Although there could be many reasons you cannot print, such as connection problems or physical issues with the printer, it is usually an issue with the Windows 10 “print spooler.” This service spools print jobs and handle the interactions with the printer, and sometimes it will stop working, even after restarting your device and printer. If you are experiencing this problem, you can fix this printer issue by resetting the print spooler on the computer using the Services console or Command Prompt. This guide will teach you the steps to fix the print spooler on Windows 10 to fix a printer. (See also this video tutorial to complete this task.)
Fix print spooler from Services Fix print spooler from Command Prompt
Fix print spooler from Services
To fix the print spooler service to continue printing on Windows 10, use these steps: Once you complete the steps, you can try to print a document one more time, and the printer should work as expected.
Fix print spooler from Command Prompt
To fix print spooler problems from Command Prompt, use these steps: After you complete the steps, you should be able to send a print job to the printer, and this time the printer should work.
While this guide focuses on Windows 10, the ability to reset the “Print Spooler” has been around for a long time, so you should be able to use the same steps on Windows 8.1, Windows 7, and older versions. Update July 2, 2021: If you found this guide because of the PrintNightmare vulnerability, there’s not a permanent fix for the problem yet. However, Microsoft recommends temporarily disabling the service using Stop-Service -Name Spooler -Force and Set-Service -Name Spooler -StartupType Disabled PowerShell commands until an update is released. Alternatively, you can disable the policy to allow incoming connections to the print server from Group Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Printers and disable the “Allow Print Spooler to accept client connections” policy. Update July 7, 2021: Microsoft has released the update KB5004945 for Windows 10 21H1, 20H2, and 2004 to fix the “PrintNightmare” vulnerability. A similar update is also available for version 1909 and the original version of the operating system. Update July 8, 2021: If the update to fix the PrintNightmare vulnerability is causing problems, you can always uninstall it using these steps: Once you complete the steps, the update will be removed from your installation, fixing any issues with the printer. Update December 9, 2022: This guide has been revised to ensure that the steps are still accurate. All content on this site is provided with no warranties, express or implied. Use any information at your own risk. Always backup of your device and files before making any changes. Privacy policy info.
