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Print Spool will not stay active. SFC / Scannow shows corruption but no repair
dmroz:
Windows 7 64 Ultimate.
I have tried everything posted by anyone regarding the serious problem Microsoft has with its print system. The print spooler will not stay "started" which makes it impossible to install a print driver. I have tried SFC /scannow and it shows corrupt files but doesn't fix them. I have uninstalled the Windows print feature, rebooted and tried to re-install the print system. Nothing I have tried works. I also have the problem with Security Essentials not able to update its definitions. This is a less urgent matter as Windows update is able to install any new definitions. Microsoft doesn't acknowledge there is a serious problem with their software but it is apparent to me they have little to no support for it.
I have installed the very best rootkit and virus programs and nothing registers as a virus so I don't think it is due to an attack.
Any advanced help in resolving the print spool issue would be greatly appreciated.
jraju:
Hi, Did you try trouble shooting. This normally fixes the problem. If the driver is not installed , the printer would not work.By trouble shooting, I mean, click startmenu and then control panel and in the search box to the right of the screen, in the search box type trouble shooting, click trouble shooting and select hardware and printers menu. That will check the problesm including running of spool services and print drivers. if it could not find the drivers, it will give you its error reporting. Accordingly you could proceed. But normally the trouble shoot fixes all the problems connected with printers. What is the error it shows?
dmroz:
I've tried everything published and authored by Microsoft. Fixit didn't work and says it couldn't fix the problem. similar to the sfc /scannow feature.
Boggin:
As you have Win 7 Ultimate installed, I would assume that you have an install disk but if you haven't, you can download/save the SP1 ISO from http://www.w7forums.com/threads/official-windows-7-sp1-iso-image-downloads.12325/ and use http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool to create a bootable USB/DVD.
You'll need to change the Boot order to boot up with the USB/DVD and you can do that by tapping F12 as you switch on and use the cursor keys to select your chosen media.
If you opt for an USB then check that your computer has the option to boot from an USB before creating it.
Once you have selected the chosen media, insert the media and press enter.
Press any key when you are prompted to boot from the media and if you are eventually presented with a black screen with an option to press F8, do so and select Safe Mode with Command Prompt - else confirm the keyboard/language or currency as the option you are given.
Select Repair your Computer and make a note of the partition it locates your Win 7 in - it could be C: or D:
You'll eventually be presented with the Recovery Environment where you will have a number of options - select Command Prompt and enter these commands -
bcdedit |find "osdevice" (this is to confirm the partition letter and that's a Pipe symbol before find)
(Assuming C:) sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows
This command should repair the files that the sfc was unable to when run within Windows - but let us know what it reports.
Try the printer again but if the Print Spooler is still stopping, have a read through http://www.sysprobs.com/print-spooler-stopping-automatically-fix
Shane:
I have had multiple customers who had this same problem, and for each of them it turned out to be an infection.
It had infected the spooler.exe file and that is why sfc says there is corrupt files but cant fix it. The virus isnt letting it. And since it infected the actual MS file on the system, most antiviruses wont touch it. This is why the virus maker targets actual system files, because most AVs wont touch it.
Combofix might be able to fix it, otherwise you would need to replace the file with a good one while you are not booted up in windows so that the virus cant stop you from replacing it.
Shane
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