Fix printer spooler not running – works every time

I get it — you need to print something right now, and the printer just sits there. The print queue shows documents stuck in limbo. Let's fix that.

First: the quick fix that solves 90% of cases

The real problem is almost always a corrupted print job in the spooler folder. Here's how to clear it out.

Press Windows key + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter.
In the Services window, scroll down to Print Spooler. Right-click it and select Stop. Leave this window open.
Now open File Explorer. In the address bar, paste this path: C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS
Delete every file inside that PRINTERS folder. Don't worry — these are just pending print jobs. You won't break anything.
Go back to the Services window. Right-click Print Spooler again and select Start.
Try printing a test page. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, click your printer, and select Print a test page.

After step 5, the service should show as Running. If it does, you're done. If it still says Stopped, move to the next section.

Why this works

The print spooler is a Windows service that acts like a middleman between your app and the printer. When a print job gets stuck — maybe from a partial page, a network timeout, or a corrupted file — the spooler can't move past it. It just gives up. By stopping the service, deleting the stuck jobs, and restarting, you're giving the spooler a clean slate. This fix works on Windows 10, Windows 11, and even Windows 8.1.

Less common variations of the same issue

The spooler stops again right after you start it

This means a corrupted print job is still hiding somewhere. Open the PRINTERS folder again and check if new files appeared. If yes, you've got a program that keeps resubmitting a bad job. Common culprits: Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, or a weird PDF file. Close all open apps, then repeat the steps. Also run the print troubleshooter: go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters > Printer.

Error 1068: the dependency service didn't start

The spooler needs two other services to run: Remote Procedure Call (RPC) and HTTP Service. Check if they're running. Open Services, find Remote Procedure Call (RPC) — it should be set to Automatic and Running. HTTP Service should also be Automatic. If either is disabled, set it to Automatic and start it, then try starting the spooler.

The spooler won't delete files — access denied

This happens when the file permissions got messed up. Open the PRINTERS folder, right-click inside it, select Properties > Security. Click Advanced, then Change permissions. Make sure SYSTEM and Administrators have Full Control. If not, check the box and apply. Then try deleting again.

Still not working? Reset the spooler via command line

Open Command Prompt as Administrator. Run these commands one at a time:

net stop spooler
del /Q /F /S "%systemroot%\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*.*"
net start spooler

This does the same thing as the manual steps but forces deletion of any stuck files. If you see "access denied" here, you didn't open Command Prompt as Administrator.

How to prevent this from happening again

Don't turn off your printer mid-print. Wait for the job to complete or cancel it from the print queue before powering down.
Update your printer drivers. An outdated driver can send bad data to the spooler. Check your printer manufacturer's website — not Windows Update.
Set the spooler to restart automatically. In Services, right-click Print Spooler > Properties. Under Recovery, set the first failure to Restart the Service. This catches 95% of random stops.
Limit print queue size. If you print a lot, clear your queue every few days by deleting old jobs. A bloated queue is a fragile queue.

That's it. You don't need third-party tools or a system restore. Nine times out of ten, clearing that PRINTERS folder is the fix. If you hit one of the edge cases above, follow that variation and you'll be printing again in minutes.