Need to Restart Print Spooler to Print (every time)

Per the title: If I print something (win 11 25H2) the print will go to the queue and just sit there. It shows "Ready", but it stays in the queue. I have to go into Services and restart the Print Spooler. Then it prints. Restarting the print job from the print queue itself does not help.

I need to do this for every print job i.e. 1) I send something to the printer from a program; 2) It hangs in the queue; 3) I restart the Print Spooler; 4) It prints. If I try to print something else a few minutes later then I need to restart the Print Services, again.

If I reboot, that will correct it, but at some point it will return to this auto-stall mode. That is, my system will have been up for several days and sleeping at night. At some point along the way the queue will start holding. (it might be sticking after sleeping... I'll be checking that in the morning as I just thought of it).

The printer is hanging off the router. I'm printing wirelessly through the router. No other devices have any issues with printing to this same printer through the same router.

Suggestions?

please check in Window Services and see if the Print Spooler service is enabled and set to automatic

you can disable this service and then restart this service to see if that corrects the spooling error
best of luck Steve ..

1. In Services, right click on Print Spooler, Properties, Dependencies tab. Print Spooler should have 4 dependencies as shown below. HTTP is a kernal mode driver rather than a system service so you won't see it in the "services" list. But you will the other 3.
While still in services, go to each of those other 3 dependent services. Make sure each is set to automatic and started.





2. Do a test print to Microsoft Print to PDF. If this works repeatedly, the spooler is probably OK. But if this also breaks the spooler, repair the printer subsystem.

Open a command prompt as administrator and type
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

When complete restart. Then open command prompt as admin again and run sfc /scannow
Pay attention to the scan results to see if SFC found anything it could not repair

3. Do a clean install of printer driver.
Delete the printer and its driver package. Then restart.
Re-install using the latest package from the printer manufacturer.

4. If still no joy, do a repair install. Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade

Find which port the printer was added on by running this in PowerShell:

```
Get-Printer | Format-Table Name,PortName
```

If the port name starts with `WSD`, remove the printer and add it again by its IP address in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Add device > Add manually > Add a printer using an IP address or hostname.

Reserve that IP address for the printer in your router, then test a print after the PC wakes from sleep.

Drafted with AI.

XxXxX said:

please check in Window Services and see if the Print Spooler service is enabled and set to automatic

you can disable this service and then restart this service to see if that corrects the spooling error
best of luck Steve ..

Click to expand...

Print Spooler is on Automatic and is always running. But I still need to restart to free the queue.

glasskuter said:

1. In Services, right click on Print Spooler, Properties, Dependencies tab. Print Spooler should have 4 dependencies as shown below. HTTP is a kernal mode driver rather than a system service so you won't see it in the "services" list. But you will the other 3.
While still in services, go to each of those other 3 dependent services. Make sure each is set to automatic and started.

Click to expand...

All Automatic and Started / Running. I also have the LPD Service as dependent on the Spooler. It's set to Automatic but is stopped.

However, I'm not currently encountering the glitch, so I will have to recheck when I do.

glasskuter said:

2. Do a test print to Microsoft Print to PDF. If this works repeatedly, the spooler is probably OK. But if this also breaks the spooler, repair the printer subsystem.

Open a command prompt as administrator and type
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

When complete restart. Then open command prompt as admin again and run sfc /scannow
Pay attention to the scan results to see if SFC found anything it could not repair

Click to expand...

Print to MS PDF has never failed.

glasskuter said:

3. Do a clean install of printer driver.
Delete the printer and its driver package. Then restart.
Re-install using the latest package from the printer manufacturer.

Click to expand...

I'll do this.

glasskuter said:

4. If still no joy, do a repair install. Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade

Click to expand...

Won't that reinstall stuff like CoPilot i.e. reset the registry settings to "fix" it... along with other tweaks I've made to the registry to configure Win 11 annoyances?

ET Ducky said:

Find which port the printer was added on by running this in PowerShell:

```
Get-Printer | Format-Table Name,PortName
```

If the port name starts with `WSD`, remove the printer and add it again by its IP address in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Add device > Add manually > Add a printer using an IP address or hostname.

Reserve that IP address for the printer in your router, then test a print after the PC wakes from sleep.

Drafted with AI.

Click to expand...

Yes, it's a WSD... printer.

In the last panel of this procedure, are these settings OK or should I tweak? (I specified the IP). Also, will this add a second instance of the Printer working by IP (i.e. I can have two) or should I remove the WSD version first?

Those settings are fine. The _1 on the port name most likely means a port named 192.168.0.22 already exists on the PC.

It adds a second printer next to the WSD one, so remove the WSD printer in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners after the IP printer is installed, then test a print after the PC wakes from sleep.

Drafted with AI.