How Do I Restart the Print Spooler?

Restarting the print spooler service is a common troubleshooting step for printer issues on Windows, such as print jobs being stuck or the printer not responding.

Restarting the print spooler on a Windows system involves accessing the Services console, locating the service, and initiating the restart command.

Simple Steps to Restart the Print Spooler

Here are the exact steps to restart the Print Spooler service, directly incorporating information from the provided reference:

1. Access Services: On your Windows Print Server, open the Services console. You can do this by pressing Windows Key + R, typing services.msc, and pressing Enter.
2. Locate Service: Scroll down the list of services to find the "Print Spooler" service.
3. Restart Service: Right-click on the Print Spooler service and choose Restart.
4. Verify: After the service has restarted, verify the print jobs have resumed or the printer issue is resolved.

This process effectively stops and then starts the service responsible for managing print jobs sent to your computer's printers.

Why Restart the Print Spooler?

You might need to restart the Print Spooler service for several reasons:

• Stuck Print Jobs: Print jobs get stuck in the queue and won't print or can't be deleted.
• Printer Offline: The printer appears offline even though it's connected and turned on.
• Printer Errors: Receiving generic printer errors that prevent printing.
• Installation Issues: Problems during printer driver installation or updates.

Restarting the service often clears the print queue and resolves temporary glitches preventing successful communication with the printer.

Alternative Methods (Brief Overview)

While the Services console (services.msc) is the standard graphical method, you can also restart the Print Spooler using command-line tools:

• Using Command Prompt (Admin):
  • Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
  • Type net stop spooler and press Enter to stop the service.
  • Type net start spooler and press Enter to start the service.
• Using PowerShell (Admin):
  • Open PowerShell as Administrator.
  • Type Restart-Service Spooler and press Enter.

These methods achieve the same result as using the Services console but are often preferred by IT professionals for scripting or remote management.

Step-by-Step Table

For clarity, here are the steps using the services.msc method in a table format:

Step	Action	Detail
1	Open Services	Press Win + R, type services.msc, press Enter.
2	Find Print Spooler	Scroll down the list of services.
3	Right-Click and Restart	Right click on the Print Spooler service and choose Restart.
4	Check Printer Status	Verify the print jobs have resumed.

Restarting the print spooler is a quick and effective first step in troubleshooting many common Windows printing problems.