on the Start button to open the context menu.
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From the menu that appears, select Run. This will open the Run dialog box.
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In the Open field of the Run dialog box, type
services.msc. This command will open the Services management console. Click OK to proceed.
Run dialog box with services.msc entered
How to Stop the Print Spooler Service
Once you have the Services window open, you can stop the Print Spooler service with these steps:
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Scroll down through the list of services until you find Print Spooler. The services are listed alphabetically, making it easier to locate. Click on Print Spooler to select it.
Print Spooler service selected in Services window -
With Print Spooler selected, look to the top-left of the Services window. You will see options to “Stop the service”, “Start the service” or “Restart the service”. Click on Stop the service.
Stop the service option highlighted for Print Spooler -
Windows will now attempt to stop the Print Spooler service. This process might take a few moments.
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To confirm that the Print Spooler service has been successfully stopped, check the Status column for Print Spooler. If the service is stopped, the status will be blank, indicating it is no longer running.
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The Print Spooler service is now stopped on your Windows 10 or Windows 11 system.
How to Start the Print Spooler
After stopping the service, you’ll need to start it again. Here’s how to do it:
- To automatically start the Print Spooler every time you turn on your computer, ensure the Startup Type for the service is set to Automatic. This is typically the default setting for the Print Spooler. You can check the Startup Type in the Startup Type column in the Services window.
To start the service manually right away:
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With Print Spooler still selected, this time click on Start the service located in the top-left corner of the Services window.
Start the service option highlighted for Print Spooler -
Windows will attempt to start the Print Spooler service. Allow a moment for the service to start.
Windows attempting to start the Print Spooler service -
Once the Print Spooler service is started, the Status column for Print Spooler will display Running.
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The Print Spooler service is now started and running on your system.
How to Restart the Print Spooler
Restarting is often the quickest way to resolve temporary glitches. Here’s how to restart the Print Spooler:
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In the Services window, scroll to and select Print Spooler from the list of services.
Print Spooler service selected in Services window -
Click on Restart the service option, found in the top-left corner of the window.
Restart the service option highlighted for Print Spooler -
Windows will now automatically stop and then restart the Print Spooler service.
Windows attempting to start the Print Spooler service -
Once the restart is complete, the Status for the Print Spooler service will show Running again.
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The Print Spooler service has now been successfully restarted.
Restarting the Print Spooler on Windows 8
If you are using Windows 8, the process to restart the Print Spooler is slightly different in accessing the Services console, but the rest of the steps remain similar.
Accessing Services on Windows 8
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Move your mouse cursor to the top-right or bottom-right corner of the screen to bring up the Charms bar. Click on the Search charm (the magnifying glass icon).
Search charm location on Windows 8 -
In the Search bar, type Local Services. Underneath the search bar, you’ll see “Apps”, “Settings”, “Files”. Click on Settings, and then click on View local services from the search results.
Local Services in Windows 8 search settings
How to Stop, Start, and Restart the Print Spooler on Windows 8
The steps to stop, start, and restart the Print Spooler service after accessing the Services window in Windows 8 are identical to those for Windows 10 and Windows 11. Please refer back to the “How to Stop the Print Spooler Service“, “How to Start the Print Spooler“, and “How to Restart the Print Spooler” sections under the Windows 10 & Windows 11 instructions and follow the same steps using the Services window you opened in Windows 8.
Print Spooler service selected in Services window
Stop the service option highlighted for Print Spooler
Start the service option highlighted for Print Spooler
Windows attempting to start the Print Spooler service
Restart the service option highlighted for Print Spooler
Restarting the Print Spooler on Windows 7
For Windows 7 users, accessing the Services console is slightly different again.
Accessing Services on Windows 7
- Click on the Start button in the bottom-left corner of your screen.
How to Stop, Start, and Restart the Print Spooler on Windows 7
Once you have accessed the Services window in Windows 7, the steps to stop, start, and restart the Print Spooler service are the same as for Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows 8. Simply follow the instructions outlined in the “How to Stop the Print Spooler Service“, “How to Start the Print Spooler“, and “How to Restart the Print Spooler” sections under the Windows 10 & Windows 11 instructions.
Restarting the Print Spooler is a simple yet powerful troubleshooting step for printer problems in Windows. By following these instructions for your specific version of Windows, you can quickly resolve many common printing issues and get back to printing your documents without interruption. If restarting the spooler doesn’t solve your problem, you may need to investigate other potential issues such as printer driver problems or hardware malfunctions.
