Print Spooler Service Keeps Stopping — Fixed

When the Print Spooler service in Windows keeps stopping — either silently or with the message "The Print Spooler service on Local Computer started and then stopped" — the cause is almost always a corrupted print job, an old driver file, or a third-party driver clash. You don't need to reinstall Windows. Try these fixes in order.

Fix 1 — Clear the spooler folder

The single most common cause of the spooler crashing is a corrupt file sitting in the spool folder.

1. Press Win+R, type services.msc and press Enter.
2. Find Print Spooler, right-click and choose Stop. (If it's already stopped, leave it stopped.)
3. Open File Explorer and go to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS.
4. Delete everything inside that folder. Do not delete the folder itself.
5. Return to Services, right-click Print Spooler and choose Start.

Test if the spooler stays running for at least 5 minutes. If yes, you're fixed. If it crashes again, continue.

Fix 2 — Set the spooler to restart automatically

Sometimes the spooler crashes once at boot due to a transient error and never restarts. Telling Windows to auto-restart it usually masks the symptom.

1. In Services, right-click Print Spooler and choose Properties.
2. Go to the Recovery tab.
3. Set First failure, Second failure and Subsequent failures all to Restart the Service.
4. Click OK.

Fix 3 — Remove unused or broken printer drivers

Old drivers left behind by removed printers are a common cause of repeated spooler crashes.

1. Press Win+R, type printmanagement.msc and press Enter. (On Home edition use Print Server Properties instead — step 3 below.)
2. Expand Print Servers → (your PC) → Drivers.
3. Right-click each driver you no longer use and choose Remove Driver Package.
4. Reboot.

If Print Management isn't available on your edition:

1. Open Settings → Printers & scanners.
2. Scroll down and click Print server properties.
3. Go to the Drivers tab and remove anything you no longer use.

Fix 4 — Run SFC and DISM

If a system file is corrupt, the spooler will keep crashing no matter how many times you clear the queue.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Run: sfc /scannow and wait for completion.
3. Then run: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
4. Reboot and start the Print Spooler again.

Fix 5 — Check for malware

Some adware bundles and "driver updater" tools hook into the spooler and crash it. Run Windows Defender Offline Scan:

1. Settings → Privacy & Security → Windows Security → Virus & threat protection.
2. Click Scan options, choose Microsoft Defender Offline Scan and click Scan now.
3. Your PC will reboot and scan before Windows loads. Let it finish.

Still crashing?

If the spooler crashes within seconds even after all five fixes, the issue is usually a specific corrupt driver package that needs to be identified and removed manually using printui commands — this is easier with a technician guiding you.

Book a 30-minute remote session to get it resolved. Flat $29. No fix, no fee.